Orabidoo
Mike Oldfield Lyrics


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Watch the skies dawning on you,
Soaring over country land.
Message comes from Kathmandu:
Sky is blue and clear.
Program your outing.
Gaze at clouds in this window pane.
Where is your wish going?
The wind to control you at night.
O
Orabibi
Orabibiba
Orabibi
Orabibaba
Orabibibabi
O
Orabibi
Orabibiba
Orabibi
Orabibaba
Orabibibabi
Lazing in the sun, we glide.
Soon you come from watch.
Touched, you save me just in time,
Storm is out to catch.
Program your chartering.
Gaze at clouds in this window pane.
Stay patched through onto me.
Crawling into trouble, that's plain!
O
Orabibi
Orabibiba
Orabibi
Orabibaba
Orabibibabi
O
Orabibi
Orabibiba
Orabibi
Orabibaba
Orabibibabi
Watch out! Storms in Kathmandu.
Calling from country land.
Message comes from Kathmandu:
Sky is blue and clear.
Program your outing.
Watching now your system for rains.
Clouds: forty stories!
(Don't come in again like that, it isn't funny,
And I pay someone else to make the orchestration!)
Oh, island of the soul,
Valleys hushed and white with snow.
Ireland's eye...
You'll linger with me 'til the day I die.
Oh, how it hurts to go.
The waters ebb and flow.
The changing seasons come and go.
Ireland's eye...
Forever reaching up into the sky,
Oh, how I'll miss you so.
The sunlight dancing on your rocky shores,
The moonlight playing upon the water.
Your memory will stay with me forever more,
Wherever I may roam.




Stay with my dreams, I will see you!
Safe in my heart I will keep you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Orabidoo by Mike Oldfield are cryptic and largely open to interpretation. The song seems to start off with a message from Kathmandu that the sky is blue and clear, and then goes on to urge the listener to program their outing and gaze at the clouds in the windowpane. The wish is predicted to be controlled by the wind at night, a reference to the vagaries of fate, and the song then goes into a repetitive chanting of ‘Orabibi’, which adds to the dreamlike ambiance of the song.


The second verse starts off with the listener lazily gliding in the sun, soon to be back from a watch, when a storm threatens to catch them. The listener is again urged to program their chartering, and to stay patched through onto the singer, who warns them not to get into trouble. Then the song ends with a warning about storms in Kathmandu and a repetition of the earlier message that the sky is blue and clear.


Overall, the lyrics of Orabidoo are impressionistic and seem to be pointing towards an inner journey, rather than an outer one. The song is highly atmospheric, and the chanting of ‘Orabibi’ contributes to the dreamlike state that the song seems to evoke.


Line by Line Meaning

Watch the skies dawning on you,
Be aware of changes happening around you and observe the beauty of the sky.


Soaring over country land.
Flying over rural areas and enjoying the view from above.


Message comes from Kathmandu: Sky is blue and clear.
A message received, informing that there is clear blue sky in Kathmandu.


Program your outing.
Plan your trip or any outdoor activity effectively.


Gaze at clouds in this window pane.
Look at the clouds through the window and let it inspire you.


Where is your wish going?
Reflect on where your desires and aspirations are leading you.


The wind to control you at night.
How the wind can influence you even when you're asleep at night.


Orabibi
A nonsensical word or sound that could be interpreted as a musical interlude or chant.


Orabibiba
A continuation of the nonsensical musical interlude.


Lazing in the sun, we glide.
Relaxing and enjoying the sun while gliding through the air.


Soon you come from watch.
Someone approaches after keeping watch or completes their task.


Touched, you save me just in time,
Being saved from trouble or danger with someone's timely help or intervention.


Storm is out to catch.
Fighting against a looming storm or any other type of conflict.


Program your chartering.
Organize your trip, especially if it involves traveling by plane or boat.


Watching now your system for rains.
Monitoring the weather and checking for signs of rainfall.


Clouds: forty stories!
The clouds are tall and reach a height of forty stories, implying their grandeur.


(Don't come in again like that, it isn't funny, And I pay someone else to make the orchestration!)
A break from the song and a comment directed towards someone interfering with the recording or orchestration process.


Oh, island of the soul, Valleys hushed and white with snow.
Descriptive language to evoke the image of a peaceful, snow-covered island with serene valleys.


Ireland's eye...
Referring to the island off the coast of Dublin, Howth Head, known as 'Ireland's Eye.'


You'll linger with me 'til the day I die.
The memory and beauty of Ireland's Eye will stay with the songwriter forever.


Oh, how it hurts to go. The waters ebb and flow. The changing seasons come and go.
Expressing the heartfelt pain felt towards leaving such a beautiful location where the tide and the seasons constantly change.


Forever reaching up into the sky, Oh, how I'll miss you so.
Despite leaving, the beauty of Ireland's Eye will forever be missed and treasured.


The sunlight dancing on your rocky shores, The moonlight playing upon the water.
The natural beauty of the sunlight and moonlight illuminating Ireland's Eye with breathtaking reflections.


Your memory will stay with me forever more, Wherever I may roam.
The cherished memory of Ireland's Eye will be kept close to heart even when far away from it.


Stay with my dreams, I will see you! Safe in my heart I will keep you.
The hope to dream about Ireland's Eye and to always treasure it in the songwriter's heart.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: TIM CROSS, RICK FENN, MIKE FRYE, MIKE OLDFIELD, MAURICE PERT, MAGGIE REILLY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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