ʻAʻole Lā - Alice Nāmakelua


ʻAuhea wale ʻoe e kuʻu ipo lā
Mai hoʻokuʻemaka mai ʻoe iaʻu lā
Mai kuhi mai ʻoe a he ipo hou kaʻu
ʻAʻole ʻaʻole lā ʻaʻole ʻaʻole lā

ʻO ʻoe kaî hiu aku ma ʻo lā
Me ka ipo pua hapa aʻo Kina lā
Manaʻo mai ʻoe a he ipo hou kaʻu
ʻAʻole ʻaʻole lā ʻaʻole ʻaʻole lā

Hele ia a pau kou makemake lā
A lawa e ka ʻono aʻo ko puʻu
ʻAʻole no wau aʻe hopo ana lā
ʻAʻole ʻaʻole la ʻaʻole ʻaʻole lā

Haʻina kau hana hoʻohaehae lā
E ka ipo hoʻohenoheno
Hoʻi mai no ʻoe ʻaʻohe aʻu ipo
ʻAʻole ʻaʻole lā ʻaʻole ʻaʻole lā


You listen here, my sweetheart
Don’t you frown at me
Don't presume I have a new boyfriend
None, none at all, none, none at all

You went astray
With the half Chinese sweetheart
You don’t think I have a new boyfriend
None, none at all, none, none at all

Go, do what you want
Until you’ve had enough
I have no doubts
None, none at all, none, none at all

Confess your teasing
My cherished sweetheart
You come home, I have no boyfriend
None, none at all, none, none at all


Source: "Aunty Alice Nāmakelua’s Lifetime Hawaiian Compositions" - One day, the composer was at the Ala Wai Clubhouse with Mrs. Margaret Olsen. She asked Mrs. Olsen ”ke aʻo hula nei no anei ʻoe? Mrs. Olsen answered “ʻaʻole lā”. Immediately a song came to the composer's mind. It's about a jealous husband, flirting with a half Chinese girl (verse 2, stanza 2). The wife continually reassures her husband she has no boyfriend and has always been faithful. This song was composed July 18, 1958. Copyright 1973, Heinz Guenther Gerhard Pink