"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.
Background
The song was released as the lead single from Enya's studio album Watermark on 3 October 1988. It became a global success, reaching number one in several countries, including Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, where it stayed at the top of the UK Singles Chart for three weeks. Enya was signed to WEA by Rob Dickins, who served as executive producer of Watermark, and the song pays homage to Dickins in the line "with Rob Dickins at the wheel".
Lyrics
The lyrics have been likened to "an itinerary for the most expensive gap year of all time", mentioning an array of locations like a "global geography lesson". Locations mentioned in the song include Fiji, Tiree, Peru, Cali, Bali, and Cebu.
Legacy
In 1994, the song was licensed to Virgin Records for the best-selling new-age music compilation album Pure Moods, which contributed to further exposure and "helped provide a multi-platinum bonanza" to the record company. In another interview, when asked whether people bring up "Orinoco Flow", she responded: "people say 'sail away' to me or whistle bits of it back to me. I think it’s wonderful—I never tire of it."
Critical reception
Ned Raggett from AllMusic described the song as "distinct" and "downright catchy". He noted "its implicit dramatics, [that] gently charges instead of piling things on".
Music video
A video was made to accompany the song. It features Enya singing the song in front of footage of rivers, flowers and nature, edited to have the appearance of a painting. It was directed by Michael Geoghegan.
Track listings
Charts
Weekly charts
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Orinoco Flow"
!Chart (1988–1989)
!Peak<br />position
|-
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)
|4
|-
!scope="row"|Denmark (IFPI)
|6
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)
|5
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Italy (Musica e dischi)
|20
|-
!scope="row"|Italy Airplay (Music & Media)
| 11
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|Portugal (AFP)
|3
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
|-
!scope="row"|US Cash Box Top 100
|25
|-
!scope="row"| US Adult Contemporary (Radio & Records)
| 5
|-
!scope="row"| US CHR (Radio & Records)
| 25
|-
!scope="row"| US New Rock (Radio & Records)
| 7
|-
|}
Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+1988 year-end chart performance for "Orinoco Flow"
!Chart (1988)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop)
|56
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
|83
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)
|40
|-
!scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100)
|23
|-
!scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC)
|18
|}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+1989 year-end chart performance for "Orinoco Flow"
!Chart (1989)
!Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australia (ARIA)
|43
|-
!scope="row"|Canada Top Singles (RPM)
|60
|-
!scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)
|72
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand (RIANZ)
|34
|-
!scope="row"|Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)
|19
|-
!scope="row"|West Germany (Media Control)
|20
|}
Certifications
Release history
{|class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Release dates and formats for "Orinoco Flow"
!scope="col"|Region
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Format(s)
!scope="col"|Label(s)
!scope="col"|
|-
!scope="row"|United Kingdom
|3 October 1988
|
|rowspan="3"|WEA
|
|-
|25 June 1990
|CD
|
|}
In popular culture
After a wave of popularity, including regular rotation on MTV, the song became "a punch line", representing a new-age cliché of "generic 'bubble bath' music". The song was used in scenes depicting relaxation and to highlight this in a jokey manner. In the 1997 South Park and Leporinus enyae, a species of fish from the Orinoco drainage basin named for the artist herself.
In the 2017 ITV tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy, Prince Harry recalls his mother listening to Enya driving in her BMW with the top down.
AIDA cruise ships play this song often when they are put to sea.