Published 1926 as "Ke Kali Nei Au" ("Waiting Here for You") Writer(s) Charles E. KingAl Hoffman (English lyrics) 1958Dick Manning (English lyrics) 1958 |
"Hawaiian Wedding Song" is a 1926 love song written by Charles E. King for his operetta, Prince of Hawaii. It was originally entitled "Ke Kali Nei Au" - Hawaiian for "Waiting Here for You". In 1958, Al Hoffman and Dick Manning translated the original Hawaiian words into English, christening the song as the "Hawaiian Wedding Song".
The biggest hit version of the song in the United States, recorded by Andy Williams and released as a single in 1959, went to #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #27 on the R&B chart. On the UK Singles Chart, the biggest hit version was Julie Rogers' 1965 single, which went to #31. Elvis Presley sang another version of the song in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii. In 1964, Hong Kong female singer Kong Ling covered the song on her LP album This World We Live In with Diamond Records (now under UMG).