Lyric

Ooh-ba, da-ya, doo-ree

Come on, take the long way

You bring a paper cup of mango tea

And leave your sandals by the balcony

The ceiling fan turns slow above the room

While salt dries white along your afternoon

You laugh and point beyond the harbor wall

A little sailboat tilts, then catches all

The breeze that lifts the linen from the chair

And puts a ribbon in your copper hair

No need to hurry, no need to plan

Let the warm water find your hands

Stay with me where the palms lean low

Where the blue tide folds and the trade winds blow

You and I, with nowhere else to be

Take this easy hour and give it back to me

Ooh-ya, ba-da, doo-ree, ah

Ooh-ya, ba-da, dee-ya, ah

A bright green lizard crosses the stone

Then disappears beneath the bougainvillea grown

The waiter sets two plates of lime and rice

You steal my chili, saying, “That’s the price”

A radio hums from the kitchen door

Someone is sweeping shells across the floor

You tap a rhythm on the wooden rail

I answer with a whistle down the sail

No need to hurry, no need to plan

Let the warm water find your hands

Stay with me where the palms lean low

Where the blue tide folds and the trade winds blow

You and I, with nowhere else to be

Take this easy hour and give it back to me

Ooh-ya, ba-da, doo-ree, ah

Ooh-ya, ba-da, dee-ya, ah

If the ferry calls, let it call alone

We found a little kingdom of our own

Your shoulder warms beneath my cheek

And every quiet thing is what we need

Ba-da-ba, doo-ya, dee-lee-dah

Shoo-ba-ree, ya-da, oh

Da-wee-da, ba-da, doo-rah

Hey-ya, hey-ya, oh

Stay with me where the palms lean low

Where the blue tide folds and the trade winds blow

You and I, with nowhere else to be

Take this easy hour and give it back to me

Stay with me till the sun turns gold

Till the last warm story has been told

You and I, let the whole day sway

Keep this little island in the way we play

Ooh-ya, ba-da, doo-ree, ah

Ooh-ya, ba-da, dee-ya, ah

Stay with me, stay with me

Ba-da, doo-ree, softly free