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.
Shaman
Sally Oldfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cheyenne!
Warmer than fire, farther
than the furthest star,
Far across the water,
I can hear the sky sing
Fill my heart with healing
Cheyenne!
Warmer than fire, farther
than the furthest star
Shaman! Shaman!
Cheyenne aya
Cheyenne ay alma
Touch the earth with the
fires of healing
Sweeter than honey
Wilder than the wildest
wind
I can hear the sky sing
The lyrics to Sally Oldfield's song "Shaman" evoke a sense of spiritual connection and deep healing. The repetition of the words "Shaman! Shaman! Cheyenne!" create a hypnotic chant, drawing the listener into a mystical realm. The singer describes the Shaman as being "warmer than fire, farther than the furthest star," suggesting a transcendent, ethereal quality. The idea of the sky singing and filling the heart with healing evokes a sense of spiritual ascension and connection to a higher power.
The second verse emphasizes the Shaman's ability to heal not only the soul, but also the earth itself. The phrase "Touch the earth with the fires of healing" suggests that the Shaman possesses the power to restore balance to the natural world. The final lines of the song, "Sweeter than honey, wilder than the wildest wind, I can hear the sky sing," suggest a powerful and transformative experience, as if the singer has been transported to another plane of existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Shaman! Shaman!
Calling out to the Shaman for guidance and healing
Cheyenne!
A reference to the Cheyenne tribe, an indigenous people of North America who used Shamanism for healing and spirituality
Warmer than fire, farther
than the furthest star,
The Shaman's power is both warm and far-reaching, able to heal physical and spiritual ailments beyond the physical realm
Far across the water,
I can hear the sky sing
The Shaman's spiritual connection allows them to hear the songs of the sky, representing a strong spiritual bond with the world around them
Fill my heart with healing
A personal plea for spiritual and physical healing from the Shaman
Touch the earth with the
fires of healing
A call for the Shaman to use their power to heal the world around them, bringing spiritual and emotional balance
Sweeter than honey
Wilder than the wildest
wind
The Shaman's essence is at once both gentle and wild, representing the balance of powers required for true healing and spirituality
I can hear the sky sing
The Shaman's connection with the natural world allows them to hear the spiritual songs of the sky, a sign of their great power and spiritual wisdom
Contributed by Caleb I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@eliasmanuelroblesramos9969
SALLY OLDFIELD. SHAMAN. Un auténtico TEMAZO.
@eliasmanuelroblesramos9969
Hermana de MIKE. Participó con EL en algunos de sus álbumes. Éste irrepetible y valioso tema, CHAMAN. es, como no, una auténtica joya de su legado que no ha sido muy prolífico pero si muy interesante.
@WaterBearer100
http://www.sallyoldfield.com/
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@eliasmanuelroblesramos9969
De TONTERÍAS nada. Tan solo lo dice el hijo todopoderoso e interminable. EL DIOS SUPREMO. ¿Donde te has metido mi querido SHAMAN?.