She is the elder sister of the singer Enya, who was also briefly a member of Clannad in the early 1980s.
Her music is usually classified as New Age or Celtic. She accepts the Celtic label, but has at times indicated a slight discomfort with being seen as "New Age" as much of her music is strongly Christian, with some of her songs showing additional influences from her Catholic upbringing.
Since 2002, she has promoted herself as Moya Brennan -- a spelling closely resembling the phonetic pronunciation of her name for those not familiar with the Irish variant of the spelling.
According to her official website, her early influences included the likes of Joni Mitchell and the Beach Boys, before she discovered "the extraordinary wealth of Celtic history and melody on her doorstep".
Moya is also a member of Irish vocal supergroup T with the Maggies.
No Easy Way
Máire Brennan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Searching through pages of time
And you step back deciding What's foolish what's wise
Seems so clear in your mind
Never doubting this love from the start
Mothaim thu cogarnai
Mothaim thu le cormhairle
No easy way
Mothaim thu cogarnai
Mothaim thu le comhairle
How can we know what the book of life holds
For us all
Pathways are taken
Some easy some hard
Seems to matter less now
As you cherish what's dear to your heart
Mothaim thu cogarnai
Mothaim thu le cormhairle
Thought that I knew it all
No easy way
Mothaim thu cogarnai
Mothaim thu le comhairle
How can we know what the book of life holds
For us all
The song "No Easy Way" by Maire Brennan is a contemplative reflection on the challenges of life and love. The opening lines suggest that the singer is looking back on their life, searching for answers and trying to make sense of their experiences. The line "you step back deciding what's foolish what's wise" suggests that the singer is trying to learn from their mistakes and make better choices in the future. The song suggests that wisdom and insight come with time and experience, and that even difficult experiences can be valuable if we can learn from them.
The song's chorus, with its repetition of the phrases "Mothaim thu cogarnai / Mothaim thu le cormhairle", reinforces the idea that we need to listen to others and seek guidance from those who have gone before us. The Irish language lyrics add to the song's introspective and reflective tone. The line "How can we know what the book of life holds for us all" suggests that we cannot always predict the future or the challenges that lie ahead, but that we can try to prepare ourselves by learning from others and seeking wisdom wherever we can find it.
Overall, "No Easy Way" is a poignant reminder that life is full of challenges and that we need to approach it with humility and an openness to learning from our experiences and from those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere in moments you look to the past
At times, you reflect on your past experiences
Searching through pages of time
You ponder on the memories of the past
And you step back deciding What's foolish what's wise
You introspect and evaluate your past decisions
Seems so clear in your mind
It appears obvious to you now
Never doubting this love from the start
But you've never hesitated on your love from the very beginning
Mothaim thu cogarnai
Whispering to you
Mothaim thu le cormhairle
Guiding you
Thought that I knew it all
Maybe you believed you had all the answers
No easy way
But life isn't always simple
Pathways are taken
You embark on different paths
Some easy some hard
Some roads are smooth while others are rocky
Seems to matter less now
But now, its importance is reduced
As you cherish what's dear to your heart
You, instead, value what's important to you
How can we know what the book of life holds
Is it feasible to know what the future may bring
For us all
For everyone
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@oliaslives6986
For my money--and having been a Clannad fan for years--this is the single most beautiful song this lovely woman has ever sung. Never fails to send chills through me.
@stustig9430
Real mystical Irish song
@melomane2010
This album sadly is nearly impossible to find with any of the streaming services I've tried. This is an absolute gem.
@jesok3761
Same with misty eyed adventures.
@jesok3761
@Chris U. I can try again when I get it back, but it was non existent before.
@jesok3761
@Chris U. well I live in the United states of America.
@Gawaine687
yeah, her voice and music with her own band and with clannad really got me interested in gaelic and ireland in general, so i'm gonna try to learn it when i get a chance. maire is to me a goddess of music, and a wonderful person, and is the foremost person that i want to meet that is still alive. she and her family have really created wonderful gems to music.
@THR33STEP
This song truly blew me away when I first time and EVERY TIME I HEAR IT!!!
@Lestrand
My brother introduced us to Moya's music way back '92, when he bought this LP, w/c turned out her first solo album. We got lucky I guess; he pick a good foundation for her music for us to remember! Thanks Gawaine687, for uploading No Easy Way, it's my fav! Our copy got lost in "transition", meaning borrowing friends.
@Niketnairmax
Magnificent song of Maire Brennan, great emotion.