Honolulu

(Michael Martin Murphey)

When I was three I went to Honolulu

Dad wore aloha shirts, Mom wore a mumu

The centipedes are all that I remember

I think I dropped my toy drum in the cinders

Down into the mouth of some volcano

Near Honolulu . . .

Grandaddy used to fight in the Pacific fleet

Grandmother used to say the air was warm and sweet

But at last we had to go back to the States

Back to the land of nat'ral gas and rattlesnakes

Grandaddy stayed and opened up a laundry

In Honolulu . . .

My Honolulu Grandad drove a Cadillac

He did card tricks then told us how the deck was stacked

He told us dirty jokes about the naval corps

And how one day the airplanes started up a war

And how he buried bodies in long trenches

In Honolulu

It used to be so nice

When he took us on his knee

And told us about that tropical paradise

It was alright . . .

Soemday I'm goin' back to Honolulu

I'll wear aloha shirts, she'll wear a mumu

Hawaii calls and who am I to stop it

I think I'll buy a new toy drum and drop it

Down into the mouth of some volcano

In Honolulu

Aloha Oy, Aloha Boys, Aloha Toys

Until we meet again.

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