1) Donald Ho Tai Loy (in … Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) Donald Ho Tai Loy (in Chinese characters, 何大來), born August 13, 1930 (died April 14, 2007) is a Hawaiian musician and entertainer. Ho, of mixed Chinese, Hawaiian, Portuguese, Dutch and German descent, was born in the small Honolulu neighborhood of Kaka'ako but he grew up in Kāne'ohe on the windward side of the island of O'ahu. 1954, Ho entered the United States Air Force and spent time flying fighter jets in both Texas and Hawaii. Ho left the Air Force in 1960 due to his mother's illness. In 1962, Ho moved from Kāne'ohe to Waikīkī in Honolulu and played at a night club called Duke's, where he caught the attention of record company officials.
Ho released his debut album, Don Ho Show, in 1965 and began to play high profile locations in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe, and New York City. In 1966, he released his second album, a live compilation called Don Ho — Again!, which charted in the early part of that year. In the fall of 1966, Ho released his most famous song, "Tiny Bubbles", which charted on both the pop and easy listening charts and caused the subsequent Tiny Bubbles LP to remain in the album Top 20 for almost a year. Guest appearances on television shows such as The Brady Bunch soon followed. Although his album sales peaked in the late 1960s, he was able to land a television spot on ABC from October 1976 to March 1977 with the Don Ho Show variety program.
Don Ho continued to be a popular concert tour draw until his death. Until the end, he continued to perform regularly at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel and could also be seen at the restaurant/night club that borrowed his name (Don Ho's Island Grill) in downtown Honolulu near Aloha Tower.
2) Don Ho is a Vietnamese American singer. Don's first video was Thuy Nga Videos in 1990's Paris By Night 12 as a backup singer. But for Paris By Night 15, Don became an official singer. Then, after Paris by Night 73: The Best of Duets, Don quit Thuy Nga and worked with Asia Entertainment, Tinh Productions, and Don Ho Productions. Last time his face was in Thuy Nga was on a commercial for his first CD (Con Nghe Tieng Goi) for the Don Ho Productions. Don Ho has made history as the longest performing Thuy Nga Singer.
One of his most famous songs is 'Trai Tim Mua Dong' by Truc Ho.He now lives in Santa Monica, California and is currently working on Don Ho Productions CD number 3.The CD is called Love 2: Mai Di Tim. Don Ho also holds a record with Thuy Nga with the most CDs produced. Don is rumored to have joined Van Son in late 2007.
Waimanalo Blues
Don Ho Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Down on the road again
Starting where the mountains Ieft me
I'm up where I began
Where I will go the wind only knows
Good times around the bend
Get in my car, goin' too far
Tired and worn I woke up this mornin'
Found that I was confused
Spun right around and found I had lost
The things that I couldn't lose
CHORUS:
The beaches they sell to build their hotels
My fathers and I once knew
Birds all along sunlight at dawn
Singing Waimanalo blues
Down on the road with mountains so old
Far on the country side
Birds on the wing forget in a while
So I'm headed for the windward side
AU of your dreams
Sometimes it just seems
That I'm just along for the ride
Some they will cry because they have pride
For someone who's loved here died
The beaches they sell to build their hotels
My fathers and I once knew
Birds all along sunlight at dawn
Singing Waimanalo blues
In "Waimanalo Blues," Don Ho sets the scene for the listener's journey down the road while exploring a deeper meaning of loss and change. The lyrics are reflective of the nature of life, how things change, and how we must be willing to accept those changes as Inevitable. The first verse describes the singer's solution for dealing with change, which is to go on a journey. He's going away because he knows that the wind is going to blow, and he doesn't want to stay in the same place. The lyrics imply that the singer has been in this position before, having started where the mountains left him, and continues to circle back to where he began.
The chorus is an expression of nostalgia for a time when things were different, and the environment was less commercialized. It highlights how the beaches were once a significant part of the singer's life and heritage, and now they're being sold off to build hotels. The contrast between the natural beauty of the environment with the current commercialization and an influx in tourists is represented in the lyrics, with the sunrise and birds as a symbol of beauty.
Overall the song's lyrical message is to accept that life sometimes does not go the way you plan, as sometimes circumstances can change unexpectedly, and we must learn to adjust and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Wind's gonna blow so I'm gonna go
I feel a restless urge to move on and see what life has in store for me.
Down on the road again
I hit the road and set off on another journey, unsure of what lies ahead.
Starting where the mountains Ieft me
I begin my journey from the same place where I ended my last adventure.
I'm up where I began
I'm back to where I started, but it feels different this time around.
Where I will go the wind only knows
I don't know where my travels will take me, but I trust that the universe has a plan.
Good times around the bend
I'm optimistic that the future holds good luck and positive experiences for me.
Get in my car, goin' too far
I'm leaving everything behind and embarking on a journey with no fixed destination in mind.
Never comin' back again
I'm not sure if I'll ever return to the place I'm leaving, but for now, I'm okay with that uncertainty.
Tired and worn I woke up this mornin'
I woke up feeling depleted and a little hopeless.
Found that I was confused
I'm grappling with a lot of complicated thoughts and emotions that I don't quite understand yet.
Spun right around and found I had lost
Unexpectedly, I realized that I'm missing something that I thought I'd always have or that I took for granted.
The things that I couldn't lose
I didn't realize how much certain things meant to me until I realized they were gone.
The beaches they sell to build their hotels
The natural beauty of my home is being exploited and destroyed for tourism and commercialism purposes.
My fathers and I once knew
The land and environment that once belonged to my ancestors is no longer recognizable due to the rampant development and progress in the area.
Birds all along sunlight at dawn
Amidst all the chaos and destruction, the birds and other creatures of nature still carry on with their daily routines, creating a sense of peace and continuity.
Singing Waimanalo blues
The birds are the only ones who can express the sadness and nostalgia that come with remembering what Waimanalo used to be like and how it's changed.
Down on the road with mountains so old
The natural landscapes that have existed for centuries provide a sense of permanence and stability amidst all the changes in the area.
Far on the country side
The rural and undeveloped areas outside of the city offer a sense of escape and refuge from the chaos and destruction of the urban center.
Birds on the wing forget in a while
For the birds, as with all creatures of nature, the changes in Waimanalo may be a temporary inconvenience that will eventually pass.
So I'm headed for the windward side
I'm looking for a new direction and a new perspective, and I'm hoping that I can find what I'm looking for on the windward side of the island.
AU of your dreams
I'm searching for a place that exists only in my imagination, a place where I can find happiness and fulfillment.
Sometimes it just seems
I struggle with feelings of confusion and doubt, and I'm not always sure if I'm on the right path.
That I'm just along for the ride
I'm learning to accept that there are some things in life that are beyond my control, and that sometimes it's best to just go with the flow.
Some they will cry because they have pride
Many people in Waimanalo are upset about the destruction of their home, but they're also proud of their heritage and their connection to the land.
For someone who's loved here died
The changes in Waimanalo are about more than just the destruction of nature and the environment - they're also about losing a sense of community and connection to the past.
Contributed by Violet P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Moe
on Papa's Memento
Just to say ALOHA AND MALEO