Born and raised in Pleasant Grove, Utah, about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City, the King Sisters originally were part of the "Driggs Family of Entertainers". Their first professional job was with a Salt Lake City radio station, from which they graduated to a station in Oakland, California. In the early 1930s sisters Luise, Maxine and Alyce formed a vocal trio along the lines of their idols, the Boswell Sisters, and traveled to San Francisco to audition for radio station KGO (to replace the Boswell Sisters themselves, who were leaving the station)." After this, Maxine retired to home life in Oakland and sisters Donna and Yvonne were added to the roster.
In 1935, the King Sisters accepted a job with bandleader Horace Heidt. Gradually, relations between the King Sisters and Heidt deteriorated to the point where they left the band. In the following years, they separately and together sang with the bands of Artie Shaw's Old Gold program and Charlie Barnet and Al Pearce series. They turned down a request to be the vocal group for the Glenn Miller Orchestra. They recorded for Bluebird Records, a sub-label of RCA Victor Records and the same label as Miller, and also had their first hit with a vocal version of Miller's hit, "In The Mood".
In 1937, Luise married guitarist Alvino Rey. At the peak of the sisters' success, they appeared in a number of 1940's Hollywood films. During World War II, they appeared regularly on Kay Kyser's radio series. In 1965, they began hosting their own ABC television-network series, The King Family Show, which featured family members including Alyce's husband, actor Robert Clarke, and her sons, Ric and Lex de Azevedo, and Cam Clarke, as well as other talent. The show ran from 1965-1966, with a 1969 revival.
A second generation of the King Family, The Four King Cousins, continues to carry on the musical tradition.
My Little Grass Shack In Kealakekua Hawaii
The King Sisters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want to be with all the kanes and wahines that I knew long ago
I can hear guitars a-playing on the beach at Hoonaunau
I can hear Hawaiians saying:
"Komo mai no kāua i ka 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 want to go back to fish and poi
I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii
Where the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa goes swimming by
Where the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa goes swimming by
It won't be long ′til my ship will be sailing back to Kona
A grand old place that′s always fair to see
You're telling me
We′re just little Hawaiians and homesick girls
We want to go back and dive for pearls
I want to go back to my shack
To my little grass shack back in Hawaii
Where the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa goes swimming by
Swimming by
Where the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa goes swimming by
"My Little Grass Shack In Kealakekua Hawaii" is a classic Hawaiian song popularized in the 1930s by many artists, including The King Sisters. The song is nostalgic and expresses a longing to return to a simpler life in Hawaii. The lyrics describe a longing to return to Kealakekua, Hawaii, where the singer wants to be with all the friends and acquaintances they knew long ago. They can hear guitars playing on the beach and Hawaiians saying "Komo mai no kāua i ka hale welakahao," which means "let's enter the house of welcome together." The singer expresses a desire to return to fishing and eating poi, a traditional Hawaiian dish.
The song evokes a sense of homesickness and a longing for simpler times. The lyrics describe a time when life was more carefree and Hawaiian culture was more prevalent in day-to-day life. The song's imagery captures the beauty of Hawaii and its unique flora and fauna, including the Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, the state fish of Hawaii.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii
I desire to return to my small Hawaiian home in Kealakekua that is made of grass
I want to be with all the kanes and wahines that I knew long ago
I long to reunite with the men and women I knew in the past
I can hear guitars a-playing on the beach at Hoonaunau
I am able to hear the pleasant sound of guitars on the Hoonaunau beach
I can hear Hawaiians saying: 'Komo mai no k?ua i ka hale welakahao'
I can listen to the Hawaiians welcoming me to their welcoming house
It won?t be long 'til my ship will be sailing back to Kona
My ship will be returning to Kona shortly
A grand old place that?s always fair to see
A wonderful and fair place to witness
I'm just a little Hawaiian and a homesick island boy
I'm simply a young Hawaiian and nostalgic islander
I want to go back to fish and poi
I desire to return to catching fish and cooking poi
Where the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa goes swimming by
Where the colorful reef triggerfish swims by
You're telling me
You're informing or revealing something to me
We?re just little Hawaiians and homesick girls
We are small Hawaiian people and longing females
We want to go back and dive for pearls
We wish to return and search for precious pearls
I want to go back to my shack
I want to return to my humble abode
To my little grass shack back in Hawaii
To my small, grassy home in Hawaii
Where the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa goes swimming by
Where the beautiful reef triggerfish swims by
Swimming by
Passing through by swimming
Writer(s): Johnny Noble, Bill Cogswell, Tommy Harrison
Contributed by Jayce E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.