Back in my late 20s/early 30s I bought a house on the beach of the island of Antigua in the Caribbean. I spent about 10 years getting down there as often as possible. While there, I would work on the various projects that I was developing for the NY theater world.

When one lives with the sea, birds and the ocean roar an’ de fishes an’ de wind tru’ de banyan trees long enough, one hears the world differently. And when one sits on de beach wid de sun goin’ down wid one’s guitar and composes, out comes, most naturally, music dat sounds calypso or even reggae. De music reflect de life aroun’ you.

So, in those 10 years, I probably wrote close to a hundred songs that simply sounded like the islands. I even put a show together featuring many of these songs that played for about a decade around the country. The musical is entitled “Island.” The show was an intimate, four-character musical that was never big enough for a Broadway musical, but nonetheless was a most successful national production.

Sadly, the show was never recorded. Several songs from the show did make it to the studio and then on to records and CDs for various artists over the years, but one of the best and most popular of them got left behind in the dust—until now.

It’s a simple song of longing. When you can take the time to just sit on the beach and watch the birds fly, that’s when you know you’re really on vacation. Yes, the words are simple, but the music promises to enable you to take flight and soar.

Whitebird

Music and Lyrics by Peter Link

Whitebird
He fly so low to the water
Whitebird
He turn on the wind
Whitebird
Please take me on down the water
Whitebird
Let me fly again

Blackbird
He fly over the mountain
Blackbird
He turn on the wind
Blackbird
Please take me over the mountain
Blackbird
Won’t you let me fly again

All together now fly
All together now fly
Won’t you let me fly again

All together now
Fly
All together now
Fly
All together now
Fly

Bluebird
He sing in the forest
Silver bird he
Sing on the sea
Yellow bird he
Fly at the red sun
Light bird
Come fly with me

All together now fly
All together now fly
All together now fly with me

All together now
Fly
All together now
Fly
All together now
Fly

All together now
Fly