Her family encouraged her to sing in the house, in a church choir and at school. At Waterford Regional Technical College she studied piano then took music at University College Dublin in 1987. Having learned to copy Ella Fitzgerald's scat singing, she performed in a Dublin bistro several nights per week while still a student. At the Royal Irish Academy of Music she studied classical music and sang in a jazz band, then a folk-ballad band, then another jazz band. She also fell under the influence of Dublin folk singer Frank Harte. During this time she also formed her own band, called Dorothy.
In 1993 Karan moved to New York City. There she studied jazz at Long Island University. When she encountered Irish traditional music sessions in New York she started singing Irish traditional music again. During this time she mostly sang in bars and locals. For most of 1994 she sang with a group called Atlantic Bridge. At the end of the year she joined Seamus Egan and others in Solas. She sang five songs on their first album in 1996. In the same year she sang in Tramps club in Manhattan, accompanied only by a percussionist. They mixed jazz and folk. In 1997 she recorded a solo album, Songlines, inspired by the novel of the same name by Bruce Chatwin. It was produced by Seamus Egan and included several members of Solas. There were a few traditional songs and some contemporary folk songs.
In 2000 Karan collaborated with several other singers on "Seal Maiden - A Celtic Musical". It was a musical version of the film "The Secret of Roan Inish", designed for children. It concerns the mythical creature called the selkie - a seal-woman. Since then Karan has recorded three further solo albums released in 2001, 2003 and 2005. In a salute to her Celtic roots, several tracks were recorded in her native Irish tongue. She also features on the DVD "Solas Live".
Her 2005 album Chasing the Sun includes a number of songs Casey wrote herself. Her records are released by Shanachie Records in the United States and Vertical Records in Europe.
Karan is now living in County Cork, and is married to Niall Vallely, a composer and player of traditional Irish music.
Solo albums
* Songlines (1997)
* Seal Maiden (2000)
* The Winds Begin To Sing (2001)
* Distant Shore (2003)
* Chasing The Sun (2005)
Recordings with Solas
* Solas (1996)
* Sunny Spells and Scattered Showers (1997)
* The Words That Remain (1998)
* Reunion: A Decade of Solas (2006, CD and DVD)
As session musician
* Dancing at Lughnasa (film) (1998)
* Waking Ned Devine (film) (1999)
* "Celtic Solstice" by Paul Winter
Chasing the Sun
Karan Casey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Make me want to fly away with you
The winds pile themselves into my dreams
Reminding me only of the lack of you
I could be up there with the best of them
Me the clouds and our shadows
|: Chasing the sun :|
Wraps herself around me away we go
While outside the snows they fall away
Slowly saying goodbye, goodbye to you
I could be up there with the best of them
Me the clouds and our shadows
|: Chasing the sun :|
The song "Chasing the Sun" by Karan Casey is a beautifully written piece that reflects on the longing for a loved one's company. The imagery used in the lyrics is both vivid and powerful, evoking strong emotions in the listener. The imagery of stars standing up in the sky and the wind piling up into the dreams transports the listener to a world where the absence of a loved one is felt intensely. The use of metaphors is intriguing, as the singer refers to himself as the clouds while the loved one is the sun they are chasing.
The second verse of the song takes the listener on a journey, as the wind carries the singer away on a snow-filled night, with the skies bidding farewell to the loved one. The use of the words "slowly saying goodbye, goodbye to you" is melancholic and poignant, capturing the singer's sense of loss and isolation. The repetition of the phrase "I could be up there with the best of them" emphasizes the singer's desire to be with the person they love.
Overall, "Chasing the Sun" is a beautiful and poignant song that captures the essence of longing and desire for a loved one. The use of vivid imagery and metaphors makes the lyrics stand out and reinforces the themes of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
The stars they all stand up in the sky
The stars are visible tonight and it reminds the singer of the possibility of exploring beyond what is known.
Make me want to fly away with you
The singer wants to escape reality and embark on a new adventure with a loved one.
The winds pile themselves into my dreams
The singer dreams of the wind carrying them away to the unknown and beyond their present circumstances.
Reminding me only of the lack of you
Despite the desire to escape, the artist is reminded of the absence of someone special.
I could be up there with the best of them
The artist has the imagination and desire to explore beyond what is known and be among the best adventurers.
Me the clouds and our shadows
The singer envisions themselves accompanied by the clouds and their shadows while on this adventure.
Chasing the sun
The ultimate goal of the adventure is to chase the sun, which symbolizes something unattainable but also represents hope and possibility.
The wind takes me up into her arms
The artist is swept away by their imagination and desire to embark on an adventure into the unknown, represented by the wind.
Wraps herself around me away we go
The artist is fully committed to their adventure and allows themselves to be carried away by their imagination and desire.
While outside the snows they fall away
The present circumstances, represented by the falling snow, are left behind as the artist embarks on their adventure into the unknown.
Slowly saying goodbye, goodbye to you
The singer is bidding farewell to someone or something they are leaving behind as they venture out into the unknown.
Contributed by Brody R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.