Dear Peter T.,

You'll hate yourself in th' mornin'!

Before we revisit this not-really-folk chestnut and staple of ukelele players from Arthur Godfrey to Tiny Tim, let me remind all that this was one suggestion among many, in a response about songs to sing with children, who seem to enjoy the struggle to pronounce the Hawaiian words.

My apologies, in advance, to the lovers of true Hawaiian mele, examples of which can be found in the links at these sites (and several others):

Jay D. Hayashi's Home page
http:/www.seas.ucla.edu/~jayh/hmusic.html
and
Stevo's Hawaiian Music Page Links
http:/members.aol.com/StevenA442/hawaimus/mus/links.htm

Without further fuss:

MY LITTLE GRASS SHACK IN KE-A-LA-KE-KUA, HAWAII
Words and music by Bill Cogswell, Tommy Harrison and Johnny Noble

I want to go back to my little grass shack in Ke-a-la-ke-kua, Hawaii.
I want to be with all the ka-nes and wa-hi-nes that I knew long ago.
I can hear old guitars a-playing, on the beach at Ho-o-nau-nau
I can hear the Hawaiians saying, "Ko-mo-mai no-ka-u-a i-ka ha-le we-la-ka-hao."

It won't be long 'til my ship will be sailing back to Kona –
A grand old place that's always fair to see.
I'm just a little Hawaiian and a homesick island boy,
I want to go back to my fish and poi,

I want to go back to my little grass shack in Ke-a-la-ke-kua, Hawaii.
Where the hu-mu-hu-mu-nu-ku-nu-ku-a-pu-a'a goes swimming by.
Where the hu-mu-hu-mu-nu-ku-nu-ku-a-pu-a'a goes swimming by.

Sorry about that.

Shula

P.S. Agree absolutely about Disney films to which you alluded in the "mother" thread. Do like some things, and some songs from the old stuff, though.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 21-May-02.