Storms in Africa
WATERMARK
| Part I | 4:01 | Gaelic | 1988 |
| Part II | 3:00 | English | 1989 |
Liner notes
There are two versions of "Storms in Africa", one in Gaelic and one in English. The Gaelic version is our personal favourite, which we have included here. Both versions were released as a single in 1989.
Only Time: The Collection, 2002
Quotes about the song
Enya: "The title actually came from Nicky for this one. It was an instrument, the Juno 60, and it's got this arpeggiator, and he had set it, and he had said to me 'I'd love you to write the melody with this sound and the arpeggiator' and he left me for a few hours. And what happened was the chord sequence for 'Storms in Africa.' So I worked very closely with him on the theme, because, once he had heard the initial chord sequence with this sound, he came up with the title 'Storms in Africa,' and so we took it. He guided the direction, the arrangement to that song. And it was nice - it was a different approach yet again."
enyabookofdays.com
Trivia
'Storms In Africa' first appeared on 'Watermark' in its original Gaelic version. The following year, Enya re-recorded the song with English lyrics and released the new version entitled 'Storms in Africa (Part II)' as a single. The single came out in June 1989, four months after the original deadline that was pushed because of Enya's busy promotion schedule. Some countries subsequently included 'Storms in Africa (Part II)' as the last track on 'Watermark.' Most returned back to the original format but the US and a few others still keep the extra track.
Single
01 Storms in Africa (Part II) 02 The Celts 03 Aldebaran 04 Storms in Africa
Music Video
The music video includes the English version of the song. It was directed by Michael Geoghegan.
Performances
| Venue | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| World Music Awards (Monaco) | 1989 | Lip-synched |
| Rockopop (Spain) | 1989 | Lip-synched |
| Terry Wogan's Show (UK) | 1989 | Lip-synched |
Part I: Gaelic lyrics
nanananana....nananana.... nananananana....nananana.... Cá fhad é ó...nananana...nananana... Cá fhad é ó...nananana... nanananana...Siúl tríd na stoirmeacha...nananana... nananannana...Dul tríd na stoirmeacha....nananana... Cá fhad é ó...nananana... an tús don stoirm? ...nananana... Cá fhad é ó ...nananana... an tús go deireadh? Tóg do chroí! nanananana... Siúl tríd na stoirmeacha. nananana... Tóg do chroísa! nanananana... Dul tríd na stoirmeacha. nanananna... Turas mór. ...nanananana... Tar tríd na stoirmeacha. ...nananana... Turas fada. ...nanananana... Amharc tríd na stoirmeacha. ...nananana...
Translation
How far is it from... How far is it from... Walk through the storms. Go through the storms. How far is it from the start of the storm? How far is it from the beginning to the end? Take heart! Walk through the storms. Take heart going through the storms! A great journey. Come through the storms. A long Journey. Look through the storms.
EMI Music Publishing Ltd, 1988
Part II: English lyrics
Though I walk through Warm sands in Africa Winds will grow soon To storms in Africa. How far to go I cannot say. How many more Will journey this way? Dark skies fall on Black earth and ivory. Far from your sun Clouds now close over me How far to go I cannot say. How many more Will journey this way? Storms have come! Rains wash the earth away Dark skies fall down Into another day. Rains have now come From storms in Africa Time will go on Through Storms in Africa
EMI Music Publishing Ltd, 1988