"Exile" is a song by Irish musician, composer, songwriter and singer Enya, it's the fifth track from her second studio album Watermark (1988). The song was released as the fourth single for the album on May 20, 1991 by WEA.[1] In honor of the track's use on the original soundtracks of American flims Green Card (1990) and L.A. Story (1991).[2][3]Roma Ryan explains the song as referring to the separation of heart and soul from a loved one, not just a physical experience. However, there is also hope and determination in the loneliness of the song.[4]
Music video
The music video for the song was directed by Michael Geoghegan. Starring Enya, Steve Martin and Victoria Tennant, it features clips of Enya herself performing the song, as well as footage from the movie L.A. Story, which used the song in the film soundtrack.[5]
The original non-lyrical vocalisation version of the song, "As Baile" (Irish Gaelic means "Away from Home" in English), was released in 1991 and 1992 as a B-side track for singles "Caribbean Blue" and "Book of Days". The song's lyrics were also the first track written by Enya's lyricist Roma Ryan for the album, Watermark. because Rob Dickins, the managing director of Warner Music at the time, thought that the music for the song should have lyrics instead of Enya's original mouth music.[7]
The song was initially planned to use use a shakuhachi, a Japanese flute, but Enya and her producer Nicky Ryan couldn't find a good shakuhachi player, so they got an Irish gypsy male flutist, Davy Spillane to play the low whistle in the song.[8]
