Karan Casey (b. 1969 in Ballyduff Lower, County Waterford, Ireland) is an I… Read Full Bio ↴Karan Casey (b. 1969 in Ballyduff Lower, County Waterford, Ireland) is an Irish folk singer and jazz singer, and a former member of the Irish band Solas.

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

Quiet Of The Night
Karan Casey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the quiet of the night
I make up my dreams
And steal a bit of peace
To ease me through the day

In the quiet of the night
I make up my mind
I decide to stay strong

For the rest of the way

(Chorus:)
Something secret about me
Something I hold to myself
I love you in my heart
Because you let me be

In the quiet of the night
I keep it in mind
That your heart is as tender
As tender as a rose

In the quiet of the night
When the sky is laden with grief
I follow you heart
To the ends of the earth

(Chorus)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Karan Casey's "Quiet of the Night" talks about finding solace and comfort in the stillness of darkness. The song is a beautiful blend of simplicity and depth as it speaks of the private moments we have with ourselves, which are often the ones that bring us the most clarity. The opening line, "In the quiet of the night, I make up my dreams," suggests that the singer takes the opportunity to reflect and create a vision for herself. The following line, "And steal a bit of peace to ease me through the day," reveals that these quiet moments bring her calmness and rejuvenation.

The singer refers to a "something secret" and "something I hold to myself," which shows that despite the comfort she finds in the night-time solitude, there is a part of her that longs to hold onto private thoughts and feelings. The chorus, "I love you in my heart because you let me be," shows her appreciation for someone who accepts her even in her quietness. In the second verse, the singer mentions that she keeps reminding herself that the person she loves has a tender heart, "as tender as a rose." Finally, she says, "I follow your heart to the ends of the earth," which suggests that her love and admiration for this person are deep and unyielding.

Line by Line Meaning

In the quiet of the night
During the peaceful time when the world is asleep

I make up my dreams
I use my imagination to create my desired future

And steal a bit of peace
I take a moment to feel calm and relaxed

To ease me through the day
So that I can handle the challenges of the day ahead

I make up my mind
I decide on a plan of action

I decide to stay strong
I choose to be resilient and determined

For the rest of the way
Throughout the remainder of my journey

Something secret about me
There is a personal aspect of myself that I keep hidden

Something I hold to myself
It is something I keep to myself and do not reveal to others

I love you in my heart
I feel affection towards you inside of me

Because you let me be
Because you allow me to be myself