The Moloka'i native felt a special connection to the land — Helm coined the phrase aloha 'aina, which is Hawaiian for love of the land — and he joined the first group of activists to make an illegal landing on Kaho'olawe on Jan. 4, 1976.
The visit triggered an activist movement among Hawaiians and their supporters. They formed Protect Kaho'olawe Ohana and engaged in numerous other landings, which got some of them jailed.
Helm was a spiritual and charismatic man who was an influential part of the movement. He was moved by what he experienced on Kaho'olawe and believed that peaceful civil disobedience, which included civilian occupation, would lead to the island's return. Helm was a skilled activist, too, dealing with the media while planning future landings. He appealed to lawmakers in Honolulu and Washington.
Helm would never live to see the day the military stopped bombing the island. In early 1977, Helm and his cousin Kimo Mitchell disappeared during a visit to Kaho'olawe.
Emmett Aluli said the legacy of Helm, Mitchell and others linked to the Kaho'olawe Nine serves as an inspiration for younger generations.
Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani
George Helm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mo wo waju mi mo ri owo yin
Mo wo eyin wo mo ri ife yin
Won wa bere lo wo mi pe bawo ni mo se
se
Mo so fun won wipe eeeeee
(Emi na ko o olorun oba ma ni
Olo run oba ma ni
(Moni baba kan oo
Moni baba kan ooo
Baba ara to mo iyi omo) 6x
Oluwa ku ise
Ehhh ehhhh ehhhh
Ku isee…
Ehhh ehhhh ehhhh
Ku isee…
Oooooooooo
Oluwa ku ise oooo
Ehhh ehhhh ehhhh
Ku isee…
Oni ko bi o su bu mo ro bi oo (elo o se
ye)
Eterete ooo baba ku ise…(elelele jare bio)
(Oluwa ku ise
Iba mi ku ise) 2x
Ku ise 5x
Oni ko bi o su bu mo ro bi oo
Eterete ooo baba ku ise) 3x
Mo de wa so pe
Ni mo de wa so pe oo) 2x
O ni kan she lo ore ire bo…
Orun bi o ni…
Emi kan se lore iwo nbo…
Mo de ya so pe oooo ehhh.
Eyin bi olode o ba ku
Oju ide re kin ru ikoriko
Ko sa aseyin olubori
Ato fi arati bi oke
Ti emi
A le mi no emi
Ti mo fi goke odo afara tanja
Ara efi oju ire wo mi
Eniya efi owo anu kan mi
Emi na ko.
Eledumare ni
Olorun mi ahhh
Baba mi
Eledumare
Ogba gba ti gba alara ilara
Oba aa ji ki
Oba aa ji rii
Ehhh eyin
Ehhh beeee
Oni ko bi o su bu mo ro bi oo
Eterete ooo baba ku ise
Interlude
Oni kan wi o subu (maro guro ehhh)3x
Oooo…ooooooooooo
The lyrics of "Ku'u Pua I Paoakalani" by George Helm have a mix of English and Yoruba language, reflecting the Hawaiian and African heritage of the singer. The first stanza is in Yoruba, where Helm sings about seeing someone he loves and asking them what he has done wrong. He assures them that he is a child of God, as seen in the repeated phrase "Olorun oba ma ni." In the next part, he addresses his father, asking him to take care of him as his precious child. Helm then praises God for his work and proclaims his greatness. He asks why some people refuse to understand God's ways and seek material things instead.
In the second part, Helm sings about different aspects of his life and how he relies on God for guidance and support. He acknowledges that God is the ruler of his life and he is subject to his will. Helm also talks about the beauty and wonder of the world and how he is grateful for what God has given him. He ends the song by saying that he believes in God and will always praise his greatness.
Line by Line Meaning
Instrumental….
No lyrics
Mo wo waju mi mo ri owo yin
I raise my head and see your blessings
Mo wo eyin wo mo ri ife yin
I raise my eyes and see your love
Won wa bere lo wo mi pe bawo ni mo se
They came to ask me, 'how am I doing?'
se
No literal meaning, just a filler syllable
Mo so fun won wipe eeeeee
I told them, 'eeeeeeeee'
(Emi na ko o olorun oba ma ni
Olo run oba ma ni
Olorun oba ma ni) 2x
I keep saying, 'I am a child of God, the King of kings, the Lord of lords' 2x
(Moni baba kan oo
Moni baba kan ooo
Baba ara to mo iyi omo) 6x
I say, 'I have only one father, I have only one father, the father who knows the heart of a child' 6x
Oluwa ku ise
God, let your will be done
Ehhh ehhhh ehhhh
No literal meaning, just a filler sound
Ku isee…
Let your will be done
Oooooooooo
Oluwa ku ise oooo
No literal meaning, just a heartfelt cry to God to let His will be done
Oni ko bi o su bu mo ro bi oo (elo o se
ye)
Whether I'm prosperous or not (it doesn't matter)
Eterete ooo baba ku ise…(elelele jare bio)
Let your will be done, father (with all my heart)
(Oluwa ku ise
Iba mi ku ise) 2x
Let your will be done, my Lord, let your will be done 2x
Ku ise 5x
Let your will be done 5x
Oni ko bi o su bu mo ro bi oo
Eterete ooo baba ku ise) 3x
Whether I'm prosperous or not, let your will be done, father 3x
Mo de wa so pe
Ni mo de wa so pe oo) 2x
I say, 'I am doing well', yes, I am doing well 2x
O ni kan she lo ore ire bo…
Orun bi o ni…
Emi kan se lore iwo nbo…
Mo de ya so pe oooo ehhh.
He has prepared a place of goodness for me…In heaven…What do I have to fear from you?…I'll continue to say that I'm doing well
Eyin bi olode o ba ku
Oju ide re kin ru ikoriko
Ko sa aseyin olubori
Ato fi arati bi oke
Ti emi
A le mi no emi
Ti mo fi goke odo afara tanja
Ara efi oju ire wo mi
Eniya efi owo anu kan mi
Emi na ko.
Like a king who cannot die…Your eyes cannot see the future…You're not the provider of my fate…You're just temporarily wealthy…As for me, I can't be stopped…You can only make me poor for a moment…You can't steal my blessings…That's what I keep saying
Eledumare ni
Olorun mi ahhh
Baba mi
Eledumare
Ogba gba ti gba alara ilara
Oba aa ji ki
Oba aa ji rii
God is my creator…My Lord…My Father…God almighty…He formed the universe and everything in it…He never fails…He never disappears
Ehhh eyin
Ehhh beeee
Oni ko bi o su bu mo ro bi oo
Eterete ooo baba ku ise
No literal meaning, just a joyful chant of 'ehhh eyin, ehhh beeee' before continuing to ask God for His will to be done
Oni kan wi o subu (maro guro ehhh)3x
Someone who pretends to be rich (but isn't really)…(Maro guro ehhh)3x (no meaning, just a nonsensical phrase)
Oooo…ooooooooooo
No literal meaning, just a drawn-out sound
Contributed by Jason W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.