Hawaii '78

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono o Hawaii
Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono o Hawaii

If just for a day our king and queen
Would visit all these islands and saw everything
How would they feel about the changes of our land

Could you just imagine if they were around
And saw highways on their sacred grounds
How would they feel abouth this modern city life

Tears would come from each others eyes
As they would stop to realize
That our people are in great great danger now
How would they feel, could their smiles be content, then cry

Chorus:
Cry for the gods, cry for the people
Cry for the land that was taken away
And then yet you'll find Hawaii

Could you just imagine they came back
And saw traffic lights and railroad tracks
How would they feel about this modern city life

Tears would come from each others eyes
As they would stop to realize
That our land is in great great danger now

All the fighting that the king had done
To conquer all these islands now these condominiums
How would he feel if he saw Hawaii nei
How would he feel, would his smile be content, then cry

Chorus

Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono o Hawaii
Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono o Hawaii


Lyrics submitted by darkahuna

Hawaii '78 song meanings
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5 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment
    there is so much passion in both the lyrics and music of this song...I've never been to hawaii, and I don't believe in the religious stuff, but I do share the same worry for what humans are doing to the great earth we have
    MasonCon October 11, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I am a haole myself, and I don't live on the islands, but I have a deep appreciation of the hawaiian culture. This song means a lot to me, and I think it's wrong what people have done to the islands, what with its commercialism. It's like the history has gradually disappeared over the years. We should be more careful about what we do, because once information like that is gone, it's lost forever.
    dragontameron January 12, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Such a sad song :( it's about how would the sacred people feel if they saw we have built over taken over the sacred lands. It's truly sad and I know some people still want to be free from America. I feel bad now because I'm going to Hawaii but going there I'm staying in a hotel which they probably didn't want we took over. The song is about just how would they feel if they saw it today. In there time it wasn't like America I was a country full of there culture there life not ours.
    Miamonster26on September 07, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Since my childhood my small town on the mainland has gotten worse as it's gotten bigger. Old places we used to run around in the woods are housing and/or commercial and are gone. I miss those places and the innocence. Unfortunately that's the way it goes. He doesn't really explain how "Cry for the land that was TAKEN AWAY". I'd like to see evidence of that. Indigenous people claim land was taken away and I would give that to them, maybe on the condition that we can agree that 'pockets or parcels' of land. The Hawaiian's didn't own the whole of the islands, like mainland Indian's didn't own the whole of the US. How could somebody reasonably make that claim? Anyways great song, w great feeling. Man is corrupt, that includes all of us. We must use reason to guide our lives if we are to live as a community
    Into the mysticon October 20, 2021   Link
  • -1
    General Comment
    ok this songs basically showin how hawaii is changing and growing. to me and the natives its bad because it was better when the forigners werent here. then the haoles had to take over. this song tells us how would our ancestors and ancient people feel about this change. Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono o hawaii basically means this is our land and we shall take care and respect it. is the whites doing so? haha
    pochomanon June 29, 2007   Link

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