Fijian Girl
Rolf Harris Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Fijian Girl undulating by
How could you improve a suva mover
Fijian Girl sulu covered thigh
Moves against a velvet blue Fijian sky.
Fijian Girl show me what to do
Don't make this a trial and error island
Fijian Girl I could follow you
To the furthest atoll
If you tol' me to.
You see Fijian Girl frown,
You see the world all upside down,
The sky's grey,
miserable day
You see Fijian Girl smile,
You see the sun burst out
Kandavu birds fly
A million water falls high.

Fijian Girl how can this be real,
How can we be standin' hand in hand and
Fijian Girl tell me what you feel
Staring thru' the blossoms
Floating in the bay
The wilting frangi panni blossoms
drift away

You murmur Isalei, Isalei.

Fijian Girl,




Fijian Girl,
Fijian Girl

Overall Meaning

The song "Fijian Girl" by Rolf Harris is an homage to the beauty and allure of a Fijian woman. Harris is captivated by the Fijian girl's movements, which he describes as "undulating" against the "velvet blue Fijian sky." He is enamored with her confidence and wishes to learn from her, as well as accompany her "to the furthest atoll." The song also suggests a romantic connection between the two, as they stand "hand in hand" and the Fijian girl whispers the name "Isalei."


The lyrics convey a whimsical and carefree tone, capturing the essence of the tropical paradise that is Fiji. The Fijian girl is depicted as a symbol of the natural beauty and spirit of the islands. The song paints a picture of a world where grey skies turn to sunshine and millions of waterfalls cascade from the mountains. The title phrase of "Fijian Girl" is repeated three times at the end of the song, emphasizing the singer's infatuation and admiration for this woman.


Overall, "Fijian Girl" is a romantic and poetic ode to the beauty and wonder of Fiji, and the lasting impression it can make on those who visit it.


Line by Line Meaning

Fijian Girl undulating by
The Fijian girl is swaying her hips as she walks by


How could you improve a suva mover
It's impossible to improve on the way this girl walks - she's a natural


Fijian Girl sulu covered thigh
The girl's thigh is covered by a sulu, a traditional Fijian garment


Moves against a velvet blue Fijian sky.
The girl's movements are set against a beautiful sky the color of velvet


Fijian Girl show me what to do
The singer wants the girl to teach him how to move like her


Don't make this a trial and error island
The singer doesn't want to waste time figuring out how to move - he wants the girl to show him the way


Fijian Girl I could follow you
The singer is willing to follow the girl anywhere


To the furthest atoll If you tol' me to.
He would even go to the farthest atoll if she asked him to


You see Fijian Girl frown,
When the girl frowns, everything around the singer seems negative


You see the world all upside down,
Her frown makes him see the world in a negative way


The sky's grey, miserable day
Her frown makes the day seem gloomy


You see Fijian Girl smile,
When the girl smiles, everything around the singer seems positive


You see the sun burst out Kandavu birds fly A million water falls high.
Her smile makes everything around the singer seem beautiful and full of life


Fijian Girl how can this be real,
The singer can't believe he's standing there with this beautiful Fijian girl


How can we be standin' hand in hand and
He's amazed that they're holding hands


Fijian Girl tell me what you feel
He wants the girl to express her feelings


Staring thru' the blossoms
They're both looking out at the beautiful blossoms


Floating in the bay
They're floating in the bay, enjoying each other's company


The wilting frangi panni blossoms drift away
As they float, the wilting blossoms drift away, symbolizing a new beginning


You murmur Isalei, Isalei.
The girl softly whispers the name of a Fijian lover or friend, perhaps lost or far away


Fijian Girl, Fijian Girl, Fijian Girl
The singer repeats the girl’s name with affection




Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

Allan Visser


on Papillon

If you would like the lyrics for "Papillon" by Rolf Harris, Then here they are:

Papillon by Rolf Harris

I so well remember my first love,
Summer days and fields of gold,
Me and Papillon were only 5 summers old.
We went chasing after butterflies,
In a game we couldn’t win,
Til’ the darkness of the Autumn nights would begin,
Would begin.

Papillon, Papillon,
Soon the winter will be gone,
Papillon, Papillon,
Wait til’ summer comes along.

As we grew together hand in hand,
Never dreaming of goodbye,
Was I wrong to build my childish hopes up so high?,
I’ve recounted every single one,
But the solitary day,
When she said to me that we must go separate ways,
Separate ways.

Papillon, Papillon,
Soon the winter will be gone,
Papillon, Papillon,
Wait til’ summer comes along.
Papillon, Papillon,
All the memories will remain,
Papillon, Papillon,
Til I find you once again.

I’ve been married almost 3 years now,
And a little girl is born,
Was it foolishness to christen her Papillon?,
Come the summer we’ll chase butterflies,
Til’ September sees them gone,
I’ll relive again those happy days,
With my own Papillon.

Papillon, Papillon,
Soon the winter will be gone,
Papillon, Papillon,
Wait til’ summer comes along.
Papillon, Papillon,
I’ll be thinking even then,
Papillon, Papillon,
I must lose you once again.

Papillon, Papillon,
La la la...... (x4)

Fade out.

Arthur trevaskis


on Letter to Narelle

In the first line, delete caressing and insert kerosene.