(1) Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, known generally as Felix Mendelssohn (1809–1847) was a German composer, pianist, organist, and conductor of the early Romantic period.
Mendelssohn was born on 3rd February 1809 in Hamburg, Germany into a notable Jewish family (his grandfather was the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn). He was a child prodigy, though his family were careful not to allow this to distort his upbringing, and only approved of his following a musical career when it was clear that he was serious about music.
Early success in Germany was followed by travel throughout Europe; Mendelssohn was particularly well received in Britain as a composer, conductor and soloist, and his ten visits there (during which many of his major works were premiered) form an important part of his adult career. His essentially conservative musical tastes however set him apart from many of his more adventurous musical contemporaries such as Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, and Hector Berlioz. The Conservatory he founded at Leipzig became a bastion of this anti-radical outlook.
Mendelssohn’s work includes symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano works, and chamber music. He also had an important role in the revival of interest in the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. After a long period of relative denigration due to changing musical tastes and antisemitism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, his creative originality has again been recognised, and re-evaluated. He is now among the most popular composers of the Romantic era. He died on 4th November 1847 in Leipzig.
(2) The other Felix Mendelssohn was a popular British crooner of the 1930s and 1940s. He became fascinated with Hawaiian music and became best known performing as Felix Mendelssohn & His Hawaiian Serenaders. See the Wikipedia article about this band and their Last.fm artist profile.
My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua
Felix Mendelssohn Lyrics
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I want to be with all the kanes and wahines that I knew long ago
I can hear old guitars a playing, on the beach at Hoonaunau
I can hear the Hawaiians saying "Komomai no kaua ika hale welakahao"
It won't be long 'til my ship will be sailing back to Kona
A grand old place that's always fair to see
I'm just a little Hawaiian and a homeside Island boy
I want to go back to my fish and poi
Where the Humuhumu, Nukunuku a puaa goes swimming by
Where the Humuhumu, Nukunuku a puaa goes swimming by
I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii
I want to be with all the kanes and wahines that I knew long ago
I can hear old guitars a playing, on the beach at Hoonaunau
I can hear the Hawaiians saying "Komomai no kaua ika hale welakahao"
It won't be long 'til my ship will be sailing back to Kona
A grand old place that's always fair to see
I'm just a little Hawaiian and a homeside Island boy
I want to go back to my fish and poi
I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii
Where the Humuhumu, Nukunuku a puaa goes swimming by
The lyrics of Felix Mendelssohn's song My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii speak of a homesick Hawaiian longing to go back to his island and to his childhood memories. He yearns to be with the "kanes and wahines" he knew long ago and to hear the old guitars playing on the beach at Hoonaunau. He can envision himself sitting in his little grass shack by the sea, surrounded by the beauty of the island and the sound of the ocean, while the Humuhumu, Nukunuku a puaa fish swim by.
The song beautifully captures the essence of Hawaiian culture, where music and dance play an integral role in life, and where the island's natural beauty is cherished and revered. It also reflects the sense of belonging and love for one's homeland that is so common among people everywhere. It speaks of the longing to return home, to the familiar, and to a place where one feels a deep connection. The song paints a picture of a Hawaiian paradise, where life is simple, and where one can find peace and contentment amidst the natural beauty of the island.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii
I yearn to return to my small, traditional Hawaiian home made of grass in Kealakekua, located in Hawaii.
I want to be with all the kanes and wahines that I knew long ago
I desire to be reunited with the men and women I used to know and spend time with.
I can hear old guitars a playing, on the beach at Hoonaunau
I am able to listen to the sound of old guitars being played, situated on the Hoonaunau beach.
I can hear the Hawaiians saying 'Komomai no kaua ika hale welakahao'
I can hear the Hawaiians greeting us with 'Welcome to our home in the grass shack.'
It won't be long 'til my ship will be sailing back to Kona
Soon enough, my ship will set sail and take me back to Kona.
A grand old place that's always fair to see
Kona is a wonderful and pleasant place to always go back to.
I'm just a little Hawaiian and a homeside Island boy
I am just a small Native Hawaiian and have always lived on the island.
I want to go back to my fish and poi
I wish to return to consuming the traditional Hawaiian dish of fish and poi.
Where the Humuhumu, Nukunuku a puaa goes swimming by
In my little grass shack in Kealakekua, I get to see the state fish of Hawaii, the Humuhumu, Nukunuku a puaa, swimming by.
Where the Humuhumu, Nukunuku a puaa goes swimming by
In my little grass shack in Kealakekua, I get to see the state fish of Hawaii, the Humuhumu, Nukunuku a puaa, swimming by.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILL COGSWELL, JOHNNY NOBLE, TOMMY HARRISON, WILLIAM COGSWELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind