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Orinoco Flow lyrics

Enya

Let me sail, let me sail, let the Orinoco flow,
Let me reach, let me beach, on the shores of Tripoli.
Let me sail, let me sail, let me crash upon your shore,
Let me reach, let me beach, far beyond the Yellow Sea.

De de... De de...
De de... De de...
De De...

Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away

From Bissau to Palau - in the shade of Avalon,
From Fiji to Tiree and the Isles of Ebony,
From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon,
From Bali to Cali - far beneath the Coral Sea.

De de... De de...
De de... De de...
De De... Oh...

Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, up Adieu, ooh-ooh
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, up Adieu, ooh-ooh
Turn it up, turn it up, turn it up, up Adieu, ah...

Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away

From the North to the South, Ebudae unto Khartoum,
From the deep sea of Clouds to the island of the moon,
Carry me on the waves to the land I've never been,
Carry me on the waves to the lands I've never seen.

We can sail, we can sail with the Orinoco flow
We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away

We can steer, we can near with Rob Dickins at the wheel
We can sigh, say goodbye, Ross and his dependency
We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away

We can reach we can beach on the shores of Tripoli
We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away

From Bali to Cali, far beneath the Coral Sea
We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away

From Bissau to Palau - in the shade of Avalon,
We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away

We can reach we can beach far beyond the Yellow Sea
We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away

From Peru to Cebu hear the power of Babylon,
We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away

We can sail, we can sail
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away

Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away
Sail away, sail away, sail away

Oh... oh oh
Oh... oh oh
Oh...

Song Details

Orinoco River, Venezuala

Composer: Enya

Lyricist: Roma Ryan

Brief: Orinoco Flow is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Enya from her second studio album, Watermark. It was Enya’s first hit and got a lot of exposure after getting airplay on The Steve Wright Show on BBC Radio One in the UK.

The song itself is uplifting and dreamy, evoking a sense of adventure and travel. The lyrics describe a journey across the world, mentioning various exotic locations such as Fiji, Peru, and the Orinoco River in South America. 

The song’s meaning is open to interpretation, but it is often seen as an ode to freedom, escapism, and the desire to explore distant places. The repeated phrase "Sail away, sail away, sail away" reinforces this theme of setting off on a journey. 

Interestingly, the song's title also has a behind-the-scenes reference—"Orinoco" was the name of the recording studio where Enya worked with her longtime collaborators, producer Nicky Ryan and lyricist Roma Ryan. This adds another layer of meaning, suggesting that the song could also be a metaphor for Enya’s musical journey. 

Genre: New Age, Pop

Glossary:
Orinoco - name of the studio in London where the song was recorded and the name of a river in Venezuala - a federal republic located on the northern coast of South America.
Tripoli - capital city of Libya
Yellow Sea - northern part of the East China Sea
Bissau - capital city of Guinea-Bissau
Palau - island country located in the western Pacific Ocean
Avalon - a legendary island
Fiji - an island country in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean
Tiree - the most westerly island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland
Isles of Ebony - a hamlet south of Ashford in Kent, South East England
Peru - a country in western South America
Cebu - a first income class island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region
Babylon - a significant city in ancient Mesopotamia
Bali - an island and province of Indonesia
Cali - the capital of the Valle del Cauca department - most populated city in southwest Colombia
Coral Sea - marginal sea of the South Pacific off the northeast coast of Australia
Ebudae - Inner Hebrides - an island chain off the west coast of mainland Scotland
Khartoum - the capital and second largest city of Sudan and Khartoum state
Sea of Clouds - possibly Mount Huangshan, China - well known for its views of the clouds from above
Island of the Moon - Madagascar - Also an island in La Paz Department, Bolivia called Isla de la Luna (translates to Island of the Moon)
Rob Dickins - head of Warner Music in the UK and executive producer of the song and source album, 'Watermark'.
Ross Dependency - a region of Antarctica - following his discovery of Victoria Land in 1841, James Clark Ross took possession of this territory, along with the surrounding sea, on behalf of Britain.

Covers: Celtic Woman, Roisin, People Of The World, Taliesen Orchestra (Instr), Libera, Reya, Dinu Radu (Instr), Claudine Meyers and many more.

Free Sheet Music: Piano/Vocals/Chords

Album Cover
Album Cover

Featured Artist: Enya

Single:
Released: 3 October 1988
B-side: Smaoitím... (d'Aodh agus do Mháire Uí Dhúgain), Out of the Blue

Translation: Smaoitím... (d'Aodh agus do Mháire Uí Dhúgain) translates to a tribute for Aodh and Máire Uí Dhúgain

Album: Watermark
Recorded: June 1987 – April 1988
Released: 19 September 1988

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