My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii
Encyclopedia
My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii was a popular song
written for the July 4th canoe races in Kona
in 1933. Tommy Harrison gave the song to Johnny Noble
to publish, who revised the music to give it a new melody without changing Bill Cogswell's words. Once published, the song became a major hit, and has since been recorded many times. Noble turned over the royalties to the Sherman Clay in San Francisco for $500.00 advance royalty, giving the credit to Cogswell and Harrison.
The title refers to Kealakekua Bay
where Captain James Cook was killed in 1779. The song mentions Hōnaunau
, site of Puuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
, also located in the Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii
. The lyrics also refer to the Reef triggerfish
by its name in the Hawaiian Language
, the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.
A recording by Leon Redbone
& Ringo Starr
featured in the film "50 First Dates
" (2004).
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
written for the July 4th canoe races in Kona
Kona District, Hawaii
Kona is the name of a moku or district on the Big Island of Hawaii in the State of Hawaii. In the current system of administration of Hawaii County, the moku of Kona is divided into North Kona District and South Kona District . The term "Kona" is sometimes used to refer to its largest town,...
in 1933. Tommy Harrison gave the song to Johnny Noble
Johnny Noble
-Further reading:...
to publish, who revised the music to give it a new melody without changing Bill Cogswell's words. Once published, the song became a major hit, and has since been recorded many times. Noble turned over the royalties to the Sherman Clay in San Francisco for $500.00 advance royalty, giving the credit to Cogswell and Harrison.
The title refers to Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay is located on the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii about south of Kailua-Kona.Settled over a thousand years ago, the surrounding area contains many archeological and historical sites such as religious temples, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings on...
where Captain James Cook was killed in 1779. The song mentions Hōnaunau
Honaunau, Hawaii
Hōnaunau is an unincorporated community on the island of Hawaii in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It lies just off Hawaii Route 11 on the opposite side of the island from Hilo, the county seat of Hawaii County. Its elevation is 52 feet...
, site of Puuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park
Puuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located on the west coast of the island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The historical park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a kapu could avoid certain...
, also located in the Kona District on the Big Island of Hawaii
Hawaii (island)
The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
. The lyrics also refer to the Reef triggerfish
Reef triggerfish
The reef, rectangular, or wedge-tail triggerfish, also known by its Hawaiian name, humuhumunukunukuāpuaa , also spelled Humuhumunukunukuapua'a or just humuhumu for short; meaning "triggerfish with a snout like a pig"), is one of several species of triggerfish...
by its name in the Hawaiian Language
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
, the Humuhumunukunukuapuaa.
A recording by Leon Redbone
Leon Redbone
Leon Redbone is a singer and guitarist specializing in interpretations of early 20th-century music, including jazz and blues standards and Tin Pan Alley classics....
& Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr
Richard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
featured in the film "50 First Dates
50 First Dates
50 First Dates is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by George Wing. The film stars Adam Sandler as a woman-chasing veterinarian and Drew Barrymore as an amnesiac, along with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, and Dan Aykroyd.Most of the film...
" (2004).