When I was a child, my mother came home with an Omnichord. I believe she bought one for us and one for my grandfather. It is a neat little machine that allows one to play songs via an electric panel and chord buttons. It’s kindof difficult to explain so I uploaded this video to give more clarification.
So, we had this Omnichord and my sisters and I would play around on it and make up songs and play simple songs by ear and just generally have a music hayday.
One day I asked my mom to listen to this cool new song I had written. It went something like this:
Islands in the stream that is what we are
No one in between how can we be wrong
Sail away with me to another world
Where we rely on each other, uh-huh
From one lover to another, uh-huh*
It was very catchy if I do say so myself.
When I was finished singing my mom laughed and said, “You didn’t write that, sweetie. You heard it on the radio.”
“I did not!” I insisted. “I’ve never heard this song in my life!”
And I meant it. I did not ever remember hearing it. Somehow as an eight year old I thought I had come up with the word ‘lover’ because I’m sure I knew what that meant then. I specifically remember sitting in the back of our station wagon… the seat in the way back facing backwards… something about the smaller kids’ car seats having to be in the middle seat and my sister Christine getting car sick if she’s backwards. Yada yada yada.
Anyway, I have this flashback of me sitting in the way back or the back-back as we used to call it, playing Islands in the Stream (that’s what I named the song, you see) and swearing to myself that I had never heard the song in my life. I couldn’t understand why my mom didn’t believe me.
Now all these years later, guess what I found on the ever popular Youtube? It’s Dolly and Kenny singing my song! Enjoy.
*Written by the Bee Gees
(c) 2016 Leighann Marquiss
Comments (10)
Haha! You so crack me up, Leighann! I loved that song too…and to find out after all these years that my dear younger cousin wrote it…well, I don’t even know what to say! You are brilliant! And, you know, I was always kinda jealous that you guys had a back-back seat in your station wagon. We just laid down in ours…good times! 😉
Richelle
Oh my Goodness, you make me laugh! I’ve been a lurker for quite some time, praying for your littlest Hobbit & enjoying your posts on Biblical submission. But girl, sometimes you just outdo yourself! Too funny!
Great job in the song writing department Leighann **smirk** We had a Toyota station wagon back in the day. Our back back seat was sideways.
When we took the car, sometimes we would lay in the back window! and watch the cars behind us. No seatbelt rules then yet. Am I dating myself? LOL
I’m not sure if I’ve even introduced myself. Pardon me if I’ve introduced myself before. Hi I’m Heather,I’ve been reading a while. I enjoy watching your girls and their silliness. Ryan is looking great btw.
ah, leighann, that’s hilarious. good song, good song.
You brought back great memories of riding in the “back back” of that station wagon with you and Johanna. Wow, that seems so long ago. I think there were the six Ennis kids (your brother wasn’t born yet), me and possibly someone else (Joy?) How did we all fit?
I hope you’re adjusting to your new schedule. Enjoy that baby boy!
Thanks for sharing your writing abilities with the world & allowing Kenny & Dolly to borrow them, too. Love, Your Not-so-secret Admirer, Marmi
Awesome! I totally needed this giggle today!
We used to have a casio keyboard thing that was kind of similar.
However, this blog post is useless without you yourself belting out a rendtion of your song!
I never knew you actually had one of your songs published. How impressive! I do remember you sitting in the car just singing away, probably about the events of the day.
Andrea, we “all” fit in the car because the seat belt rules were more laxed.
I think mothergoose would be quite impressed with your singing abilities. I do have to agree with her though. Lol!!
My goodness, I had this on a 45rpm record, I think I wore it out listing to it so much! Thanks for the memories..
Oh my word, I got an Omnichord for my birthday when I was about 8 or 9 years old!! I still have it and it still works. My son was just playing it about a month ago when we moved into our new house and had it out. He wants to take it to show-n-tell at school. I told him to learn to play a song first 🙂