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.
The Mighty One
Máire Brennan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more deny
When the sun goes down
Will I know who wears the crown
No more deceiving
No more grieving
When the sun goes down
There you stood in front of me
Dressed in glory
White to see
Spell-bound on the deep blue skies
Created on high
Cold and warm you set one's heart
'Cause you're the mighty one
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí go h-iomlán
Nach aoibhinn an radharc
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí is glór do Dhia
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí
Nach aoibhinn an radharc
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí go h-iomlán
Travel on a journey task
Expedition
Breathless mask
Vision seen with glaring eyes
On top of the world
Trace the footsteps gone before
Yes you're the mighty one
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí go h-iomlán
Nach aoibhinn an radharc
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí is glór do Dhia
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí
Nach aoibhinn an radharc
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí go h-iomlán
The lyrics of Máire Brennan's The Mighty One speaks of the need for honesty, authenticity, and accountability. The first two lines of the song, "No more pretending, no more deny," suggest that the persona has reached a point where she can no longer afford to put on a facade or overlook the truth. The following lines, "When the sun goes down, will I know who wears the crown?" is a metaphorical reminder that time will ultimately reveal who truly holds power or authority. The same goes for the lines, "When the sun goes down, will they know who wears the crown?" which speaks to the idea that the truth will eventually come to light and those who have been dishonest or manipulative will be exposed.
The song also speaks to the persona's reverence or admiration for someone who is described as "the mighty one." This person seems to have accomplished great things, as suggested by the lines "There you stood in front of me, dressed in glory, white to see," and "Breathless mask, vision seen with glaring eyes, on top of the world." However, the persona does not solely admire the person for their earthly accomplishments but also for their spiritual presence, which is highlighted in the lines "Cold and warm you set one's heart" and "Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí is glór do Dhia" which translates to "My blessing to you from my heart, and God's glory to you from my heart." The song ends with an expression of the persona's deep admiration, "Trace the footsteps gone before, yes, you're the mighty one," cementing the idea that the person in question is held in high esteem.
Line by Line Meaning
No more pretending
I will no longer pretend to be someone that I am not
No more deny
I will no longer refuse to acknowledge the truth
When the sun goes down
At the end of the day
Will I know who wears the crown
I will understand who the true leader is
No more deceiving
I will not deceive others anymore
No more grieving
I will no longer feel sadness or sorrow
When the sun goes down
At the end of the day
Will they know who wears the crown
Others will realize who the true leader is
There you stood in front of me
You were standing there before me
Dressed in glory
You were wearing clothing that was magnificent
White to see
You were wearing white clothing that was bright and noticeable
Spell-bound on the deep blue skies
I was amazed by the deep blue skies above
Created on high
You were created by a higher power
Cold and warm you set one's heart
You have the ability to create both cold and warm emotions in people's hearts
Cause you're the mighty one
You are powerful and influential
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí go h-iomlán
My complete blessing to you from my heart
Nach aoibhinn an radharc
What a beautiful sight
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí is glór do Dhia
My blessing to you from my heart and glory to God
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí
My blessing to you from my heart
Nach aoibhinn an radharc
What a beautiful sight
Mo bheannacht duit o mo chroí go h-iomlán
My complete blessing to you from my heart
Travel on a journey task
Undertake a journey with a specific purpose
Expedition
A journey taken with a specific goal in mind
Breathless mask
Feeling overwhelmed or stunned
Vision seen with glaring eyes
Seeing a vision clearly with eyes wide open
On top of the world
Feeling successful, confident and completely in charge
Trace the footsteps gone before
Follow in the footsteps of those who have come before us
Yes you're the mighty one
You are indeed powerful and influential
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MOYA BRENNAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@HrothgarXII
One of my favorite Maire Brennan songs Thanks for posting it.
@klockdoctor
Can't get enough of this lady's music-along with her family group Clannad. What turned me on to her though was the THIRD cut, Heroes. now THAT'S a celebration
@timbaldwin2383
Reminds me a little of some of the 4AD artists a few decades ago. Very creative and beautiful !
@lumberjackbros4007
Found this song through my intro to art class, catchy tune
@Fabzil
Haven't cried a lot in my life. Cause boys don't cry. But I've cried a couple of time with this song. I got a video clip with the movie Princess Mononoke et this song. It helps.
@jinkazama1992
Beautiful
@anntersol
I love this music!
@ReesorPark
Very good!
@pookie67
i've really started liking this song alot lately. Took me a long time to come around on this one. 'Misty Eyed Adventures and A Place among the Stones would still come above this, three amazing songs for a great album
@EmMa-bg9nx
Lovely