Heaven is My Island

Bob Nolan
Original copyright: 1958

Heaven is my island somewhere
Waiting in the sun over the sea,
Waiting there for me.
I will find my island someday
Following the sun over the sea
Where it beckons me.

Hear my island calling, “Come to me.
I’ve been waiting oh! so long
And it’s a lonesome sea.”
If you ever find my island
Waiting in the sun over the sea,
You’ll belong to me.

Hear my island calling, “Come to me.
I’ve been waiting oh! so long
And it’s a lonesome sea.”
If you ever find my island
Waiting in the sun over the sea,
You’ll belong to me.

Although Bob often said that he was going to travel the world, a single excursion to Hawaii in 1948 with his wife, P-Nuts, was all he could afford because he had been cheated out of most of the royalties of "Tumbling Tumbleweeds" early in his career. But he and his wife made the most of that one trip on the beautiful SS Matsonia soon to be sold and renamed SS Atlantic. Because the Island people they met were so friendly, they extended their visit by several weeks. The Islands were the inspiration for many songs, including "Heaven is My Island", sung here by Dave Bourne. There is no sheet music other than the lead sheet with Words & Music by Bob Nolan ©1958. Registered for copyright in 2004 by Calin Coburn.

There is no sheet music other than the lead sheet with Words & Music by Bob Nolan ©1958. Registered for copyright in 2004 by Calin Coburn.

Heaven is My Island (Lead Sheet)

In 2008, Bob's grandson (Calin Coburn) discovered a reel of film which turned out to be part of that voyage. The photographer appears to have been Bob's father-in-law. Only one reel was found and it was worn and hard to look at except for a little footage of Bob and his wife and some of Bob swimming. These few clips were taken from the film but they are, sadly, of very poor quality.