"Only If..." is a song by Irish musician, songwriter and singer Enya. It was released on November 10, 1997 as the first single from her first greatest hits compilation, Paint The Sky With Stars (1997). The song charted in several countries, and its accompanying music video was noted for its creative direction. Enya promoted the song with interviews and performances on The Rosie O'Donnell Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Royal Variety Performance.[1]
Lyrics[]
When there's a shadow, you follow the sun
When there is love, then you look for the one
And for the promises, there is the sky
And for the heavens are those who can fly
If you really want to, you can hear me say
Only if you want to will you find a way
If you really want to you can seize the day
Only if you want to will you fly away
Da da da da, da da da da da
Da da da da, da da da da da
Da da da da
When there's a journey, you follow a star
When there's an ocean, you sail from afar
And for the broken heart, there is the sky
And for tomorrow are those who can fly
If you really want to, you can hear me say
Only if you want to will you find a way
If you really want to you can seize the day
Only if you want to will you fly away
Da da da da, da da da da da
Da da da da, da da da da da
Da da da da
Ooh go doe bay mwa
Ooh go doe bay mwa
If you really want to, you can hear me say
Only if you want to will you find a way
If you really want to you can seize the day
Only if you want to will you fly away
Ah! Je voudrai voler comme un oiseau d'aile
Ah! Je voudrai voler comme un oiseau d'aile
D'aile
Ooh go doe bay mwa
Ooh go doe bay mwa
If you really want to, you can hear me say
Only if you want to will you find a way
If you really want to you can seize the day
Only if you want to will you fly away
If you really want to you can seize the day
Only if you want to will you fly away
Tracklist[]
UK and US CD single, US cassette single[]
- "Only If..." 3:18
- "Willows On The Water" 3:02
- "Oíche Chiúin (Silent Night)" 3:45
UK cassette single and US 7-innch single[]
- "Only If..." 3:18
- "Oíche Chiúin (Silent Night)" 3:45
Critical Reception[]
Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Taken from her new best-of collection, "Paint The Sky With Stars", Enya delivers yet another great single. "Only If" is as peaceful and memorably melodic as any other of her inspirational, soul-purifying songs, which traditionally are etched with a unique combination of background voices with drums and violin lines. It's a combination that makes all her songs seem antique, almost, if not angelic. Enya can many times take her listeners into another dimension altogether, and this single is a fine example of that." British magazine Music Week gave the song three out of five, noting that it "is the closest Enya has come to a traditional pop arrangement, though the trademark orchestral layers and oceanic sonics are still in place."
Charts[]
| Chart (1997-1998) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 94 |
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders) | 16 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) | 23 |
| Germany (Official German Charts) | 68 |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | 30 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Tipparade 40) | 19 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100) | 78 |
| Poland (Music & Media) | 4 |
| Scotland (OCC) | 44 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 43 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 88 |
Trivia[]
- The translation of the French part lyrics is: "Ah! I would like to fly like a bird of wing, Ah! I would like to fly like a bird of wing, of wing."[2]