Where would you go to relax, get away from it all, or just be happy?

Well, we all have our happy places, and mine is by the sea, on the beach. I’m not talking about the tiny sandboxes we call beaches here, but long, gleaming stretches of sand that seem to go on forever; where the water is shimmering blue, and so is the sky.

This song is inspired by our Bali honeymoon, which took place just a few months ago (you can read more about it on our blog). They say Bali is touched by the gods, and indeed it is. Its beaches make you want to pause, take a deep breath, and give thanks for being alive.

We had a private beach at our hotel reserved only for guests, and we felt so privileged to have a little piece of heaven to call our own. When our two-week vacation was up, you bet we didn’t want to leave. “Our Own Beach” aims to capture that idyllic, daydream-like mood we had in Bali. It is hopefully a song that you can just close your eyes and listen to by the sea.

When I was planning this week’s video, I thought to myself: Why not have some fun with it? And what better place to record a song about the beach? So on Thursday afternoon, Carol and myself headed to the Pasir Ris Park, which is literally at our doorstep. Not only were we there to record a video, we also decided to have a barbecue lunch to top it off! It was a simple affair: chicken marinated with a special Thai dressing, some red peppers, and a disposable grill from the supermarket. Yes, the weather was muggy, but we made camp under a hut and had a blast.

Special credit goes to my lovely camerawoman, Carol, and of course the resident beach cat who made a cameo appearance.

As always, comments are welcome!

Our Own Beach
© Music & Lyrics by Marcel Lee Pereira, 2010

We have our own beach
Our very own beach
It’s a little out of reach
From the rest of the world

It’s just the two of us
No one but the two of us
No more city fuss
Watching our shadows move

Wiggle our toes, and sing
La, la, la…

There’s a kitty cat
A black and white kitty cat
He’s flat on his back
He’s not going anywhere

Look, there are tiny crabs
Translucent sandy crabs
They run and play and jab
When the sun goes down

Wiggle our toes, and sing
La, la, la…

We have our own beach
Our very own beach
A plate of iced peaches
Sipping beer from a straw

I rub oil on your skin
Nothing else but bare skin
Wipe the sand off your chin
As we sing this song

Wiggle our toes, and sing
La, la, la…