My late wife, Tina, was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Chicago. She was every bit a Chicagoan, but she occasionally mused about the island where she was born. I couldn't sleep one night and while tossing and turning I came up with the lyrics. The next morning the music came quickly and the song was finished in 15 minutes.
Lyrics
(SHE’S GOT) AN ISLAND SOUL
written by Anthony J. Dzik, Copyright 2000
Really Average Tunes (ASCAP), Nashville, TN
She was born on the sunny island
but raised in the city snow
She dreams of the palm tree shadows
where the tropical trade winds blow
She hears the L trains passin’
sounding like steel bands that roll.
The heart of the city surrounds her,
But she’s got an island soul.
The snows fall by the lakeside
where the frozen towers rise.
She dreams of tropical forests
Where the colorful birds abide.
She watches the snowplows clearin’
And dreams warm waves unfold.
The arms of the city embrace her,
But she’s got an island soul.
The hawk, it is howling,
But she dreams of trade winds kind.
The north city streets are ice-bound,
But the island’s in her mind.
The sunny island is far from here
And her life is the city crowd.
Gray skies, storms, and the old canal
Are the scenes she lives with now.
She feels the temperature dropping,
But she’s insulated from the cold.
You see the hands of the city numb her,
But she’s got the island in her soul.
