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Classic Songs of Lei Day
compiled by Leilehua Yuen
Lei Aloha, Lei Makamae
Chas E. King, 1934
C C7 F A7 D7 G7 C
C D7 G7 C
E ku’u lei (e ku’u lei)
C G7 C
Lei aloha na’u, lei makamae
C E7 Am
Eia au, ke kali nei
Am D7 G D7 G7
Ho’i mai kaua, ho’i mai e pili (e pili)
G7
Kou aloha ka’u (kou aloha ka’u)
G7 C
E hi’ipoi nei (hi’i poi mau no)
C G7 A#dim G7 E7
Na kau a kau (na kau a kau)
E7 A7 D7
Nou ho’okahi, na li’a a loko
D7 G7 C
Ahea la ‘oe, maliu mai
C C7
E ku’u lei (e ku’u lei)
F A D7
Makamae
D7 G7 C
Ho’i mai kaua e pili
G7
Kou aloha ka’u (kou aloha ka’u)
G7 C
E hi’ipoi nei (hi’i poi mau no)
C G7 A#dim G7 E7
Na kau a kau (na kau a kau)
E7 A7 D7
Nou ho’okahi, na li’a a loko
D7 G7 C
Ahea la ‘oe, maliu mai
C C7
E ku’u lei (e ku’u lei)
F A D7
Makamae
D7 G7 C
Ho’i mai kaua e pili
I’ll Weave a Lei of Stars for You
R Alex Anderson, Jack Owens, 1946
G7 C
C
I’ll weave a lei of stars for you
C G7
To wear on nights like this
G7
And when you wear my lei of stars
G7 D7 G7
I’ll seal it with a kiss
G7 A F
The moon is green with jealousy
F D7 G7
And all the stars are, too
G7 C A C A C
For when you wear my lei of stars
C G7 C
The fairest one is you
h4>My Yellow Ginger Lei
John Kaonohokala Keawehawai`i
D7 G7 C D7 G7 C
C G7
Ku`u lei ‘awapuhi melemele
G7 C
I puīa me ke `ala onaona
C G7
Ho`ohihi ka mana`o iā `oe
G7 C D7 G7 C F C
E ku`u lei awapuhi
My yellow ginger lei
Reveals her scent through the day
Enchanting moments with you
Makes me love you
You’re as lovely as can be
My yellow ginger lei
My heart is yearning for you
My `awapuhi
Ha`ina `ia mai
Ana ka puana
Ku`u lei `awapuhi melemele
Ho`oheno i ka pu`uwai
Our Island Lei
Leilehua Yuen, 2004
C G7 C
C F G7 C
Hawai`i has the leilehua shining red
C G7
Makes the lei wili for my head
C F G7 C
Loved by Hi`iaka in the forest deep
C G7 C
Ka Ua Kani Lehua sings me to sleep
Maui has the loke lani, sweet and pink
In a lei kui makes me think
How all the foreign blossoms growing here
Add their lovely fragrance to the air
Kahoʻolawe has the hinahina, silver sheen
Another lei wili, the fairest seen
Growing on the beach in the rocks and sand
Teaches me to be firm when I stand
Lānaʻi has the kaunaʻoa, soft orange strands
Hili them together with gentle hands
Growing in the heat of he brightest sun
Strength and softness woven into one
Molokaʻi has the lei kukui, soft green leaves
Hipuʻu or haku or wili it for me
Kukui is a shining little light
So I can see in darkest night
O`ahu has the lei `ilima, golden ropes
Kui it together in royal hopes
Worn on the necks of kings and queens
Fragile as a butterfly, strong as dreams
Ni`ihau has the lei pūpū, white and clean
Poepoe into shining strands from the sea
Honoring the ocean that surrounds our land
Grown in the sea and collected from the sand
Kauaʻi, mokihana, and purple, too
Use care when you kui, for this lei can burn you
Wili me ka maile lau liʻi for this special lei
Still enjoy the fragrence years away
Each of the lei is so beautiful to see
Telling stories of Hawaiʻi
Woven with love into garlands fair
To show our aloha for people everywhere
Na Lei o Hawai`i
Chas. E King, 1942
F D7 G7 C7 F
F Bdim C7 G7 C7 F
Nani Hawa—-iʻi ka moku o Kea——we
F D7 G7
Lei haʻaheo i ka lehua
G7 C7 F G7 C7 F
A me ka maile aʻo Panaʻewa
Kilakila o Maui lā iā Haleakala
Ua kapu roselani
A noʻu hoʻokahi wale nō
ʻOhuohu Oʻahu i ka ʻilima
He kohu manu ō` ō
Hulu melemele o ke kuahiwi
Lei Kauaʻi i ka mokihana
Lauaʻe o Makana
ʻO kaʻu aloha n ō ia
Kaulana Molokaʻi i ka ulu kukuʻi
O Lanikaula
A me ka wai lele a`o Moa`ula
O Niʻihau, Kahoʻolawe, Lānaʻi
Hoʻoheno me ka pūpū ō
Ka hinahina me ke kaunaʻoa
Haʻina ʻia mai ana ka puana
Lei o Hawaiʻi
Nā lei o Hawai`i e ō mai
h4>Lei ʻOhu
By George Akiu
G
Lei ʻohu ʻohu ʻoe e Hilo Hanakahi
D7
Ka lehua maka noe aʻo Panaʻewa
G D7 G
Lei kaulana aʻo Hilo
Lei ʻohu ʻohu ʻoe Maui Nui a Kama
Ka roselani onaona o ka ʻala hola
Lei kaulana aʻo Maui
Lei ʻohu ʻohu ʻoe Kakuhihewa
Ka ʻilima melemele kau poʻohiwi
Lei kaulana aʻo Oʻahu
Lei ʻohu ʻohu ʻoe Manokalanipō
Ka mokihana hua liʻiliʻi o Waiʻaleʻale
Lei kaulana aʻo Kauaʻi
Haʻina e ka wehi o nā mokupuni
Ka lehua, ka roselani, ʻilima, mokihana
O nā moku ʻehā
h4>Hilo, My Home Town
By Hazel Carter Yuen
D7 G7 C D7 G7 C
C
Come along, join the throng
C
Visit my Aloha Land
C G7
Take a train, or a plane
G7
Travel any way you can
C
See the smiling faces
C7
Of the many races
F
You’ll be smiling too
D7
You will want to linger
D7
Learn to do the hula
G7
Make some whoopie too
G7 C
Start the day, wear a lei
C
And a colored mu`umu`u
G7
Hear the crowd sing aloud,
G7
“Aloha nui to you!”
G7 F
For there’s no place on earth
F C A7
Where friends prove their worth
A7 D7 G7 C
More than Hilo, my home town
Oh, there’s no place on earth
Where friends prove their worth
More than Hilo, my home town!
Hilo March
Joseph Kapaeau Ae`a
C C C C
C C7 F C
`Ike hou ana i ka nani a`o Hilo
C F C D7 G7
I ka uluwehiwehi o ka lehua,
C C7
Lei ho`ohihi
C7 F C
Hi`i a ka malihini
C F A D7 G7 C
Mea `ole i ke kono a ke aloha
May Day is Lei Day in Hawai`i
Red Hawk, 1927
F Gm
Land of the flowers, of flow’ry bowers
C7 F
In her gay dress she appears
F D7 Dm G7
A sweet happy maid, may her dress never fade
G7 C7
As she carries this day thr’u’ the years
Land of green mountains, gardens and fountains
Beaches of white shining sand
Where each one I see has a smile just for me
And holds ready a welcoming hand
F C7
May Day is Lei Day in Hawai`i
C7 F
Garlands of flowers ev’rywhere
D7 G7
All of the colors of the rainbow
G7 C7
Maidens with blossoms in their hair
F C7
Flowers that mean we should be happy
C7 F
Throwing aside our load of care,
A7 D7 G7
Oh! May Day is Lei Day in Hawai`i
C7 F
Lei Day is Happy Day out there!
Hawai`i Aloha
Rev. Lorenzo Lyons
E Hawai`i e ku`u one hānau e
Ku`u home kulaīwi nei
‘Oli nō au i nā pono lani e
E Hawai`i, aloha ē
Hui:
E hau`oli nā ` ō pio o Hawai`i nei
`Oli ē! `Oli ē!
Mai nâ aheahe makani e pā mai nei
Mau ke aloha, no Hawai`i