Green Turtle Cay On paper, Green Turtle Cay is Key West's “Sister City” in the Bahamas. However, the reality is Green Turtle Cay is Key West's mother city. The first people to settle Key West and the rest of the Keys, came from Green Turtle Cay. This would have been in the early 1800's, beginning around 1810/1815, or so.
Just for the record, before proceeding further, the Bahamian word "Cay", as in Green Turtle Cay, is the exact same word as "Key", which we use here. The pronunciation and meaning is identical. Both are pronounced "Key", only spelled differently.
One of the curious things about Green Turtle Cay itself is that a large percentage of the population came there as American Revolutionary Tories (Those Americans who backed the Crown) fleeing from Plymouth, Massachusetts, after the war was over. Hence the name, New Plymouth in Green Turtle Cay.
The citizens of Green Turtle Cay who originally came to the Keys to settle, were largely the grown children and grandchildren of the aforementioned loyalists. Having said that, when the Plymouth Tories arrived in Green Turtle Cay there was already a city there with British subjects as inhabitants, which is why the Loyalist Tories headed there to begin with.
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Personally, I think it's really cool that for many of the settlers from Green Turtle Cay, their families went full circle, starting in Plymouth, Ma. going to Green Turtle Cay, then on to Key West and the rest of the Florida Keys within a generation or two.
Here in the Keys the nick-name “Conchs” came with the Bahamian settlers. In the Keys, we've changed it a bit over the years. In the Bahamas, a “Conch” is a white Bahamian. It's an affectionate term, originated with Cockneys who migrated from London, spreading to all white Bahamians.
Here, throughout the Keys, color of skin has no bearing. If one is born in the Keys, one is a Conch.
In 2019 Hurricane Dorian devastated Green Turtle Cay. The citizens of Key West set up relief aid, including an airlift and flotilla of food and supplies. The song “Green Turtle Cay” is a salute, and a continued tie to our brethren on the islands of our mother island, Green Turtle Cay.
The song itself is told from the protagonist, who is a worker in a boat yard on an island adjacent to Green Turtle Cay. He's meeting his girlfriend at Sundowners, at local bar on Green Turtle Cay and needs to hitch a sail over.
Personnel:
“Key West Chris” Rehm – vocals and guitars
Matt Backer – guitar
Ericson Holt – keyboards
Clair Finley – bass
Alan “Jax” Bowers – percussion
Production, recording, and engineering – Ian Shaw
Mastering – Denis Blackham
© 9/10/2021 by Christopher R. Rehm, BMI
I wrote the song attempting to capture a Bahamian feel, as that is what is required. Prior to writing lyrics, though knowing what the subject was in general, I wanted a lite, acoustic, airy feel that would put the listener in the Bahamas if they closed their eyes. I always write the music first and getting that objective was my first priority. I'm happy with how it evolved and the end result!
In this situation, one way of capturing a good element of this is utilize percussion instruments such as congas, bongos, as well as other hand percussion. So, on this particular song, there is no drum set. I've done this previously on my songs “Sunset Sail” and “Cayo Hueso Rain” off of my last release, “Trimaran”. It works really well and gives a feel that is both original and unique, in lite of most of today's recordings.
As always on my recordings, I only use the absolute best musicians and production people. Ericson I've worked with on my studio recordings since 2012. Ericson was a Nashville session player for a couple of decades. Matt Backer has been a session player in London, U. K. closing in on 30 years, Clair Finley has been a world class bass player, traveling the world and based in Key West. Alan “Jax” Bowers has played with everyone under the sun!
On the production side, Ian Shaw has been recording artists for over forty years, both in London, and for the last ten years, splitting his time in Key West and London. That's the only thing Ian's ever done. In today's digital age, by day someone might be an insurance sales professional, or a waiter, and by night they are recording friends' music. There's a vast difference between what they do and what Ian does.
Mastered by Denis Blackham. Denis is kind of like Ian in that he's been in the business all his life, well, since 1969. He's mastered Crosby Stills and Nash, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Bee Gees, David Knopfler, Black Sabbath, Stevie Nicks, … the list goes on and on!
Getting the absolute best people on my recordings is essential. I would be doing my music a disservice if I went with anything less than A1.
GREEN TURTLE CAY
b/d a/c gb C G
b/d a/c gb Am7 G (X2)
G5/F# Am7 C G
G5/F# Am7 C G (X2)
1
G5/F# Am7 C G
I'VE GOTTA HITCH A RIDE TO ANOTHER ISLAND
G5/F# Am7 C G
GOTTA CATCH A BOAT WHEN THE TIDE IS HIGH
G5/F# Am7 C G
HEY! MISTER PLEASE WON'T YOU LET ME SAIL?
G5/F# Am7 C G
BE REST ASSURED I CAN REEL THE LINES
G5/F# Am7 C G
G5/F# Am7 C G
2
G5/F# Am7 C G
MY CORENNE'S UP AHEAD, ON THAT OTHER ISLAND
G5/F# Am7 C G
MY CORENNE SHE BE A-WAITIN' FOR ME
G5/F# Am7 C G
I WORKED ALL DAY HOT SUN IN THE BOAT YARD
G5/F# Am7 C G
I WORKED ALL DAY BUT NOW I'M FREE
G5/F# Am7 C G
<riff>
b/d a/c g/b C G
b/d a/c g/b Am7 G
<chorus>
Am7 G
ON GREEN TURTLE CAY SHE BE WAITIN' FOR ME
Am7 G
ON GREEN TURTLE CAY THAT'S WHERE I GOTTA BE
Am7 G
AT SUNDOWNERS RIGHT ON THE WATER
C G
SHE'LL MEET ME AT THE BAR AND BE SO HAPPY
C G
SHE'LL MEET ME AT THE BAR AND BE SO HAPPY
G5/F# Am7 C G
G5/F# Am7 C G
Am7 G
Am7 G
Am7 G
C G
C G
3
G5/F# Am7 C G
I'm SIT UP IN THE BOW YES I'LL STEERING YOU STRAIGHT
G5/F# Am7 C G
THE SEAGULLS AND TURNS BE A-FLYIN' IN OUR WAKE
G5/F# Am7 C G
CORAL HEAD A PORT SHE BE COMMIN' UP A-QUICKLY
G5/F# Am7 C G
HARD TO STARBOARD I'LL GUIDE YOU CLEAR
G5/F# Am7 C G
G5/F# Am7 C G
4
G5/F# Am7 C G
SO PLEASE TAKE ME TO THE OTHER ISLAND
G5/F# Am7 C G
CORINNE SHE BE A-WAITIN' FOR ME
G5/F# Am7 C G
WE LEAVE NOW WE BE EARLY
G5/F# Am7 C G
PLEASE TAKE ME TO GREEN TURTLE CAY
G5/F# Am7 C G
G5/F# Am7 C G
<chorus>
Am7 G
ON GREEN TURTLE CAY SHE BE WAITIN' FOR ME
Am7 G
ON GREEN TURTLE CAY THAT'S WHERE I GOTTA BE
Am7 G
AT SUNDOWNERS RIGHT ON THE WATER
C G
SHE'LL MEET ME AT THE BAR AND BE SO HAPPY
C G
SHE'LL MEET ME AT THE BAR AND BE SO HAPPY
<riff>
b/d a/c gb C G
b/d a/c gb Am7 G Am7 G Am7 G C G C G
© 9/10/2021 by Christopher R. Rehm, BMI
Green Turtle Cay is the first release of my upcoming new album “Music From The Island”. Songs will be released as they are completed. When the last song is released, the album will be released. The reason for this is economics. The revenue generated from Green Turtle Cay will go towards completing the next song, which most likely be “Living The Dream”
Green Turtle Cay is available for download, wherever you get your music from. Here are a few links:
https://www.amazon.com/Green-Turtle-West-Chris-Rehm/dp/B09W48LMFN
https://music.apple.com/us/album/green-turtle-cay/1615478290?i=1615478291
https://play.anghami.com/song/1046873331
Thank you!
“Key West Chris” Rehm
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