Jan Berry and Brian Wilson collaborated on roughly a dozen hits and album cuts for Jan & Dean, including the number one national hit, "Surf City" (1963). Subsequent Top-10 hits for Jan & Dean included "Honolulu Lulu," "Drag City," "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena," and "Dead Man's Curve" -- which became eerily portentous when Berry received severe head injuries in an automobile accident just a short distance from Dead Man's Curve in April 1966.
This accident marked the end of their commercial peak, during which they'd scored an impressive total of 26 chart hits over eight years. The group finally stopped performing after Jan Berry died in March 2004.
Hawaii
Jan & Dean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hawaii
Is where I'm goin' from L.A.
Hawaii
Is the place I'd rather stay
The summer's vacation to the sea
I'll hop a plane that will fly just for me
Hawaii's got two or three of my good years
Hawaii
Is where I left my girlfriend
Hawaii
I'll find her at South Bend
Together the island we will see
Riding 'round on our new motorcycle
Hawaii's got two or three of my good years
I'll grab my surfboard, make it to the sand
Take the waves, no matter how I land
Following wherever they will lead me
Radios blarin', people do love how
KPOI's always playin' music now
Rock 'n Roll blastin' all around me
Hawaii
I'm headin' back to find my life
Hawaii
On our isle of paradise
In evening the sun will set
And we will sleep, then release, and we'll find peace
Hawaii's got two or three of my good years
The song “Hawaii” by Jan & Dean talks about Hawaii being a paradise and a place where people would rather stay. They mention that they are heading there from L.A. for summer vacation and that they left their girlfriend there but will find her soon enough. The song also mentions that they will be exploring the island on their new motorcycle and enjoying the waves with a surfboard. The chorus of the song, “Hawaii's got two or three of my good years” implies that the singers are planning to stay in Hawaii for a few years and make the most out of their time there.
The lyrics suggest that the island of Hawaii is a place of escape from the daily monotony of life where one can find peace and enjoy life. The mention of the sun setting and finding peace suggests that the island has a calming effect on the mind and soul. Moreover, the mention of the radio station “KPOI” playing music signifies that music is a significant part of the Hawaiian culture and is enjoyed by the people there.
Overall, the song is an ode to the beauty and peace that Hawaii offers to its visitors, making it a perfect destination for a much-needed break.
Line by Line Meaning
Hawaii's got two or three of my good years
Hawaii holds some of the best years of my life
Hawaii Is where I'm goin' from L.A.
I'm leaving L.A. to go to Hawaii
Hawaii Is the place I'd rather stay
I'd rather stay in Hawaii than any other place
The summer's vacation to the sea
I'm going on a summer vacation to the ocean
I'll hop a plane that will fly just for me
I'll take a plane to Hawaii specifically for myself
Hawaii Is where I left my girlfriend
I left my girlfriend in Hawaii
Hawaii I'll find her at South Bend
I'll find her in South Bend on the island of Hawaii
Together the island we will see
We will explore the island together
Riding 'round on our new motorcycle
We will ride around on our new motorcycle
I'll grab my surfboard, make it to the sand
I'll take my surfboard and ride the waves at the beach
Take the waves, no matter how I land
I'll ride the waves regardless of how I end up
Following wherever they will lead me
I'll go wherever the waves take me
Radios blarin', people do love how
The radios are blasting and people love it
KPOI's always playin' music now
KPOI radio station always plays music now
Rock 'n Roll blastin' all around me
Rock 'n Roll music is blasting all around me
Hawaii I'm headin' back to find my life
I'm going back to Hawaii to find my life
Hawaii On our isle of paradise
We're on the beautiful island paradise of Hawaii
In evening the sun will set
In the evening, the sun will set
And we will sleep, then release, and we'll find peace
We'll sleep and find peace afterwards
Contributed by Harper N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
galoon
I think the instrumental track was laid down before Jan's accident. But the vocals were done by John and Tom Bahler and other studio musicians afterwards. This was the first time Jan went into the studio--about a year or so after his accident. He produced the song along with Roger Farris and Roger Christian.
Sharon Ramone
Always love hearing this
tommy dercole
WOW this was all after the car wreck ... any time frame like may be late 66 or 67 .. this is amazing stuff
vj498
According to the CD booklet, the backing track was recorded April 19, 1967, just barely a year after Jan's accident.
David Keeler
just found this 45 rpm on jan and dean records,,,, very rare record,,,,
Tom Darling
High quality
tommy dercole
Now this is Old school Jan & Dean like 1962 stuff .. they made this after the Crash ???