It was 1997 and I was backing up Akoni at the old Hawaiian Regent Hotel in Waikiki. I was only 19 and had moved to the big city from Hilo. This pretty local girl would come in with her friends to watch us play music on a regular basis. I was interested, but too shy to talk to her. Time went by and I decided to write a song (this song) as the perfect icebreaker for me. I would wait for her to come, sing the song and then go tell her I had written it for her. Happily ever after, I thought.
I wrote the song and waited. And waited. I waited months until finally one of her friends came in. Excitedly, I asked if she would be coming that night, too?!
"Oh her," she said "she moved to the mainland...."
I was heartbroken. My hopes dashed, I put the song away. Years later, I dusted it off and intended to put it on a Japan CD release of my music. That, too, fell through and never happened.
In 2008, friends of mine in the group Holunape heard the song and asked to record it. They put it on their award winning AHEA? 'ANO! release making it a popular song for hula halau all over the world.
Seventeen years later, now 2014, I have decided to record the song in the spirit of love and include it on a Japan Holiday charity CD.
Here's a preview with the lyrics. Enjoy