Like his great great grandfather, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German po… Read Full Bio ↴Like his great great grandfather, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German poet who penned "Faust", Bertie Higgins is a storyteller. He was born Elbert Joseph Higgins of Portuguese, Irish and German descent and raised in the picturesque Greek community of Tarpon Springs, Florida. Bertie is an intellectual romantic who loves to paint story songs about living and loving in a tropical paradise.

His love songs explore the efforts of man trying to fathom the mystery and allure of woman. His fantasy songs deal with the beauty and sensuality of the tropics and his story songs combine past experiences and future hopes. The resounding theme throughout Bertie's work: "Make the best of today lest tomorrow never comes".

Bertie, who once supported himself as a sponge diver, began his career in show business at the age of twelve as a ventriloquist. He won top prizes in local talent contests and became a favorite at school assemblies and clubs around Tampa Bay. Two years later, a battered set of drums forced a career change and Bertie set off to follow the back beat heard around the world -- Rock and Roll.

His first band played proms, homecoming dances and sock hops. After graduating Tarpon Springs High School, Bertie enrolled in St. Petersburg Junior College to study journalism and fine art, but the music continued to sing in his heart. He eventually left college and became drummer for the Tommy Roe band (Sheila, Dizzy), The Roemans, During this period, the band toured the world, opening shows for the likes of the Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Tom Jones, Roy Orbison, Manfred Mann, Peter and Gordon, The Dave Clark Five and many more. At the height of Beatlemania, Bertie was playing with and learning from the best.

Tiring of the rigors of the road and yearning to make his own musical statement, Bertie left The Roemans and returned home to Florida. He put down his drumsticks, picked up a guitar and began crafting music and lyrics. It was a time of great satisfaction and personal release. Producers such as Bob Crewe (The Four Seasons), Phil Gernhard (Lobo), and Felton Jarvis (Elvis) took an interest and contributed to the growth of the young songwriter. Bertie's talent flourished and he was in demand to play venues throughout the state.

Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens and Jimmy Buffet were Bertie's primary sources of inspiration and he remains friends with Gordon and Jimmy today. During this period, he also met and became a protege of the late actor/director, Richard Boone, who saw Bertie's writing potential and tutored him in screen writing.

In 1980, Bertie moved to Atlanta and met record producer, Sonny Limbo. Sonny had played a role in developing the group Alabama and had been instrumental in the careers of several others. He arranged that fateful meeting between Bertie and music publisher, Bill Lowery, whom Bertie had known through Tommy Roe. The meeting of these three was destiny waiting to happen.

Bertie had been working on a song about a personal failed romance. He presented the rough cut to Bill and Sonny. They helped him perfect the lyrics of the song that became Key Largo. Bertie recorded the master and presented it to Kat Family records, a newly formed CBS distributing company. At first they rejected it. After persistent badgering by Bertie, Bill and Sonny, Kat Family finally agreed to release the single in 1981 and pop music history was made.

Key Largo blew a hole in the U.S. charts. When it reached number one in the nation, the world took notice and it went on to become an international hit. Other hit singles followed like Just Another Day in Paradise, Casablanca and Pirates and Poets. Casablanca became Song Of The Year in all of the pacific rim and the album hit double platinum. Bertie Higgins became an international recording star literally overnight.

For the past several years, Bertie and his excellent group, "The Band of Pirates" have toured extensively around the globe. He has received rave reviews and accolades from the music industry and his fans alike. He is named in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and displayed in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in Macon. Besides being the consummate stage performer, songwriter and vocalist, he is an accomplished screenwriter/novelist and actor. Bertie has owned a successful restaurant in the Florida Keys, written music for David Letterman, Burt Reynolds and many others. He has made numerous TV talk show and music variety show appearances around the world and continues to be invited back again and again. Besides maintaining a rigorous schedule of one-nighters, he also makes regular appearances on the fabulous Las Vegas strip.

Bertie seriously supports several national charity organizations. Hospice, The American Cancer Society, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America are just a few. He regularly makes appearances and participates in several charitable national golf tournaments and donates his time and talent. He lives by the credo "you must give some back", and takes the commitment very seriously.

An ongoing project in his homestate of Florida is the preservation of fragile endangered wildlife, particularily the brown pelican and other sea birds. He works closely with zoologist, Ralph Heath of the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary in Redington Shores, FL, and has organized and performed at several fund raisers to benefit that great organization. He has also been actively involved in preserving Florida's rapidly deteriorating lighthouses and was instrumental in helping restore the one on Anclote Key near his hometown of Tarpon Springs.

Bertie is the father of three boys and one girl, and lives with two of his sons, Julian and Aaron in Burbank, CA. His eldest son, Damian, a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, is a world renowned recording artist in his own right. He has attained a great deal of success under the pseudonym, "Diesel Boy" and is currently working on his ninth CD release. One of the top junglist D.J.'s on the globe, he performs regularly from London, Cape Town, Budapest, Hong Kong, New York and all points in between. He has graced the cover of several national magazine publications and Bertie couldn't be a prouder Dad. Julian is a college sophomore attending film school in Hollywood learning to direct movies; Aaron is a senior at Burbank High and Kimberly holds a position with Southwest Air, the greatest airline in the world. Bertie is also the proud grandfather of Eli William Dauser, Kimberly's young son.

Bertie personally manages his international fan club, "The Boneheads" and he is endeared to each and every member. He truly believes that they are just the greatest group of people in the world and hovers over them with a watchful, caring eye. Once annually they fly into Florida from around the world to participate in their "Pirates of the Caribbean" cruise. Always a seven day adventure with a major cruise line, they hang out, party, explore the Caribbean and meet 'n' greet each other. 'Tis always a pillage and plunder and the next one is soon forthcoming.

To be certain, it will always be just another day in paradise for Bertie Higgins and he'll be waiting for you under the next palm tree for years to come. This pirate and poet continues to write and sing about turquoise lagoons, golden sands and islands in the sun in a style he affectionately refers to as Trop Rock.

Day After Day
Bertie Higgins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The big cold city is such a lonely place to be
Hustle all day and dream of the islands and sea
Millions of girls but none of them seemed right for me
Til you came along, you touched me and set me free

So I slipped away last night, eased on down to the Key
Flyin' so high, we hitched a ride on a Gulf Stream breeze
Livin' on love and the fruits from tropical trees

A song in our hearts and our eyes on the West Indies

It's just another day in paradise
Love in the night, oh we do it so right
Seein' that 'I Love You' look in your eyes
Just another day in paradise

A bottle of rum, listen to the steel drum band
Laughin' in the moonlight, along the beach we ran
Splashin' naked in the sea, makin' love upon the sand
Fallin' fast asleep like children, hand in hand

It's just another day in paradise
Love in the night, oh we do it so right
Seein' that 'I Love You' look in your eyes
Just another day in paradise

I woke up this morning with the sunlight in my eyes
Guess it was only a dream, I hear the city outside
But I look at you sleepin' and honey now I realize
That anywhere with you is paradise

It's just another day in paradise
Love in the night, oh we do it so right
Seein' that 'I Love You' look in your eyes
Just another day in paradise

It's just another day in paradise
Love in the night, oh we do it so right

Seein' that 'I Love You' look in your eyes
Just another day in paradise

Overall Meaning

In Bertie Higgins's song "Just Another Day in Paradise," the singer expresses his dissatisfaction with the bustling city life, where he sees himself trapped dreaming of the islands and sea. He considers many girls in the city but never found anyone he connected with. Until he met someone who freed and touched him. To escape from the city, the two flew to the Caribbean, enjoying the tropical breeze and love under the moonlight.

As they find themselves on the beach at night, they listen to the steel drum band, laugh under the moonlight, and run along the shore. They embrace the freedom to be with each other intimately without constraints. The singer expresses that while he has woken up to the city outside his window, he recognizes that anywhere where he is with his lover is a paradise.

The song conveys a message of the power of connection and love in changing someone's perspective of life. It is a reminder that material possessions often do not guarantee happiness and that love trumps all.

Line by Line Meaning

The big cold city is such a lonely place to be
Living in the city can feel isolating and depressing, especially when you don't have anyone to share it with.

Hustle all day and dream of the islands and sea
Even though we work hard all day, we often dream of escaping to a beautiful tropical paradise.

Millions of girls but none of them seemed right for me
Despite having many options, none of the women the singer met in the city felt like the right match.

Til you came along, you touched me and set me free
The singer finally found the right person who made him feel alive and free.

So I slipped away last night, eased on down to the Key
To escape the city and its loneliness, the singer left secretly and traveled to a tropical island.

Flyin' so high, we hitched a ride on a Gulf Stream breeze
The journey to the island felt exciting and freeing, like flying on a gentle, warm breeze.

Livin' on love and the fruits from tropical trees
On the island, the couple lived off their love for each other and the natural resources around them, like fruits from the trees.

A song in our hearts and our eyes on the West Indies
The couple felt inspired and joyful, with a romantic destination in mind on their trip to the West Indies.

It's just another day in paradise
Despite being far away from home, the singer and his partner feel like they are in a tropical paradise every day.

Love in the night, oh we do it so right
The couple's love and intimacy feels particularly special and right in the beautiful surroundings of the island.

Seein' that 'I Love You' look in your eyes
The couple's affection for each other is tangible and powerful, seen in the loving looks they share.

A bottle of rum, listen to the steel drum band
The couple enjoys the fun island nightlife, with rum and lively music from steel drums.

Laughin' in the moonlight, along the beach we ran
The couple shares some romantic moments, running and laughing on the beach under the moonlight.

Splashin' naked in the sea, makin' love upon the sand
The couple's passion grows, taking them to the point of playfully swimming naked and ultimately making love on the beach.

Fallin' fast asleep like children, hand in hand
After a night of intense intimacy and adventure, the couple falls asleep together, feeling as carefree and innocent as children.

I woke up this morning with the sunlight in my eyes
After a night of deep sleep, the singer wakes up to a bright and beautiful morning on the island.

Guess it was only a dream, I hear the city outside
At first, the singer feels like the perfect island adventure was only a dream and the city is still a reality.

But I look at you sleepin' and honey now I realize
However, seeing his partner asleep next to him reminds the singer that the paradise he experienced is real and right in front of him.

That anywhere with you is paradise
The singer realizes he could be anywhere with his partner, and it would feel like paradise because of their love for each other.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: HIGGINS, JONES, LIMBO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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