"Evening Falls..." is a song by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya. It was released in December 12, 1988 by WEA as the second single, and as well as the eighth track from her second studio album, Watermark (1988). It's a new-age track that was written by Enya and Roma Ryan and produced by Nicky Ryan.[1]
Background[]
Liner Notes[]
| “ | A song of a spirit travelling, of the dreaming of the same dream, of… | ” |
Notes by Roma Ryan
Only Time: The Collection, 2002
Quotes About The Song[]
Enya: "Evening Falls is, believe it or not, a ghost story, and it’s about this lady who had kept dreaming about a particular house, and she was in America, and years later she and her husband were retiring in England, and she comes across the house that she’s been dreaming about, and when she goes up to have a look, the maid and the butler are very cold towards her, and very frightened of her, and she asks why, and they say that she has been walking around this house every night as she was dreaming about it. And it was Roma, on hearing the melody I had written, said this was perfect for the song Evening Falls…"
- Muchmusic TV Interview, 1988
enyabookofdays.com
Enya: "Evening Falls on the other hand is based on a ghost story that Roma heard. A woman has recurring dreams about a house till the moment she one day sees the house, knocks on the door and finds out that the inhabitants are full of panic when they see her: she had haunted their house all the time. We made a musical interpretation without retelling it word for word. We keep the lyrics simple. Hopefully the listener evokes even greater and more beautiful images with our music than we had originally hidden in it. The mystery stays important."
- Interview in Belgium, 1988
Enya Unofficial Homepage (No Longer Online)
Nicky Ryan: "In the same way, when we heard the ghost story — about a woman who keeps dreaming about a house, and when she comes upon it by accident, discovers that she’s been haunting it — I thought the piece of music that Enya had written, became ‘Evening Falls’, was really appropriate to that. It was at that stage that Roma write the lyrics."
- Going With The Flow, Hot Press, 1988[2]
Composition[]
"Evening Falls..." is a song that Roma described as "a song of a spirit travelling". It is based on a ghost story that Roma had heard, about a woman who had recurring dreams of a house in America, only to accidentally come across it years later in England. Upon entering the house, its inhabitants become frightened of the woman as they explain she had haunted the house each time she dreamed about it. Nicky thought a melody Enya had written suited the story, which led to Roma writing a lyric inspired by it.
Lyrics[]
When the evening falls
And the daylight is fading
From within me calls
Could it be I am sleeping?
For a moment I stray
Then it holds me completely
Close to home, I cannot say
Close to home, feeling so far away
As I walk the room, there before me a shadow
From another world, where no other can follow
Carry me to my own, to where I can cross over
Close to home, I cannot say
Close to home, feeling so far away
Forever searching, never right
I am lost in oceans of night
Forever hoping I can find memories
Those memories I left behind
Even though I leave, will I go on believing?
That this time is real, am I lost in this feeling?
Like a child passing through
Never knowing the reason
I am home, I know the way
I am home, feeling oh, so far away
Scans[]
Tracklist[]
- "Evening Falls…"
- "Oíche Chiúin (Silent Night)"
- "Morning Glory"
Music Video[]
The music video was directed by Michael Geoghegan, reflects the ghost story that inspired the song.
Live Performances[]
| Venue | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Late Late Show (Ireland) | Oct 1988 | Lip-synced |
Critical Reception[]
Music & Media commented, "Harking back to her Clannad days, this is in a similar vein to the theme tune to Harry's Game. Haunting stuff."
Charts[]
Weekly Charts[]
| Chart (1988) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 104 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) | 29 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | 96 |
| Ireland (IRMA) | 3 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Tipparade 40) | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 32 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) | 14 |
| UK Singles (OOC) | 20 |