THE COCKEYED MAYOR OF KAUNAKAKAI
© 1935
Lyrics & Music: R. Alex Anderson
Interpolated into the Columbia Pictures film Tahiti Nights and performed by Hilo
Hattie in the film Song of the Islands.
Sheet Music: Edward B. Marks Music Corp.
Recordings:
78: Hilo Hattie (Decca 194)
CD: Gary Aiko and the Legends, A Romantic Night in Hawaii
According to Hilo Hattie in her many shows and recordings, and George S. Kanahele in his Hawaiian Music and Musicians (Univ. Press of Hawaii, 1979), this song was composed by Anderson at the request of Paul Fagan of Molokai, for a party honoring Hollywood movie star Warner Baxter who, Hilo Hattie attests, was slightly cross-eyed. However, Kanahele quotes Anderson as saying "cockeyed" was simply euphonious when combined with "Kaunakakai." In Aunty Clara's shows, she usually introduced the song by saying someone in the audience had requested "the song about the cross-eyed governor."
He wore a malo and a coconut hat,
One was for this and the other for that.
All the people shouted as he went by.
He was the cockeyed mayor of Kaunakakai
He was just a lazy, malihini haole boy
But all the girls were crazy,
To share his fish and poi
He wore a lei and he wore a smile
He drank a gallon of oke to make life worthwhile
Then he made 'em laugh 'til he made 'em cry
He was the cockeyed mayor of Kaunakakai
The horse he rode was skinny,
A broken down old female,
So he placed a green panini
Right under that horse's tail.
Oh! Oh! He made her buck and he made her fly,
All over the island of Molokai.
You could hear the kanes and wahines cheer,
As they gave him a lei of kikanias.
Oh! Now you've heard my story
'Bout the mayor of Kaunakakai
In all his fame and glory
On the island of Molokai
He wore a malo and a coconut hat,
One was for this and the other for that.
All the people shouted as he went by.
He was the cockeyed mayor of Kaunakakai
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