Store Soundtrack Review: Islands in the Stream

I haven’t been subtle about my love for Dolly Parton.

I enjoy working 9 to 5, always loving people and admiring flowing locks of auburn hair…all thanks to Dolly.

Above all other things Dolly, I love the peace unknown that comes from her doing duets with Kenny Rogers.

The soundtrack was, in my humble opinion, the greatest asset of the store I worked in. It was a mix of the greaties of the 80s, power ballads and the trashy songs that were covered on Glee; three genres I enjoy being embarrassingly enamoured with.

The other great perk of the soundtrack was that it pretty much played every song at the exact same time every day, meaning you could plan your work around the singing breaks that you required.

In my second last week of work, I came to the crushing realisation that taking my lunch religiously between 12 and one had caused me to miss the greatest song of all time.

Islands in the Stream.

As my notice period wound down, I started to take my breaks later and later so that I could shop and make the most out of my remaining time of having discounts. It was one such day when I was on the shop floor at the foreign time of 12:30 when I heard the opening bars.

My heart stopped. Can it really be?

Without thinking I joined Kenny, “baby when I met you there was peace unknown,” and was lost in the moment.

I don’t know what it is about this song, but I love it. I think it takes me to my happy place where Dolly sings to me under the April sun in Cuba (not Dolly’s…but God that’s a good song too).

To give you some fun facts, Islands in the Stream, which was written by the Bee Gees, was one of the biggest selling singles of 1983 and was the second #1 single for both Dolly and Kenny. The most exciting titbit I have is that the success of this single was the catalyst for Dolly and Kenny ‘s collaborative Christmas album.

It is amazing.

I love Dolly.