Track 09
Anegada
Song summary
Anegada is a rock song by Phoenix and the Angel from the album Places that I Remember. The song is about the island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands, capturing the atmosphere, scenery and personal memories connected to that location.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this song about?
It captures the atmosphere, scenery and personal memories connected to the island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands.
Which album is this song from?
This song appears on Places that I Remember, the debut album by Phoenix and the Angel.
Who wrote this song?
This song was written as part of the Phoenix and the Angel project led by Guy Phoenix.
This song is named after the Caribbean island, a breezy tropical escape. Here's what Guy Phoenix says about the song:
I lived in the British Virgin Islands for 11 years. Estimates vary on the number of islands (approx. 66), but the main islands are Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost van Dyke and Anegada.
Anegada is sparsely populated and is something of an outlier since it is located North-Northeast of the main island chain and not usually visible due to being only 28 feet above sea level at its highest point. It is a coral island surrounded by reefs, claiming numerous shipwrecks across the centuries.
Twice a year, there would be yacht races from Tortola to Anegada. Depending on your yacht, it was easily a 5-hour sail. On arrival, you had to follow the channel markers – the channel was very narrow – or risk running aground on a reef.
Racing up on yachts from Tortola, 2 nights up there (minimum). For some reason, I used to get really agitated about going; I didn't want to spend 3 days away from home and work (Absolutely ridiculous now I look back on it). Anyway, I always loved sailing up there because being such a low island, it meant that you could not see it when sailing to it until you got close, so it felt like you were sailing out into nowhere. The first thing that would become visible would be the tops of palm trees.
The island is surrounded by reefs, and occasionally, after a storm, articles from colonial shipwrecks are washed up to shore. I've tried to allude to many of these memories in the song ('Doubloons on the beach').
Once I got there, of course, I loved it. It is a wonderful island with a superb beach along its entire North Shore – stretching 11 miles. This song, especially the chorus, is about this feeling.
Production Notes
I would like the song to have a subtle Caribbean feel. We could put a reggae beat to it or find another way to give it the feel of 'the Islands'. By subtle I mean I do not want steel drums (!). Some ideas could be:
• Sound of wind in sails • A singer with a Caribbean lilt in their voice? • Gulls sounds?
I want the song to feel fun, joyful and to give that sense of freedom that only sailing to a Caribbean island can really provide. So a good tempo, good beat, maybe a few licks. I don't think we need a guitar solo, but perhaps some keyboards evoking the main melody would be good.