POI, MY BOY, WILL MAKE A MAN OF YOU
Contributor David H. writes: "The verse to this song is from a old (1888) hapa haole song called "Eating of
The Poi." Apparently, Harry Owens added the chorus of "Poi My Boy" to this song and renamed it.
Theresa Bright recorded the original song on her album Gallery."
© 1940
Lyrics & Music:
See "The Eating of the Poi" for the full source and credits of this song.
Oh dear! Oh dear! A very queer
And curious thing I've seen,
Which takes the shine completely off,
The wearing of the green;
Potatoes constitute a dish
That Irishmen enjoy,
But it can't hold a candle to
The eating of the poi.
I met a fat kanaka, and he
Asked me to his hale,
He wore no clothes to speak of,
But a pa'u and papale,
Upon a mat cross-legged we sat,
And there, and then, my boy
I was initiated in
The eating of the poi.
A calabash between us stood,
Tutui in a dish
And in another one, some
Animated shrimps, and fish;
We pitched in, and did
No cutlery employ,
The finger is the instrument
For the eating of the poi.
You dip it in, and stir it round,
'Tis difficult to learn,
And harder to describe the
Proper scientific term,
Sometimes one finger, sometimes two,
And sometimes three employ.
According to your appetite
When eating of the poi.
To unaccustomed life, it has
A most peculiar taste,
But when you've clean'd the calabash,
You want to hiamoi,
And soon get fat as butter, just
From eating of the poi.
Sheet Music:
Recordings:
CD:
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