(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.
Song of the Islands
Felix Mendelssohn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where skies of blue are calling me
Where balmy air and golden moonlight
Caress the waving palms of Wai KiKi
Valleys with their rainbows
Your mountains green, and deep blue sea
Your fragrant flowers and dreamy music
Islands of Hawaii
Where skies of blue are calling me
Where balmy air and golden moonlight
Caress the waving palms of Wai KiKi
Valleys with their rainbows
Your mountains green, and deep blue sea
Your fragrant flowers and dreamy music
Unite and sing a aloha-hi to me
The lyrics to Felix Mendelssohn's Song of the Islands capture the majestic beauty and allure of Hawaii. The opening lines "Islands of Hawaii, where skies of blue are calling me" sets the tone for the song, as the singer yearns for the paradise-like atmosphere of Hawaii. The lyrics describe the soothing tropical weather, the palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze, along with the enchanting moonlight caressing the Wai KiKi palms.
The second stanza takes a slightly different direction, as the singer highlights the lush green mountains, valleys with rainbows, deep blue sea, fragrant flowers, and dreamy music of Hawaii. All these beautiful features create an indescribable feeling of unity. The singer refers to it as "Aloha-hi," which is a Hawaiian greeting that means love, compassion, and mercy. In essence, the song celebrates the natural beauty of Hawaii and its ability to unify and bring people together through its awe-inspiring landscape and culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Islands of Hawaii
Referring to the beautiful and serene islands of Hawaii
Where skies of blue are calling me
Where the clear blue skies invite and beckon me to come and explore Hawaii's beauty
Where balmy air and golden moonlight
Where the warm and pleasant air and the golden moonlight add to the beauty and aura of Hawaii
Caress the waving palms of Wai KiKi
The gentle touch of the warm air and golden moonlight seems to soothe and caress the swaying palm trees of Wai KiKi
Valleys with their rainbows
The valleys with their colorful rainbows added to the natural beauty of Hawaii
Your mountains green, and deep blue sea
The islands' lush green mountains and deep blue sea are a feast to the eyes and an experience of a lifetime
Your fragrant flowers and dreamy music
Even the fragrance of the flowers and the dreamy sounds of the music in Hawaii are mesmerizing
Unite and sing a aloha-hi to me
All of these beautiful aspects of Hawaii come together to create a harmonious and peaceful aura, which greets and welcomes visitors to the islands with an aloha-hi
Islands of Hawaii
Referring to the beautiful and serene islands of Hawaii
Where skies of blue are calling me
Where the clear blue skies invite and beckon me to come and explore Hawaii's beauty
Where balmy air and golden moonlight
Where the warm and pleasant air and the golden moonlight add to the beauty and aura of Hawaii
Caress the waving palms of Wai KiKi
The gentle touch of the warm air and golden moonlight seems to soothe and caress the swaying palm trees of Wai KiKi
Lyrics © CARLIN AMERICA INC
Written by: CHARLES E KING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind