BACK TO THE ISLAND ~ LEON RUSSELL ~ Lyrics

These photos are of Pensacola Beach....this video represents my love for my island and all the great music Leon Russell has given us. This video was made while awaiting Hurricane Ida to hit land later this evening...November 9, 2009...It is very unusual to have a hurricane this late in the season.

I almost want to reupload this..as I plainly see this was premature....I want to learn to make the photos fit the screen and 1:00 and 1:35 are not well planned...I guess for now I will grit my teeth and bear it..;-)

Claude Russell Bridges (born April 2, 1942, Lawton, Oklahoma) known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist.

Born in Lawton, Russell attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and began his musical career as a session musician, quickly gaining experience and becoming a high-end keyboardist in demand to notable artists from the 1960s to the present.

By the late 1960s, Russell branched out, first to writing songs, and then working his way from gigs as a sideman to joining bands as a full member. Eventually, he moved into a solo recording position, although he never gave up all his previous roles within the music industry.

Lyrics:

Now the day is gone and I sit alone and think of you, girl
What can I do without you in my life?
I guess that our guessing game just had to end that way
The hardest one to lose of all the games we played

But the time is past for living in a dream world
Lying to myself can't make that scene
Of wondering if you love me or just making a fool of me
Well I hope you understand I just had to go back to the island

Chorus:

And watch the sun go down (sit and watch the sun go down)
Hear the sea roll in (listen to the sea roll in)
But I'll be thinking of you (yes, and I'll be thinking of you)
And how it might have been (thinking how it might have been)
Hear the night birds cry (listen to the night birds cry)
Watch the sunset die (sit and watch the sunset die)
Well I hope you understand I just had to go back to the island

Well all the fun has died, It's raining in my heart
I know down in my soul I'm really gonna miss you
But it had to end this way with all the games we played
Well I hope you understand I just had to go back to the island

Repeat Chorus

Category:

Education

Tags:

• leonrussell
• backtotheisland
• pensacolabeach
• panhandlin

[FloraBama]

Sherry,

This is great! I was born and raised on Avenida 11. My parents hold the distinction to this day of being the very first residents on Pensacola Beach as my father took a job after returning from WWII as the caretaker of the old casino there and with the job came a 2 bedroom apartment on top of the Casino. My 4 older siblings were raised in that apartment in the late 40's.

[sherrylynn70]

First, I love your username...and, I love love the story of your family getting to live in the old casino..how very awesome is that...I will never forget coming to Florida from Kentucky when I was a little girl in 1956...what a sight to see...to imagine the beach in the 40's and 50's...I loved that ole casino...I know exactly where Avenida is..are you still in the area..thanks so much for sharing this story with me..glad you enjoyed the visit here..

[67cuda1]

Sherry,

I lost my beloved wife almost a year ago. I live just down the road in Navarre. I posted this video on my facebook page in her honor. Her maiden name was Lynn so another connection was made. We loved the beach and Santa Rosa Island. Thanks so much for a very moving video and such a great song. Bill

[sherrylynn70]

Hi Bill..sorry it took so long to respond..I am so glad that this video has some special meaning for you..I appreciate you sharing the story of your life with your beloved wife..and, it means alot that you were able to use it in her honour..Who knows maybe I will see you at our beach someday...even through all the changes and the ugly progress..I still Love our beach..thanks for your time commenting..May she rest in peace♥

[dldelho]

Thank you Sherry for sharing this powerful film. My brother Ron, lived on the island with his sweetheart and is no longer with us. He enjoyed Leon's music as well as being on the beach and watching his brown pelicans. This music and photos give me the chills! Thank you so much! Rest in peace my beloved brother.

[sherrylynn70]

dldelho ~ Thank you so much for your time with you comment....means aLot to me....I feel ya on the power of this song....I lost my little brother in a fatal car accident on our island on the afternoon of the Mardi Gras parade 1995...my end of innocence...God I loved that boy....I understand your chills...this is why I make these videos...thank you..have yourself a merry little Christmas...;-)

[ddd3240]

Lovely video. Thanks from Texas

[Inquisitor53]

@Inquisitor53 Just joking, folks. Pensacola Beach is nice but I dislike crowds. My fave isle was Carl Ross Key in Florida Bay. Use to paddle my canoe out to it several times each winter until Hurricane Wilma tore it in half, destroyed it as a camping site. The sunrises & sunsets were beyond awesome! Great fishing, watching the birds come & go en masse from Sandy Key as the sun rose & set. Most of the time it was only my daughter & I when we'd stay there. We both have great memories from it!

[Inquisitor53]

Just heard Buffet's version of this song at a friends house. I had to excuse myself, drive home and purge my tainted soul by listen to the original by Leon. IMO, buffett's music is for the rude, know-nothing drunk tourists that clog our Florida highways every winter while dissing our state & us natives the entire time they're here. I find a whiskey bottle filled with beach sand applied as often as needed upside their more-money-than-brains empty skulls tends to mellow them out for awhile.

[dcarr1991]

the FLORA-BAMA....never had an ill word with a single soul there...always passed a good time while I was there......gotta hope that the FLORA-BAMA is waiting on the other side!!

[brucekat53]

I love Pensacola. My x wife and I had so many great times there. We would go there every fall. It's been so many years I wanna go back . The beach the fishing the people are the BEST!!!!

[beachbumnov1953]

awaiting Irene to blast my beloved Delaware beaches...I gotta go back...hopefully Wed....

[levluvs6]

i H8 THIS!!!! RRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH MY DAD WON'T LET ME LEAVE THIS STUPID FREAKING PAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!! XOOOOOOOOO

[rpscot]

Regardless of how you feel about the outcome, we enjoyed it.

Love Leon. Love the feel you gave it w/ the photos! Keep up the good work!

[69ssrszl1]

The chorus sounds like paradise.

[BobbyeHorner03]

Get the audio from this song at tubepull doht cohm.