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Kai Mana

from Coconut Culture by Allan Thomas

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about

I’d been talking to Shipley - the producer of 'Coconut Culture' - about writing a song about my love of surfing, and since he was a budding surfer himself, he immediately started throwing out some ideas for it. This song became our collaboration.

The groove I had was up-tempo in open G or Taro Patch tuning, real Hawaiian sounding, although this tuning can also be pure rock and roll – as demonstrated by Keith Richards playing on many a song.

Mike suggested the lyrics be a double entendre: having two meanings. This was a good idea as the Hawaiians, especially in the old days, often wrote songs with hidden meanings. I called the song ‘Kai Mana’ which loosely interpreted means the power of the waves. Kaimana can also be a woman’s name, so the song was about loving a woman named Kaimana, but at the end of the tune you find out that the singer is also talking about the waves as well. We double tracked my Collings acoustic on this song and I thought it sounded phenomenal.

Shipley and I thought it would be nice to have a phrase or two sung in Hawaiian, and my buddy Jonny Wichman’s brother Chipper - who is very knowledgeable regarding the Hawaiian language - came up with something that really sang nicely and meant exactly what I was trying to say; make make oi e pu me ou.

lyrics

Kai Mana - words & music Allan Thomas & Mike Shipley

I see your face
when I close my eyes
make make oi
e pu me au
my heart starts pounding
when you come near

kai mana
I hear you callin'
callin' out my name
kai mana I long to be with you
long to be with you again

I work three jobs
to make ends meet
when pau hana comes
you know where I'll be
make make oi
e pu me au

chorus

I have searched the whole world over
looking for you
but you were right here in front of me
callin' out to me
callin' my name

just like a river
drawn back to the sea
there's an undeniable attraction
moving between me you and me
make make oi
e pu me au

chorus

kai mana
I know your callin' me
callin' out my name
kai mana I long to be with you
just one more wave
I need one more wave
after one more wave

© 1997 Black Bamboo Music - BMI
Mushroom Music - BMI

credits

from Coconut Culture, track released February 10, 1997
Allan Thomas - vocals, acoustic guitar
Ken Emerson - Hawaiian lap steel
Dave Inamine - fretless bass
Michael Ruff - Hammond organ, backing vocals
Mike Shipley - drums & percussion

Wave art - Steven Valiere

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Allan Thomas Hanalei, Hawaii

Aloha and welcome to my Bandcamp Music Store home page. Here you can listen to full-length samples of all seven Allan Thomas albums and three singles. Also to be found are credits, photos, stories and lyrics for all songs. Dig in...

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