FACT just posted an article about Enya’s Watermark 30 years on. This happened a week after I stumbled upon “Orinoco Flow” tucked away on a Spotify playlist curated by Molina. After which, I added it to my running playlist. Yes, my straight-up cardio playlist. Sandwiched between Grimes, M.I.A. and Miike Snow and some ERAAS and Nine Inch Nails for when I’m feeling dark. And you know what. It totally works. I’ll be trudging along at mile 3, sweaty, bored by the scenery, and Enya will lift me up and carry me another 4 minutes and 27 seconds and (if I’m on) almost half a mile.
We remember this song, don’t we? 1988. Our moms played the CD in the car. We first heard it on the radio when we found out our cat died, our parents were divorcing. We made out to it? Can you kiss to Enya?
I first heard it on an international flight, Los Angeles to Melbourne. (My own version of sailing away!) This was before iPods and in-seat screens. I had a stack of books and cheap headphones and the airline’s “radio stations,” which were roughly an hour of curated music, looped. Enya must have been on the “light hits” station. I toggled between alternative rock, light hits, anything else that would keep me entertained. On that 12+ hour flight, I must have heard “Orinoco Flow” at least 12 times. And then, on the return flight, the same airline, the same playlists. Me & Enya & the vast Pacific.
This song deserves it’s props. It’s ready for a non-ironic comeback, a perfect placement in a non-ironic movie. Hear for yourself:
