Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM OM (born February 17, 1957 in Morden, Ma… Read Full Bio ↴Loreena Isabel Irene McKennitt, CM OM (born February 17, 1957 in Morden, Manitoba, Canada) is a Canadian musician, composer, harpist, accordionist, and pianist who writes, records and performs world music with Celtic and Middle Eastern themes. She is self-managed, self-produced and head of her own record label - Quinlan Road. In a recording career spanning three decades, McKennitt's “eclectic Celtic” music has won critical acclaim worldwide and gold, platinum and multi-platinum sales awards in fifteen countries across four continents. Her most successful record is 1997's "The Book of Secrets", which spun off the single "The Mummers' Dance", a surprise hit on American Top 40 and alternative rock radio.

McKennitt blends world-music with folk, Celtic and exotic Mediterranean sounds using instruments such as the hurdy gurdy, kanoun, uilleann pipes, Turkish clarinet, bouzouki and nyckelharpa alongside traditional instruments like guitar, drums and bass and the harp, piano and accordion, the three instruments she plays.

Born in Morden, Manitoba, Canada in February 17, 1957, Loreena moved to Stratford, Ontario, Canada in 1981, where she still resides. She has acted and sung in, and composed music for, Stratford Festival of Canada productions ranging from The Tempest (1982) to The Merchant Of Venice (2001).

Her recording career began in 1985 with the album Elemental. In the fledgling years of her label Quinlan Road, Loreena ran its operations from her kitchen table, selling recordings by mail order and producing her own concert tours across the country. Quinlan Road's catalogue is currently distributed around the world by Warner Music (US), Universal Music (Canada and other territories including Italy and Spain) and a number of independents including Keltia Music (France) and SPV (Germany).

Full Circle
Loreena McKennitt Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stars were falling deep in the darkness
As prayers rose softly, petals at dawn
And as I listened, your voice seemed so clear
So calmly you were calling your god

Somewhere the sun rose, o'er dunes in the desert
Such was the stillness, I ne'er felt before
Was this the question, pulling, pulling, pulling you

In your heart, in your soul, did you find rest there?

Elsewhere a snowfall, the first in the winter
Covered the ground as the bells filled the air

You in your robes sang, calling, calling, calling him
In your heart, in your soul, did you find peace there?

Overall Meaning

The song "Full Circle" by Loreena McKennitt contains two distinct scenes, but the overarching theme is the search for peace and rest. The first scene depicts a night with falling stars where prayers are being sent up to God. The singer listens closely and hears a voice calling out to their deity in a calm manner. It is unclear whether the voice belongs to the singer or someone else, but there is a sense of detachment and a peaceful acceptance of the divine.

The second scene takes place in a snowy winter landscape where bells can be heard ringing. The singer describes someone (likely a monk or a priest) in robes singing and calling out to God. The question posed here is whether this person has found peace in their heart and soul.

Overall, the song seems to explore the universal human desire for spiritual fulfillment and the search for inner peace. The two scenes described are rooted in different cultural and religious traditions, but they both ultimately lead to the same central question: have we found rest and peace within ourselves?

Line by Line Meaning

Stars were falling deep in the darkness
In a dark night, stars were falling and disappearing from the sky.

As prayers rose softly, petals at dawn
As the people prayed their hands with spreading flowers, hoping for a new beginning.

And as I listened, your voice seemed so clear
As I listened to the prayers, your voice of devotion to god appeared to be clear and pleasant.

So calmly you were calling your god
Your prayers were filled with calmness as you were seeking and calling out to your god.

Somewhere the sun rose, o'er dunes in the desert
The sun rose over the dunes in the desert, providing new light to the land.

Such was the stillness, I ne'er felt before
It was peaceful and quiet, which I have never experienced before in my life.

Was this the question, pulling, pulling, pulling you
Were you being pulled towards a question which remained unanswered for years?

In your heart, in your soul, did you find rest there?
Did you find peace and rest for your heart and soul there, in the stillness of the desert?

Elsewhere a snowfall, the first in the winter
In a different place, it was the first snowfall of the winter season.

Covered the ground as the bells filled the air
The snow covered the ground while the sound of bells filled the atmosphere with a melodious tune.

You in your robes sang, calling, calling, calling him
You, adorned with your religious robes, were singing prayers and calling out to god.

In your heart, in your soul, did you find peace there?
Did you find a sense of calm and peace in your heart and soul, while singing your prayers and surrounded by the snowfall?

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEXIS ESTEVEZ, ELIO LUIS, GEORGE (DP) BIZET, KILIAN FORSTER, TIM HAHN, TOBIAS FORSTER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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