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On A Holiday Lyrics
A pirate with a tune on a holiday.
Ol' lazy mister moon want a getaway.
And isn't that a moon for a milky way?
A ukulele lady - a roundalay. Rock, rock roll, Child!
Rock, rock, roll, Plymouth Rock roll over.
For a holiday - with a roundalay.
Abaft and forth - a starboard course with
north abeam, sherry of course. The men
will share some sport ah-now me hearty!
Not the rum of Carib scum. It's Port
tonight, drink up and come. Un-weigh
that anchor yank and we will party!
A shanty town - a chanty in Waikiki. And juxtapose
a man with a mystery. A blue Hawaiian - capture
his melody. And Liliuola Kalani will sing to me.
Rock, rock, roll, Child! Rock, rock roll, Plymouth Rock roll over.
For a holiday. Long, long ago...Long ago.
Whisperin' winds send my
wind a chimes a-tinklin'.
Whisperin' winds send my
wind a chimes a-tinklin'.
Ol' lazy mister moon want a getaway.
And isn't that a moon for a milky way?
Rock, rock, roll, Plymouth Rock roll over.
For a holiday - with a roundalay.
north abeam, sherry of course. The men
will share some sport ah-now me hearty!
Not the rum of Carib scum. It's Port
tonight, drink up and come. Un-weigh
that anchor yank and we will party!
a man with a mystery. A blue Hawaiian - capture
his melody. And Liliuola Kalani will sing to me.
For a holiday. Long, long ago...Long ago.
wind a chimes a-tinklin'.
wind a chimes a-tinklin'.
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Thematically, the song carries on the overarching concept of the album as an imaginary/metaphorical journey across America, and thorugh American history, from east to west, Plymouth Rock to Hawaii. LIke all Van Dyke's lyrics, it's full of complex allusions, puns and wordplay, like the double meanings in "a roundelay" ("around a lei"), shanty/chanty, Port, away/a-weigh, "ukelele lady", etc.
The specific reference in the last verse is to Liliuokalani, the last queen of Hawaii, who was also an accomplished musician and composer and is credited with composing the famous song "Aloha Oe" ("Farewell to Thee").