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Post by themoonsshepherd on Aug 2, 2008 18:44:41 GMT -5
When you first heard, or read (if you don't speak Gaelic) the lyrics to Smaointe, how did you feel? For me, it rocked me to my very core, and changed how I felt about Enya. The work Roma did on this song is, if I may say, infallible. There are a handful of songs that can change my mood so dramatically, and this piece is one of them. It's emotional impact is simply devastating, and I mean that in the best way.
I mean, no, this is not one of her mega-hits, nor is it a song the average non-Enya fan is likely to have heard of. But I consider it a defining statement of the beauty of her compositions, and how well the trio works together. As far as I know, this is also her longest song, and I think that while a song this dark and seductive can never be replicated, I still would not mind hearing other longer works of this quality from Enya.
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Post by Moe on Aug 2, 2008 19:12:33 GMT -5
The (English) lyrics are indeed very powerful: Listen to my heart Sorrowful, alas I am lost without you And your wife The great love in your life She guided me Be with me always Day and night
Chorus: Lamenting the great loneliness The sorrowful tears Asleep in the quiet green grave In a deep peace
There was happiness But that departed It was he who followed you Your husband The great love in your life He guided me Be with me always Day and night
Chorus Lamenting the great loneliness The sorrowful tears Asleep in the quiet green grave In a deep peace
I think of the day That you were beside me Telling a story Of the old life I remember the day Without want and without gloom Be with me always Day and night IIRC, this song refers to Enya's grandparents, and I must admit that they remind me of the love I still have for my deceased maternal grandmother, so they do have quite an impact on me. As for her longest song (a minor point, to be sure), I think WSTHH is longer, and curiously enough, it also has a tremendous impact on me. I'd be interested in what you think of WSTHH. And welcome to MH
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Post by Treecat on Aug 3, 2008 18:52:13 GMT -5
It's a beautiful song and I like it more than I did when SM came out. At that time, I thought it was much too slow. The album had Evacuee and Marble Halls, and with Smaointe, it seemed to be much too slow.
I don't quite like it as much as Na Laerth in terms of lyrics, but it does show how well Enya and Roma work together in composing a Gaelic song.
Length: Smaointe is around 6 min. long; WSTHH is around 4:50.
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Post by skyscape on Aug 4, 2008 10:53:41 GMT -5
I find the melody of Smaointe more instantly accessible than Na Laetha Geal M'Óige which I think uses a very random style. The lyrics must be written from the perspective of a child or one re-experiencing the feelings of childhood; even the choice of words is reminiscent of how a child would describe the events.
The melody is beautiful and I love the quality of Enya's voice on the recording. The whole SM package was perfect - the music, the cover, the image....
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Post by Moe on Aug 4, 2008 17:34:41 GMT -5
It's a beautiful song and I like it more than I did when SM came out. At that time, I thought it was much too slow. The album had Evacuee and Marble Halls, and with Smaointe, it seemed to be much too slow. I don't quite like it as much as Na Laerth in terms of lyrics, but it does show how well Enya and Roma work together in composing a Gaelic song. Length: Smaointe is around 6 min. long; WSTHH is around 4:50. Correct indeed. I was thinking only of the actual lyrics for some eccentric reason. Ignore me Yes, SM was a perfect package in my eyes as well. But time has moved on, and this ethereal "persona" of Enya has yielded to a more reality-based one. Some approve, others do not - each to her/his own taste. (I'd say that in the original French but Probaords would probably object....)
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Post by themoonsshepherd on Aug 5, 2008 7:24:01 GMT -5
Thank you for the welcome Kerry. But I'm wondering, why would proboards object to you posting a little bit in French? Does this mean they would object if someone posted any of Enya's non-English lyrics?
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Post by Moe on Aug 5, 2008 10:02:40 GMT -5
Proboards has a strict language policy, as stated in our Rules post: Rules
Marble Halls has a few very basic rules in place, in order to make sure that everyone here enjoys the board.
Don’t’s
*The Prime Directive: No personal attacks on anyone. You are free to disagree with someone’s ideas, but you may not attack them on a personal basis. Any post that attacks any person will be removed without warning, and a second offence may well lead to an account being closed.
*You must not post material that is vulgar and/or illegal, such as porn.
*Do not violate copyrights. Links to legal music/videos, for example, are welcome; links to P2P sites and illegal materials on (e.g.) YouTube are not. Such links will be removed.
*Do not assist anyone in ripping Aigle Music off. Information on how to download Enya music/videos illegally will be removed.
*Do not Spam: we’d like this forum to have substance and meaning.
*The language of the board is English – this is dictated by Proboards and there is nothing we can do about it. Please do not post in non-English languages.Riene is in charge of dealing with this policy (I hope she knows that.....) but we both ask that your own posts be in English. As for the lyrics, so far we have not encountered a problem - but I would ask that no Loxian be quoted here as that would be asking for trouble. Thanks
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Post by riene on Aug 5, 2008 14:24:54 GMT -5
I shudder to think what the language sensors would do with Loxian. They might think we were aiding and abetting an invasion of Earth!
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Post by bigwiglaf on Aug 5, 2008 14:37:52 GMT -5
Maybe playing Slim Whitman's music would have the same effect on Loxians as it did the Martians in the movie 'Mars Attacks!'..... (read this statement as being sarcastic.....)
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Post by Treecat on Aug 6, 2008 8:26:48 GMT -5
Maybe playing Slim Whitman's music would have the same effect on Loxians as it did the Martians in the movie 'Mars Attacks!'..... (read this statement as being sarcastic.....) One can only hope so. I shudder to think of what would have happened to the world had the Martians succeeded..... ;D
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Post by jpanarese on Aug 6, 2008 12:51:48 GMT -5
Maybe playing Slim Whitman's music would have the same effect on Loxians as it did the Martians in the movie 'Mars Attacks!'..... (read this statement as being sarcastic.....) Well, since that movie was filmed before the dawning of youtube and, well, the ability for some folks who used the money their parents spent for singing lessons on chewing gum and Gob Stoppers, to upload demonstrations of their "talent", I can think of a few particular "works" that could cause the Borg to run in terror .... John
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Post by bigwiglaf on Aug 6, 2008 14:22:38 GMT -5
I know of those 'works' to which you refer, John.....I still can't remove the ice pick from my forehead those particular 'works' seem to have embedded so deeply.....
Back to the topic at hand....this song, for some reason, just doesn't move me as it does others...methinks I find it a little too sad, forlorn for my liking...
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Post by Moe on Aug 6, 2008 14:37:43 GMT -5
Back to the topic at hand....this song, for some reason, just doesn't move me as it does others...methinks I find it a little too sad, forlorn for my liking... This raises a question that I have pondered for a while: the relationship between music and the brain. We all react to different music in different ways: some folks avoid sad songs, others find solace in them - very different effects. It has been said more than once that a depressed person ought not listen to I May Not Awaken. Not everyone who is depressed will take relief from an upbeat, cheery song. Some will, instead, prefer not to listen to it, perhaps because it tells them the rest of the world is happy when they are not. The whole question of music and the human brain is basic to musical therapy, a subject which is now getting the serious research it deserves.
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Post by skyscape on Aug 6, 2008 15:00:25 GMT -5
I think it can be comforting to hear a melancholic song when going through a troubled time. To hear your favourite artist sing of a similar time in their own lives can offer great solace and comfort.
That said, each individual is different and each culture can be different; for example the Irish musical tradition often features songs which are derived from deep melancholy and yet they aren't depressing.
It's also said that it can be more difficult to write a happy pop song than an introspective ballad.
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Post by ardens on Aug 22, 2008 14:31:10 GMT -5
Smaointe must be one of the most peaceful songs I have ever listened to. It sounds as if it came directly from the soul and it is certainly one of Enya's best songs in Irish. Even the English translation sounds beautiful and special.
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