Laurie Anderson - The Island Where I Come From lyrics

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