Moya Brennan, Máire Ní Bhraonáin, better known as Máire Brennan or phonetic… Read Full Bio ↴Moya Brennan, Máire Ní Bhraonáin, better known as Máire Brennan or phonetically as Moya Brennan (born 4 August 1952, Gweedore, County Donegal, Ireland), is a Grammy Award-nominated Celtic folk singer. She began her singing career when her family formed the band Clannad in 1970. She is the mother of Aisling Jarvis and the sister of Enya .

Brennan grew up as the eldest in a very musical family in a remote parish in the northwest of Ireland, a place where the Irish language and tradition was and still is very much alive. She sang along with her siblings in the family pub, Leo's Tavern. She also took part in many pantomimes in Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair, the local theatre, usually dancing and singing.

It was during 1970 that she joined her two brothers Pól and Ciarán and their mother's two twin brothers Noel and Pádraig Ó Dúgáin and eventually formed Clannad. After enjoying a decade of being the world's foremost traditional Irish act, they graduated to chart success in 1982 with the album Magical Ring. Moya Brennan was at the forefront of the group's success and her voice suddenly became synonymous with celtic music and Irish music at the time. She has recorded 17 albums with Clannad and has won a Grammy, a BAFTA and an Ivor Novello award with the quintet.

Moya Brennan released her first solo album in 1992, Máire, on Atlantic Records. Misty Eyed Adventures on BGM followed three years later. In 1998, Brennan signed with Word Records and released Perfect Time, and Whisper To The Wild Water a year later. The album was nominated in the Grammy Awards of 2001 for Best New Age Album. 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 several of her songs centering on maintaining a relationship with Jesus Christ. Some of her songs show influences from her Catholic upbringing or seem relational due to her own views concerning the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In total Brennan has recorded 25 albums, and has sold over 20 million records. 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.

Brennan, along with Clannad, are considered as the inventors of contemporary celtic music and are held in high esteem for their vast contribution to modernizing old Irish songs. It is Brennan's haunting voice that has left the most lasting legacy, it has become synonymic with Clannad's work and with Irish music in general. Her ethereal vocalization is considered the archetypal sound of Ireland and strains of her style have been acquired in the soundtracks to Titanic and Riverdance. Brennan is also famous for her harp playing, she has featured it on many Clannad records and her album Two Horizons is based on the discovery of the harp.

Moya is also a member of Irish traditional group, T with the Ms.

Black Night
Moya Brennan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Look at me standing here, nothing to see
Speak to me, say the words, nothing I can hear
Take a while by my side, nothing to fear
Am I alone again?

Black night upon the sea
I will follow you
I see the fire in your eyes

True reflection, dusty skies

Look at me standing here, nothing to see
Speak to me, say the words, nothing I can hear
Take a while by my side, nothing to fear
Am I alone again?

White lies ride on the wind
Did I follow you?
I heard the silence everywhere
Foolish whispers fill the air

Look at me standing here, nothing to see
Speak to me, say the words, nothing I can hear
Take a while by my side, nothing to fear
Am I alone again?

Look at me standing here, nothing to see
Speak to me, say the words, nothing I can hear

Take a while by my side, nothing to fear
I am alone again?

Overall Meaning

Moya Brennan's song Black Night is a contemplative and melancholic piece about the feeling of loneliness that can sometimes be overwhelming. The song begins with the singer questioning her own existence, standing there with nothing to see and no one to talk to. The desperation in her voice is palpable as she begs for someone to speak to her, but there is no response. She invites someone to come and sit by her side, but it seems that there is nothing to fear but the possibility of being alone once again. Throughout the song, the singer seems to be having a conversation with an unseen entity, or perhaps several, as she asks for reassurance and companionship.

The lyrics refer to a black night upon the sea, which could be interpreted as the vastness of the world and the uncertainties that come with it. The singer seems to be following someone, possibly a lover or friend, who is represented by the fire in their eyes. The reflective nature of the fire might suggest that this person is a source of comfort for the singer.

The chorus repeats itself, emphasizing the singer's isolation and her need for someone to speak to her. The white lies that ride on the wind might represent the empty or false promises that have been made to her, leading her to question whether she has followed someone or not. In the end, the singer seems to accept the possibility of being alone once again, asking if she is alone once again. It's a poignant moment that captures the human condition of seeking companionship and comfort.

Line by Line Meaning

Look at me standing here, nothing to see
I am present in this moment, but there is no remarkable change or circumstance around me to observe.

Speak to me, say the words, nothing I can hear
Despite my desire to connect with someone, I feel disconnected due to the absence of meaningful communication and interaction.

Take a while by my side, nothing to fear
I crave companionship, but I find it hard to believe that there won't be any uncertainties or anxieties that might arise from such a relationship.

Am I alone again?
I am once again unsure of whether or not I am truly isolated and emotionally detached from those around me.

Black night upon the sea
The darkness that envelopes the water represents the unknown, unresolved fears and conflicts within me.

I will follow you
Despite this uncertainty, I am willing to pursue and explore these emotions and thoughts further.

I see the fire in your eyes
I sense a deep passion and intensity within myself, and I recognize how it drives my actions and decisions.

True reflection, dusty skies
This passion is a mirror of the genuine, authentic self that can sometimes seem obscured by the chaos and struggles of life.

White lies ride on the wind
There are false narratives and misconceptions that have been spread around, and they are perpetuated through various forms of media and communication.

Did I follow you?
I question whether I have been influenced by these lies or have truly followed my own intuition and instincts.

I heard the silence everywhere
Despite the constant noise and chaos, there is a nagging sense of emptiness and unfulfillment that pervades my life.

Foolish whispers fill the air
There are people and entities that seek to manipulate and deceive others through half-truths and dangerous rhetoric.

I am alone again?
I continue to struggle with the reality of being disconnected and lacking the emotional support and connection that I crave.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: MOYA BRENNAN, FIONAN DE BARRA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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