Laurie Anderson
Lyric guide

The Island Where I Come From

Read The Island Where I Come From lyrics by Laurie Anderson on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.

Laurie Anderson visibility1 visits Video on page
person Curated by Ethan Walker LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot

The page facts to cite before the commentary

Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.

Page type: lyric reference Artist: Laurie Anderson Canonical path: /laurie-anderson/the-island-where-i-come-from Related lyric paths: 6 Video embedded: yes
Lyrics

The Island Where I Come From

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

Let me tell you a story about Kokovoko

The island where I come from

The beaches are littered with rotten coconuts

And there are pieces of old skulls lying all around

Jewels and sand and rising water

Visions I've seen and cries I've heard

I can't put these things into words

Might as well put some beans

In a hollow gourd and shake it, shake it

I've floated on an icecap with a white polar bear

I've floated up and down the golden stairs

I've seen whales and caught in sails all twiskeetwee

But me? I don't say much

Jewels and sand and rising water

Visions I've seen and cries I've heard

I can't put these things into words

Might as well put some beans

In a hollow gourd

There are lots of people who talk just to hear the sound

The sound, the sound of their own voices

But take an empty shell and put it up to your ear

You can hear the ocean rumbling around in there

Ooo the greasy wheel it goes round

The humming of the breeze it makes a whishing

and whirring sound

The sudden silence when the burning sun goes down

Jewels and sand and rising water

Visions I've seen and cries I've heard

I can't put these things into words

Might as well put some beans

In a hollow gourd and shake it, shake it

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

Who performs "The Island Where I Come From"?

Laurie Anderson performs "The Island Where I Come From", and this lyric page sits inside the Laurie Anderson catalog on LyroVerse.

Are there related songs to explore after "The Island Where I Come From"?

Yes. The related section below points to Dark Time in Revolution and The Lake with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Laurie Anderson?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Laurie Anderson's lyric pages.

Song Room

Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song

Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.

Open Song Room
0 followers Selected insights only surface after moderation
Listener comments

What people are saying

0 comments
Add a short interpretation or memory

A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.

Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.

No listener comments on The Island Where I Come From yet.