Book of Days (song)

Last updated
"Book of Days"
Enyabook.jpg
Single by Enya
from the album Shepherd Moons
B-side
  • "As Baile"
  • "Morning Glory"
Released20 July 1992 (1992-07-20)
Genre New-age
Length2:55
Label WEA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Nicky Ryan
Enya singles chronology
"How Can I Keep from Singing?"
(1991)		"Book of Days"
(1992)		"The Celts"
(1992)
Music video
"Book of Days" on YouTube

"Book of Days" is a song by Irish musician Enya. The original version, included on her 1991 album Shepherd Moons , is sung in Irish Gaelic. The subsequent 1992 single version is bilingual, with new English lyrics; this version was recorded for Ron Howard's film Far and Away , and scenes from the film feature in the video. The bilingual English-Irish version replaced the original pure Gaelic version [1] on subsequent pressings of Shepherd Moons from mid-1992 onwards, making the original recording relatively rare.

Contents

"Book of Days" became Enya's second top-10 single on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 10, and reached number 12 on the Irish Singles Chart. It was used as a temp track during the editing of James Cameron's film Titanic , for the scene eventually accompanied by the musical cue called "Take Her To Sea, Mr. Murdoch" on the finished soundtrack by James Horner. [2] It was later used on the Robot Chicken season 10 finale "Endgame".

Critical reception

Ned Raggett from AllMusic stated that the singer's "trademark understated drama [are] in full flow" on the "wonderful" song. [3] Gavin Report wrote, "This is a melodic and harmonic masterpiece with all the elements to make it a classic." [4] Music & Media said, "Taken from the motion picture Far and Away , this is the sung version of the original ethereal Clannad instrumental." [5] Music Week commented, that Enya's "latest sonic soundscape, Book Of Days, is typically mellifluous. Multi-textured yet as light as air". [6]

Track listings

UK 7-inch and cassette single [7] [8]
No.TitleLength
1."Book of Days"2:55
2."As Baile"4:03
UK CD1 [9]
No.TitleLength
1."Book of Days"2:55
2."As Baile"4:03
3."Morning Glory"2:27
UK CD2 [10]
No.TitleLength
1."Book of Days"2:55
2."Watermark"2:25
3."On Your Shore"3:59
4."Exile"4:23
Australian CD single [11]
No.TitleLength
1."Book of Days"2:55
2."On Your Shore"3:59
3."As Baile"4:03
Japanese maxi-CD single [12]
No.TitleLength
1."Book of Days"2:55
2."As Baile"4:03
3."Angeles"3:47
4."Oriel Window"2:22
5."'S Fágaim Mo Bhaile"3:57
6."Caribbean Blue"3:40

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Book of Days"
Chart (1992)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [13] 111
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) [14] 26
Ireland (IRMA) [15] 12
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [16] 34
UK Singles (OCC) [17] 10

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Book of Days"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
United Kingdom20 July 1992
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 WEA [18]
Japan25 August 1992CD [19]

The Gaelic version of "Book of Days" was used in the theatrical trailer of the Japanese film Calmi Cuori Appassionati (2001). [20]

The original Gaelic version was also used the same year on the original US trailer for the British film Billy Elliot . [21]

References

  1. ↑ "Enya Book of Days". Enya Official Fan Website. 2008. Retrieved 21 February 2011.
  2. ↑ "Filmtracks: Titanic (James Horner)". Filmtracks. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  3. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Enya – Shepherd Moons". AllMusic . Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  4. ↑ "A/C: Reviews" (PDF). Gavin Report . 22 May 1992. p. 26. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  5. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . 8 August 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  6. ↑ "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 25 July 1992. p. 8. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  7. ↑ Book of Days (UK 7-inch single sleeve). Enya. WEA. 1992. YZ 640, 4509-90416-7.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ↑ Book of Days (UK cassette single sleeve). Enya. WEA. 1992. YZ640C, 4509-90416-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ↑ Book of Days (UK CD1 liner notes). Enya. WEA. 1992. YZ640CD, 4509-90417-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ Book of Days (UK CD2 disc notes). Enya. WEA. 1992. YZ640CDX, 4509-90492-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ↑ Book of Days (Australian CD single liner notes). Enya. WEA. 1992. 4509-90142-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ↑ Book of Days (Japanese maxi-CD single liner notes). Enya. WEA. 1992. WMC5-519.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ↑ "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 12 July 2016" . Retrieved 12 July 2016– via Imgur.
  14. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 9, no. 34. 22 August 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Book of Days". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  16. ↑ "Enya – Book of Days". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  17. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  18. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 18 July 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  19. ↑ "ブック・オブ・デイズ(6トラックス) | エンヤ" [Book of Days (6 Tracks) | Enya] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  20. ↑ "Calmi Cuori Appassionati - Trailer". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  21. ↑ "Billy Elliot Trailer". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2024-11-12. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
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