Oldfield and her siblings were raised in the Roman Catholic faith of their mother, Maureen. After spending her childhood partly in Dublin and then partly in Reading, Berkshire, Oldfield joined the Royal Academy of Dancing at the age of twelve to study ballet dancing. She quit dancing only four years later.
Oldfield's musical career started in 1968 when she co-founded the folk duo The Sallyangie together with brother Mike Oldfield. The group recorded their first and only album at the recommendation of the Pentangle guitarist, John Renbourn. The sound of the album, Children of the Sun recorded in 1969, was a fairy-tale blend of English folk and pop, with Sally's vocals taking center-stage. Guesting with The Sallyangie on their first recording were Terry Cox, noted drummer/percussionist of Pentangle, as well as flutist Ray Warleigh, who also played with Allan Holdsworth, Nick Drake and many others. Sally and Mike split up in the autumn of the same year due to artistic differences, and Sally and Mike went their own ways for a time.
Oldfield's first solo album release was Water Bearer, released in 1978. Since then, she has continued to release solo albums, as well as appearing on several albums of her siblings Mike and Terry. She was one of the singers performing the female chorus in a couple of sections of Tubular Bells, in the climax of part one and just before the Scottish tune in part two.
Celebration
Sally Oldfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you feel the starlight and it's magical action on your brain?
Come on! Come on! you gotta let it begin,
You gotta let your life win,
You got, you got nothing more to lose!
Come on! Come on! You're gonna die one day,
You don't know where or when; there are no survivors!
Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Come on! Come on! Bring your broken heart!
Bring your life that's torn apart.
Ain't you bored with the fighting and the blame?
Come on! Come on! Let your tears fall!
They're just a love call, let 'em, let 'em mingle with the rain!
Come on! Come on! If you feel like no-one,
It don't care for names, it's a hungry flame!
Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
See the fire upon the hill! It's your life, it's burning still,
Can you hear the call of the wild wind?
Come on! Come on! Do you wanna be the one
Who can laugh and sing in the sun,
Or do you wanna be the one who holds the gun?
Come on! Come on! You're gonna die one day,
You don't know where or when; there are no survivors!
Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Hey! It's a clear night!
Can you feel the starlight and it's magical action on your brain?
Come on! Come on! you gotta let it begin,
You gotta let your life win,
You got, you got nothing more to lose!
Come on! Come on! You're gonna die one day,
You don't know where or when; there are no survivors!
Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Come on! Come on! Bring your broken heart!
Bring your life that's torn apart.
Ain't you bored with the fighting and the blame?
Come on! Come on! Let your tears fall!
They're just a love call, let 'em, let 'em mingle with the rain!
Come on! Come on! If you feel like no-one,
It don't care for names, it's a hungry flame!
Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Wo'nt you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
Hey! Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
The song "Celebration" by Sally Oldfield is a call to live life to the fullest without worrying about the trivial things. It is an invitation to celebrate life, to let go of past hurts, and to allow oneself to be consumed by the magic of the present moment. The lyrics speak of the fleeting nature of life and the inevitability of death, and they urge the listener to make the most of every moment, to embrace the joys and the sorrows, and to let one's heart sing in the sun.
The song begins with the lines "Hey! It's a clear night! Can you feel the starlight and it's magical action on your brain?" This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is filled with dazzling imagery and an infectious sense of optimism. The chorus urges the listener to join in the celebration, to bring their broken hearts and their torn-apart lives and to let their tears mingle with the rain. It is a call to let go of the fighting and the blame, to allow oneself to be vulnerable, and to embrace the beauty of the world around us.
Overall, "Celebration" is a beautifully written and powerful song that encourages the listener to celebrate the miracle of life and to cherish every moment. It is a reminder that life is fleeting and that we should make the most of every opportunity that comes our way. It is a call to embrace the beauty of the world and to let go of our fears and our worries.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey! It's a clear night!
The singer is trying to get the attention of the listener by pointing out the beautiful night sky
Can you feel the starlight and it's magical action on your brain?
The singer wants to know if the listener can experience the transformative effects of the starlight on their mind and spirit
Come on! Come on! you gotta let it begin,
The singer is encouraging the listener to open up to new experiences
You gotta let your life win,
The singer is urging the listener to take action and to be proactive about controlling their own fate
You got, you got nothing more to lose!
The singer is reminding the listener that they have nothing to lose by taking risks and embracing life to the fullest
Come on! Come on! You're gonna die one day,
The singer is reminding the listener of their mortality and the importance of making the most of their time on Earth
You don't know where or when; there are no survivors!
The singer is emphasizing the suddenness and unpredictability of death, and the fact that every life will eventually come to an end
Come on! Come on! Won't you join in the celebration!
The singer is inviting the listener to participate in the joy and happiness of life
Bring your broken heart!
The singer is urging the listener to come to the celebration even if they are feeling brokenhearted or hurt
Bring your life that's torn apart.
The singer is telling the listener that it's okay to come to the celebration even if their life isn't perfect or is in a state of disrepair
Ain't you bored with the fighting and the blame?
The singer is questioning if the listener is tired of the negativity and drama of life and suggesting that they let go of blame and anger
Let your tears fall! They're just a love call,
The singer is implying that even tears can be a beautiful expression of love, and that it's okay to let our emotions show
let 'em, let 'em mingle with the rain!
The singer is suggesting that even tears can join in the celebration and be a part of the natural world around us
If you feel like no-one,
The singer is acknowledging that the listener may feel alone or isolated
It don't care for names, it's a hungry flame!
The singer is pointing out that the joy and celebration of life doesn't discriminate based on who we are or what our background is
See the fire upon the hill!
The singer is asking the listener to notice the flame or passion that burns within them
It's your life, it's burning still,
The singer is reminding the listener that their life is still full of opportunities and experiences waiting to be had
Can you hear the call of the wild wind?
The singer is asking if the listener can hear the beckoning call of adventure and excitement
Do you wanna be the one Who can laugh and sing in the sun,
The singer is asking the listener if they want to be a person who joyfully embraces life and all its possibilities
Or do you wanna be the one who holds the gun?
The singer is asking if the listener wants to be a person consumed by anger and hate
Hey! Hey! Hey!
The singer is expressing excitement and enthusiasm, encouraging the listener to join in the celebration
Contributed by Audrey O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@horsthoffmann8195
Wahnsinn, Gänsehaut, irre, wo ist unsere Jugend geblieben??? Tränen laufen über die Wangen, danke dafür liebe Sally
@bibib.5216
Ich liebe diesen Song, er gibt mir Lebensfreude
@kavmaz
we had soooo much fun dancing to this in the Rajneesh commune in Freo! happy days where we learnt to celebrate life. Musicians like this are magical beings on the planet! Thankyou Sally!!!
@premyatro
Amazing you are the first comment here. This was much played in Medina Rajneesh in Suffolk Yay!
@21Marierose
Always loved the celebration album. Thanks sharing with us
@philippelombard4551
So beautiful !
@SarahKuehbacher82
I love this song!
I hear it again and again
@amineurin
i really love this album ...every song was an offer. to be honest it changed my life!
@thomasgarbe8354
I always thought it far preferable to "laugh and sing in the sun", but now, I realise, one has to grow up, "hold the gun" and defend yourself and your lot. Otherwise you're taken to the cleener.
@ty148jgt4
A great song to listen to when you're feeling down