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Holiday In Waikiki - The Kinks

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S

I won a competition in a little column in my local paper.
So I packed my bags and flew across the sea all on my local paper.
I sailed to Hawaii in the U.S.A.
I'm just an English boy who won a holiday in Waikiki.

I didn't realize it was commercialized when I unpacked my cases,
Because a genuine Hawaii ukulele cost me 30 guineas,
And even when I'm swimming I have to pay.
I'm just an English boy who won a holiday in Waikiki.
Oh yeah, yeah.

Across the coral sands I saw a hula hula dancer, looking pretty.
I asked her where she came from and she said to me,
"I come from New York City,
And my mother is Italian,
And my dad's a Greek."
I'm just an English boy who won a holiday in Waikiki.

It's a hooka hooka on the shiny briny on the way to Kona,
And in a little shack they had a little sign that said Coca Cola,
And even all the grass skirts were PVC.
I'm just an English boy who won a holiday in Waikiki.
Oh yeah, yeah.

In Waikiki
In Waikiki

Any other rock tunes you know that deal with Hawaii ( besides Hawaii 5-0 and Blue Hawaii ) ?

Indeed, a definite symptom of the beginning Tiki devolution:

...The "British invasion" shifted the young generation's attention towards another strange foreign cult, the Beatles. The Kinks lamented a plastic Polynesia in "Holiday In Waikiki", whining: "...And even all the grass skirts were PVC!"...

How about "Rari" by the Standells? Flip of their hit "Dirty Water"."They warned me not to fall for an island girl"....

B
basilh posted on Wed, Jan 2, 2008 3:24 AM

Abba
ยป
Happy Hawaii

Early this morning I drove in the rain
Out to the airport to get on the plane
Hey Honolulu, we're going to happy Hawaii
Alice has been there, she said it was fun
Swimming and surfing, enjoying the sun
Hey Honololu, we're going to happy Hawaii

After all I've had to go through
I'm making no plans (making no plans oh-ooh)
But I, but I believe love gives me a second chance

Guess I've been working a little too hard
Need a vacation, I'll send you a card
From Honolulu, a greeting from happy Hawaii
[ http://www.rare-lyrics.com ]

It's so exciting, why should I pretend
In a few hours the plane will descend
Hey Honolulu, we're going to happy Hawaii
I can imagine the beach and the sand
Walking with someone and holding his hand
Hey Honolulu, we're going to happy Hawaii

After all I've had to go through
I'm making no plans (making no plans oh-ooh)
But I, but I believe love gives me a second chance, mmm

I've got a feeling the dream will come true
Somebody's waiting and I'll forget you
Hey Honolulu, we're going to happy Hawaii

Basil
http://www.waikiki-islanders.com

Hawaii by The Beach Boys comes to mind.

T

I understand this thread is meant to focus on earlier decades, but anyway my favorite song by a rocker dealing with Hawaii is Warren Zevon's "The Hula Hula Boys" (~'96):
**
I saw her leave the luau
With the one who parked the cars
And the fat one from the swimming pool
They were swaying arm in arm
I could hear the ukuleles playing
Down by the sea
She's gone with the hula hula boys
She don't care about me
She's gone with the hula hula boys
She don't care about me
They're singing,
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

Yesterday she went to see
The Polynesian band
But she came home with her hair all wet
And her clothes all filled with sand
I didn't have to come to Maui
To be treated like a jerk
How do you think I feel
When I see the bellboys smirk?
And I can hear the ukuleles playing
Down by the sea
She's gone with the hula hula boys
She don't care about me
They're signing,
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana
Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana...
**
He sings these great lines: "I didn't have to come to Maui to be treated like a jerk; how do you think I feel when I see the bellboys smirk?" in such a plaintive, forlorn manner, you can just see the guy wailing on a Honolulu street corner, with passersby thinking he's crazy. Great stuff.

K

Referring back to the Kinks, made me think of a Hawaiian music album I have that was recorded in England..in which the liner notes refer to Waikiki as being "The Blackpool of The South Seas." I get a chuckle out of that.

Pages: 1 6 replies