Evening Falls

It sounds to me as though she is describing death and a journey the heaven.

"close to home feeling so far away. As I walk there before me a shadow from another world, where no other can follow. carry me to my own, to where I can cross over..."

Here it seems she is being led into the afterlife by a spiritual entity; the 'Shadow'. The next two lines for me are what help confirm my opinion. A 'world where no other can follow' clearly describes that heaven, or the afterlife, is a place where one cannot be followed, unless of course you are also deceased. "Where I can cross over." 'Crossing over' for me has always been a death related phrase; we talk of spirits and souls crossing over to the afterlife. Therefore, when I hear this line I see it as describing someone passing over from this world to the next. The rest of the song then follows in suite. "Memories I left behind." She is leaving behind everything she ever knew, and is hoping that she will not forget her previous life.

A beautiful song :)

This song is maybe about someone who just died and his or her ghost wandering about its former home. The ghost (or spirit) is in disbelief of what just happened and trying to recognize its former possessions but it can't. Its memory is fading just like the daylight or the life in its body. One of my favourite. When I listened this for the first time, I stopped everything I was doing till I had listened it for 5 or 6th time.

I saw a past interview made by Enya at a japanese tv while she was promoting Watermark where she reveals the story behind this song.It talks about an american lady having always the same dream:she saw herself walking in a house with a candle in her hand.Later in time she and her husband went to England to buy a new house and live there.When people of the neighbourhood saw her,everybody became frightened of her.The woman asked them why they were so afraid of her and they told her that every night they saw her walking around in that house as she was a ghost!what she dreamt was true because she was really there,in that house!... Enya also tells that this ghost story has been told her by Roma and she found it appropriate for the melody we all know!

over the story thet inspired the song,I think it also talks about love and feelings because loving is a a littl bit like dreaming,isn't it?;)

Evening Falls is of one who is lost and alone in their thoughts, living a lonely life as days pass by and daylight fades; they are haunted by their past. They are attempting to escape it and instead feel the presence of their domain.

I appreciate and relate to everyone's comments...Just a quick twist:

Could it be the fundamental theme is simply understanding that we make countless mistakes in life, only to move on through death, to a place where we hope to have no regrets....

I agree, it is brilliantly written and impeccably sang!

I think the song is about dreaming. The first verse indicates nightfall, going to bed, falling asleep and entering the dream phase of sleep. 'Close to home, feeling so far away' to me, means at home, in bed asleep, yet the mind is in another world (the dream). The second verse and the bridge talk about the dream and the mind looking for the memories from childhood and teen years stored away. To me, third third verse is about waking up and remembering the dream and returning to waking life. The sleeper realises they are home and never really left, but they know it was a dream.

I agree with Rekkuta, and that is probably what Enya was aiming for.

On a shallower level, it could also be about losing what meant most to you. Feeling in the dark, dying inside. I've been searching for something about how you feel after the love of your life has died, and this song really fits what I'd been looking for.

It's so beautiful and haunting. I love Enya.

When 9-11 happened the news put together a montage of this song and all the people searching for their loved ones. It was beautiful and so heartbreaking. Made me cry.

@Evenstar:

It is indeed "As I walk the room, there before me a shadow From another world, where no other can follow. Carry me to my own, to where I can cross over..."

I have the Only Time Collection and therefore the lyrics for this song, so that's how I know.

I really love this song, it's so sad sounding. I reckon EdwardBryce and Rekkuta are both right in their interpretation of it.

Does anybody at all have any ideas what this is about? I'm singing it in voice and my teacher says i need to come next week with definitions aaah... usually people write to much about songs so i hoped this would have comments but i can't find any.. HELP, x