May It Be

Last updated

"May It Be"
May it be.jpg
Single by Enya
from the album The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
B-side
  • "Isobella"
  • "The First of Autumn"
Released10 December 2001 (2001-12-10)
Studio Aigle (Dublin, Ireland)
Genre New-age [1]
Length4:19
Label WEA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Nicky Ryan
Enya singles chronology
"Wild Child"
(2001)		"May It Be"
(2001)		"I Don't Wanna Know"
(2004)
Licensed audio
"May It Be" on YouTube

"May It Be" is a song by the Irish recording artist Enya. She and Roma Ryan composed it for Peter Jackson's 2001 film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring . [2] The song entered the German Singles Chart at number one in 2002, and Enya performed it at the 74th Academy Awards. "May It Be" was acclaimed by music critics and received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Contents

Composition

Director Peter Jackson approached Enya (under the suggestion of Howard Shore), asking if she would be interested in writing a song for The Lord of the Rings. [3] Thrilled at the prospect, Enya headed to New Zealand to see the preliminary edits of the film. [3] Enya worked on the song with Nicky Ryan, her producer, and Roma Ryan, her lyricist. Nicky produced Enya's vocals and arranged the music while Roma wrote the lyrics. They recorded the song through Enya's contract with Warner Music [4] in the Ryans' Dublin studio, Aigle Studio. [5]

The vocals were recorded in "Aigle Studios", Enya's Studio near Dublin and the orchestration was recorded in London, directed by Howard Shore and performed by the London Voices and London Philharmonic Orchestra. [6] Compositionally, the piece is simple, featuring a backdrop of choir and strings. As Doug Adams commented, Enya's contributions "coexist so neatly," with Shore's score, that "neither Enya song is relegated to its own track."

“I wanted Enya’s voice,” says Shore. “She wrote and I orchestrated, so it’s a seamless sound. Her singing grows right out of the choral music and the orchestra.” – Doug Adams, The Fellowship of the Ring: The Complete Recordings

Lyrics

The lyrics of this theme song include English words, as well as words in the fictional Elvish language, Quenya, created by J.R.R. Tolkien. [5] While Enya wrote music, Roma Ryan studied the languages and wrote the lyrics in English and Quenya. [7] There are two lines with phrases written in Quenya. The first, Mornië utúlië, translates to "Darkness has come." [5] Mornië alantië translates as "Darkness has fallen." [5] Each line repeats twice in the song, with the remaining song lyrics written in English. They are intermingled with the Quenya lyrics, as in the second stanza; "Mornië utúlië, believe and you will find your way; Mornië alantië, a promise lives within you now." [5] Enya also performed another song "Aníron" for The Lord of the Rings, which is sung in another of Tolkien's Elvish languages, Sindarin and it means "I Desire". [5]

Critical reception and awards

"May It Be" was nominated for the 2002 Academy Award for Best Original Song, but lost to Randy Newman's "If I Didn't Have You" from Monsters, Inc. , sung by John Goodman and Billy Crystal. It won the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Song and the 2002 Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Song. [8] [9] It was nominated for the 2002 Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, but lost to "Until" from Kate & Leopold . [10] The song received a 2003 Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

Enya performed her song at the Academy Awards on 24 March 2002. She was "absolutely" excited about the performance. [3] For her it was the "first time to be nominated, and to get to perform, it's just wonderful, absolutely wonderful." [3]

Release

Enya's "May It Be" has been featured on various albums. On 20 November 2001, it was released on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack, along with composer Howard Shore's original score "The Road Goes Ever On (Part 2)". [11] It also came out as a single in Europe on 10 December 2001 and in the United Kingdom on 21 January 2002. [12] [13] "May It Be" entered the German Singles Chart at number one. It was Enya's second consecutive single to do so, following her song "Only Time". [14] In 2005, it was released as part of the compilation The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: The Complete Recordings . This time, the version of the song was identical as featured in the movie's ending titles. Enya also included the song on her 2009 album, The Very Best of Enya . [15]

Music video

The music video was directed by Peter Nydrle. It features clips from the film as well as Enya singing the song. The video runs for 3 minutes and 32 seconds. [16]

Track listings

European CD single and UK cassette single [17] [18]

  1. "May It Be" – 3:30
  2. "Isobella" – 4:27

European maxi-CD single and UK CD single [19] [20]

  1. "May It Be" – 3:30
  2. "Isobella" – 4:27
  3. "The First of Autumn" – 3:08

Charts

Certifications

Certifications and sales for "May It Be"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [42] Silver200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "May It Be"
RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)Ref.
Europe10 December 2001CD WEA [12]
United Kingdom21 January 2002 [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Enya</span> Irish singer (born 1961)

Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin, known mononymously as Enya, is an Irish composer and singer-songwriter. The music of Enya is widely recognised for featuring multi-layers of her vocals, varied instrumentation, lengthened reverb, and subtle Celtic elements. Her career as a solo artist, now over four decades long, is notably an atypical path to success in the music industry. As the second-best-selling Irish music act overall, after rock band U2, Enya is the best-selling Irish solo artist; believed to have sold over 80 million albums worldwide.

<i>A Day Without Rain</i> 2000 studio album by Enya

A Day Without Rain is the fifth studio album by Irish singer-songwriter and musician Enya, released on 20 November 2000 by WEA in Europe and on 21 November 2000 by Reprise Records in the US. Following a promotional tour in support of her compilation albums Paint the Sky with Stars and A Box of Dreams in late 1997, Enya started work on a new studio album in mid-1998 with her longtime recording partners, producer and arranger Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. In a musical departure from her keyboard-oriented sound, Enya incorporates a string section in her songs.

<i>Shepherd Moons</i> 1991 studio album by Enya

Shepherd Moons is the third studio album by Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 4 November 1991 by WEA. After the unexpected critical and commercial success of her previous album Watermark (1988), Enya embarked on a worldwide promotional tour to support it. At its conclusion, she wrote and rehearsed new material for her next album with her long time recording partners, manager, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. The album was recorded in Ireland and London and continued to display Enya's sound of multi-tracked vocals with keyboards and elements of Celtic and new-age music.

<i>The Memory of Trees</i> 1995 studio album by Enya

The Memory of Trees is the fourth studio album by Irish singer, songwriter, and musician Enya, released on 20 November 1995 by WEA. After travelling worldwide to promote her previous album Shepherd Moons (1991), and contributing to film soundtracks, Enya took a short break before she started writing and recording a new album in 1993 with her longtime recording partners, arranger and producer Nicky Ryan and his wife, lyricist Roma Ryan. The album is Enya's first to be recorded entirely in Ireland, and covers themes that include Irish and Druid mythology, the idea of one's home, journeys, religion, dreams, and love. Enya continues to display her sound of multi-tracked vocals with keyboards and elements of Celtic and new age music, though Enya does not consider her music to be in the latter genre. She sings in English, Irish, Latin, and Spanish.

<i>Enya</i> (album) 1987 studio album by Enya

Enya is the eponymous debut studio album by Irish singer, songwriter, and musician Enya, released in March 1987 by BBC Records in the UK and by Atlantic Records in the US. It was renamed as The Celts for the 1992 international re-release of the album by WEA Records in Europe and by Reprise Records in the US. The album features a selection of music that she recorded for the soundtrack to The Celts, a BBC documentary series about the origins, growth, and influence of Celtic culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holiday (Green Day song)</span> 2005 single by Green Day

"Holiday" is an anti-war protest song by American rock band Green Day. It was released as the third single from the group's seventh studio album American Idiot, and is also the third track. The song is in the key of F minor. Though the song is a prelude to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Holiday" was released as a single later on, on March 14, 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orinoco Flow</span> 1988 single by Enya

"Orinoco Flow", also released as "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)", is a song by Irish singer-songwriter Enya from her second studio album, Watermark (1988). It was released on 3 October 1988 by WEA Records in the United Kingdom and by Geffen Records in the United States the following year. The song topped the UK Singles Chart for three weeks and received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Music Video and Best New Age Performance at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards. The Guardian ranked "Orinoco Flow" at number 77 on its list of the 100 greatest UK number-one singles in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caribbean Blue</span> 1991 single by Enya

"Caribbean Blue" is a song by Irish musician Enya, included as the second track on her third studio album, Shepherd Moons (1991). It follows a waltz time signature, and mentions the Anemoi : Boreas, Afer Ventus (Africus), Eurus, and Zephyrus. The song was released as the lead single from the album on 7 October 1991 by WEA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only If...</span> 1997 single by Enya

"Only If..." is a song by Irish singer Enya. It was released on 10 November 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Only Time</span> 2000 single by Enya

"Only Time" is a song by Irish musician Enya. It was released on 6 November 2000 as the lead single from her fifth studio album, A Day Without Rain (2000). The song reached number one in Canada, Germany, Poland and Switzerland, number two in Austria, and became Enya's only top-10 single as a solo artist in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. It became an anthem for the victims of the 11 September attacks, with Enya donating to a fund for the victims' families.

The discography of Irish singer-songwriter Enya consists of eight studio albums, two compilation albums, twenty-one singles as lead artist and a number of other appearances. Enya achieved a breakthrough in her career in 1988 with the album Watermark, containing the big hit song "Orinoco Flow" which topped the UK Singles Chart and the European Hot 100 Singles. Three years later, the similarly successful Shepherd Moons followed, which debuted at the top of the charts in the United Kingdom and featured the moderately successful singles "Caribbean Blue" and "Book of Days", the latter was the theme of the film Far and Away. In 1992, a re-mastered version of the 1987 Enya album was released as The Celts with the title track as a single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide Blonde</span> 1990 single by INXS

"Suicide Blonde" is the lead single from Australian rock band INXS's seventh studio album, X (1990). It was released on 22 August 1990 in the United States and on 3 September 1990 in the United Kingdom. The song reached number two in Australia, number nine in the United States, and number 11 in the United Kingdom. In Canada and New Zealand, the single peaked at number one for two and three weeks, respectively. At the APRA Music Awards of 1991, "Suicide Blonde" won the award Most Performed Australian Work Overseas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disappear (INXS song)</span> 1990 single by INXS

"Disappear" is a song by Australian rock band INXS, released as the second single from their seventh studio album, X (1990), in November 1990. The song was written by Jon Farriss, Michael Hutchence and Garry Gary Beers while they were living together in Hong Kong in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Don't Wanna Know</span> 2004 single by Mario Winans

"I Don't Wanna Know" is a song by American R&B artist Mario Winans featuring rapper P. Diddy and Irish singer Enya. The song is based on a sample of the Fugees' song "Ready or Not", which in turn samples the synthesizer riff from Enya's song "Boadicea". The drums are sampled from the end of EPMD's "You're a Customer".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All or Nothing (Cher song)</span> 1999 single by Cher

"All or Nothing" is a song by American singer and actress Cher from her 22nd studio album, Believe (1998). It was released as the third international single from Believe on June 7, 1999, by WEA and Warner Bros. Records. "All or Nothing" reached the top 40 of the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales chart at number 38 and peaked at number one on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. In Europe, the single was a top-10 hit in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dov'è l'amore</span> 1999 single by Cher

"Dov'è l'amore" is a song recorded by American singer Cher for her twenty-second studio album, Believe (1998). It was written by Mark Taylor and Paul Barry, and produced by Taylor and Brian Rawling, and released as the fourth single from the album on October 25, 1999, by Warner Bros. Records, and WEA. The song is a Latin-influenced track with Spanish guitar over dance beats. In the song, Cher mixes English with Italian lyrics as she sings: "Dov'è l'amore /dov'è l'amore /I cannot tell you of my love/ here is my story".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strong Enough (Cher song)</span> 1999 single by Cher

"Strong Enough" is a song by American recording artist Cher from her 22nd studio album, Believe (1998). The song was released as the second single from the album on February 22, 1999, by Warner Music. The song's composition and musical style is strongly reminiscent of 1970s disco music. The song received positive reviews from music critics, many calling it a highlight to Believe and comparing it to Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive". "Strong Enough" peaked at number 57 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. Worldwide, it reached number one in Hungary and entered the top 10 in 14 other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book of Days (song)</span> 1992 single by Enya

"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 on subsequent pressings of Shepherd Moons from mid-1992 onwards, making the original recording relatively rare.

<i>The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring</i> (soundtrack) 2001 soundtrack album by Howard Shore

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack was released on 20 November 2001. It was composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Howard Shore, and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the London Voices, London Oratory School Schola choir and multiple featured instrumental and vocal soloists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That's When I Think of You</span> 1988 single by 1927

"That's When I Think of You" is the debut single of Australian pop rock band 1927. The song was released on 4 July 1988 and peaked at number six on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart. In May 1989, the song reached number 46 on the UK Singles Chart. The single also charted at number 100 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 55 on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles chart in August 1989.

References

  1. ↑ May It Be at AllMusic. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Albums". Enya. Aigle Music. Archived from the original on 16 December 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Enya Fan Studio. Enya Fan Studio, 2005. Web. 22 October 2010.
  4. ↑ "Enya". Aigle Music. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "May it Be". The Enya Discography. Enya.com. 1997–2006. Archived from the original on 11 October 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  6. ↑ Booklet of the collection The Fellowship of the Ring: The Complete Recordings published in 2005
  7. ↑ Adams, Doug (2005). The Fellowship of the Ring (PDF). The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films. The annotated Score. Vol. 1. p. 23. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  8. ↑ "The 7th Critics' Choice Awards Winners and Nominees". The BFCA Critics' Choice Awards. Broadcast Film Critics Association. 2010. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 23 June 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ↑ "The 59th annual Golden Globe Awards". Golden Globes. Hollywood Foreign Press Association. 2010. Archived from the original on 9 May 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  11. ↑ The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Original Motion Picture Soundtrack at AllMusic . Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  12. 1 2 3 "Enya – May It Be" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  13. 1 2 "New Releases – For Week Starting January 21, 2002: Singles". Music Week . 19 January 2002. p. 29.
  14. ↑ "Enya". Artistopia. iCubator Labs, LLC. 2010. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  15. ↑ The very Best of Enya at AllMusic . Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  16. ↑ "May it Be, 2002. Directed by Peter Peter Nydrle". EnyaOne. Felipe Dario. 2007–2009. Archived from the original on 22 November 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  17. ↑ May It Be (European CD single liner notes). Enya. WEA Records. 2002. 5439 16709 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  18. ↑ May It Be (UK cassette single sleeve). Enya. WEA Records. 2002. w578c, 5439167094.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  19. ↑ May It Be (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Enya. WEA Records. 2002. 936 2424292.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ May It Be (UK CD single liner notes). Enya. WEA Records. 2002. w578cd, 936 2424292.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ↑ "Enya – May It Be" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  22. ↑ "Enya – May It Be" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  23. ↑ "Enya – May It Be" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  24. ↑ "Enya – May It Be". Tracklisten. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  25. ↑ "Hitparada radia - 13/2002" (in Czech). IFPI CR. Archived from the original on 5 April 2002. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  26. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 20, no. 6. 2 February 2002. p. 9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2020.
  27. ↑ "Enya: May It Be" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  28. ↑ "Enya – May It Be" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  29. ↑ "Top 50 Singles" (in Greek). IFPI Greece. Archived from the original on 22 February 2002. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  30. ↑ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
  31. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – May It Be". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  32. ↑ "Enya – May It Be". Top Digital Download. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  33. ↑ "Enya – May It Be" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  34. ↑ "Arhiva romanian top 100 – Editia 19, saptamina 13.05–19.05, 2002" (in Romanian). Romanian Top 100. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 9 May 2020.
  35. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  36. ↑ "Enya – May It Be". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  37. ↑ "Enya – May It Be". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  38. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  39. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 2002". Austriancharts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  40. ↑ "Year in Review – Eurochart Hot 100 Singles 2002" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21, no. 2–3. 11 January 2003. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2020.
  41. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 2002". Offiziellecharts.de. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  42. ↑ "British single certifications – Enya – May It Be". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 9 December 2022.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.