Orinoco Flow

"Orinoco Flow"
Single by Enya from the album Watermark
Released	1988, 1998
Format	Cassette, CD, 7" vinyl
Recorded	1988
Genre	New Age
Length	4:25
Label	Reprise / EMI
Producer	Enya, Nicky Ryan
Enya singles chronology
"I Want Tomorrow" (1987) "Orinoco Flow" (1988) "Evening Falls..." (1988)

"Orinoco Flow" is the name of a 1988 UK #1 single by Enya. The song is often incorrectly referred to as "Sail Away," a phrase repeated during the chorus. The American version of the single, however, was retitled "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)".

Song

In 1998 a special edition 10th anniversary remix single was released. The song was highly popular in the early ’90s and was featured on many pop music compilations. The division of syllables to follow the pattern of music may trick the listener into thinking that the song is written in Latin (as some Enya tracks are), but the lyrics are in fact English. At the end of the song she pays tribute to Warner Brothers Music UK CEO Rob Dickins and makes a more veiled reference to producer Ross Cullum. The title of the song refers to the London recording studio, Orinoco Studios (now Miloco Studios), in which it was recorded, rather than the Venezuelan river Orinoco, although it is likely a deliberate dual reference. The song also received increased popularity after featuring in a US commercial for car maker Volkswagen.

Locations referenced in lyrics (in order of mention)

• Orinoco River, Venezuela
• Tripoli, Libya
• Yellow Sea, China
• Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
• Palau, islands near the Philippines
• Avalon, British Isles
• Fiji, Fiji islands
• Tiree, Scotland
• Isles of Ebony, England
• Peru, Peru, south-american country
• Cebu, Philippines
• Babylon, Iraq
• Bali, Indonesia
• Cali, a city in Colombia
• Coral Sea, Australia
• Ebudae (Inner Hebrides), Scotland (also the name of a later Enya song)
• Khartoum, Sudan
• Sea of Clouds, the Moon, possibly Mount Huangshan, China
• Island of the Moon, Madagascar
• Ross Dependency, Antarctica

Track listing (1988)

1. "Orinoco Flow"
2. "Smaointe..."
3. "Out Of The Blue"

"Orinoco Flow" is also featured on the hit Celtic album (and production) "Celtic Woman". In 2000, a sample of "Orinoco Flow" was used by Rodney "El Chombo" Clark in his production of the track "Moriran", performed by Aldo Ranks.

Track listing (1998)

1. "Orinoco Flow"
2. "Hope Has A Place"
3. "Pax Deorum"

See also

• Orinoco
• New age music