Quotes about the song
Enya: "…it is true that we had it shelved a few times and it was a very difficult song to work on. We would work on it for a while, forget it, go back to it but, again, because we had the time, which is important to point out, we were able at the end to listen to it and say ‘this is good.’ But all the time it was an album track and at the very end it was only decided that this might be good as a single. But even then, as singles go, it’s very different."
CONVERSATIONS RADIO INTERVIEW, 1992
ENYABOOKOFDAYS.COM
Enya: "Orinoco Flow, those, it started from the sound, from the pizzicato sound, and it was Nicky that said “This is great, let’s compose a piece of music with this sound.” So we put down a chord sequence, we built it up with the vocals, the hundreds of vocals sung in free time, and then we came to, the first section we had was the chorus, and it was “Sail away, sail away, sail away…” So the verse happened last. And when Roma was doing the lyrics, she thought the “sail away” was so positive that it would be nice to relate the whole song to someone sailing all over the world. So Nicky said, “That’s a great idea,” but he said the rhythm reminded him of a children’s skipping song, and he said to her, “It would be nice if each port or river or place had a rhythm in it, or else it rhymed.” So hence, the “Or-in-o-co Flow” or “From Bali to Cali, from Peru to Cebu.” Basically, we worked on it as a fun song. (..) Roma made up a few places, like The Island of the Moon, and the Isles of Ebony. That’s her daughter, Ebony. So some of the places were made up, very romantic places."
MUCHMUSIC TV INTERVIEW, 1988
ENYABOOKOFDAYS.COM
Enya: "One of the big influences is from the producer, Nicky Ryan. His musical influences are from Phil Spector, you can hear "The Wall of Sound" and the Beach Boys, so his intention was to build up a big sound around that melody."
KSCA 101.9 FM’S INTERVIEW WITH ENYA, 1996
MUSICANDMEANING.COM
Roma Ryan: "With ‘Orinoco’ it was a case of me coming out to the studio to listen, to the pizzicato and while I was listening to it I was looking out the window and I could see my two children skipping, and that’s actually what sparked off the idea for ‘Orinoco’. It’s to do with imagination, it’s a journey of the imagination…"
MUSIC FROM THE BRIDGE, LONDON WEEKEND TELEVISION, 1992, ENYABOOKOFDAYS.COM
Lyrics
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.
deh-dah-deh-dah-deh deh-dah-deh-dah-deh
deh-dah-deh-dah-deh deh-dah-deh-dah-deh
deh-dah-deh-dah-deh
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 Pilau - in the shade of Avalon,
from Fiji to Tiree and the Isles of Ebony,
from Peru to Cebu, feel the power of Babylon,
from Bali to Cali - far beneath the Coral Sea.
deh-dah-deh-dah-deh deh-dah-deh-dah-deh
deh-dah-deh-dah-deh deh-dah-deh-dah-deh
deh-dah-deh-dah-deh………..aaah
turn it up turn it up turn it up - bye, adieu
turn it up turn it up turn it up - bye, adieu
turn it up turn it up turn it up - bye, adieu
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 Pilau, in the shade of Avalon
we can sail, we can sail, sail away, sail away, sail away…
we can reach, we can beach for beyond the Yellow Sea
we can sail, we can sail, sail away, sail away, sail away…
from Peru to Cebu, feel 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…
aaah!….
lyrics by Roma Ryan
EMI Music Publishing Ltd, 1988
Instrumental by Enya Sail Away