Posts Tagged ‘The Hawaiian Wedding Song’
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Pressing My Luck
0August 13, 2018 by admin
For the third day in a row, I went a-busking. It was another hot one, although slightly less humid. At the entrance to the park, a second blooming of stella d’oro has added yellow to the purple and pink palette behind the benches at 72nd St. The guitarist at the Imagine Mosaic sang “Imagine.”
Although Colin told me he’d only be another 15 minutes, I went directly to the shade of the maple, and stayed there. A few songs into my set, a tour guide leading about 25 people stopped near me. “I’ve got an Elvis group here from England, can you play ‘Blue Hawaii’ for them?”
“I don’t know that one, but how about the Hawaiian Wedding Song? That’s Elvis.” I struggled through the first 8 bars, then found the tune and rocked through to the end: G (I do love), A7 (you with), D7 (all my), G (heart). The guide looked pleased; he flashed a thumbs-up and a conspiratorial grin as a few people tossed me dollars. When he turned and started to lead the group away, a few more dollars flowed my way.
A photographer from Paris gave me a buck for picture. Soon after another group from France came by. We tried to get a hula going. The leader hurried everyone along, but not before another $3 was added to the pile of singles in my case.
A 20-something couple passed by, each adding another dollar. At the end of my set I pocketed $12.25, my best day of the week
Category Uncategorized | Tags: Imagine, The Hawaiian Wedding Song
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A Hot, Humid Thursday
0August 20, 2017 by admin
It sat down at the fountain, under a blazing summer sun. While I set up, a young man asked me if I’d seen the other guy who plays at Bethesda Fountain. I described the cowboy, without calling him that; the young man said that was him. “He’s usually done by 12:30, then I take over.”
The young man sat down next to me. I tuned up while we chatted. He was a singer and was thinking of busking. “Do you use an amp and recorded accompaniment?” He said no. I suggested he check out the underpass between the boathouse and the conservatory pond, where people sailed model boats. “The acoustics are really good.” That seemed to have sold him. He ambled eastward; I stood and played “Making Love Ukulele Style.”
And I played for 30 minutes before a family of 6 walked by. A pudgy little boy of 8 or 9 slowed, stopped, dug a quarter out of his pocket and gave it to me.
A bride and groom came by. I immediately stopped playing “Did You Ever See a Dream Walking,” and started “The Hawaiian Wedding Song.” This is my practice for every wedding party. They took pictures at the fountain near me, after which I asked if they had time for a hula. Unlike all brides and grooms before them, they said yes.
A crowd gathered to watch the happy couple dance to “The Hukilau Song.” Some of them put money in my case, as I later saw; my attention was on the dance, which evolved from a stiff, unconvincing hula to an unrestrained series of spins and dips, ending with a long smooch on the lips. The bride, who carried no money, asked if I’d be there for a while. I told her another 30-40 minutes. They returned the leis and headed toward the boathouse. They didn’t come back.
A man, passing by, dropped a buck.
On the lawn that rises to the east, a large group of kids in white tees had been picnicking. Lunch over, they walked down to the fountain 4 or 5 at a time. A kid came forward and threw a coin into my case, then ran back to where his travel mates were assembling. I expected to find another quarter, but it was a 2 Euro piece, which I replace with 2 singles from my wallet.
A photographer captured the second verse of “Honolulu Baby,” lyrics by Mr. Ukulele:
While down at Bethesda Fountain, underneath a hot summer sky,
I play my ukulele for all the people walking by.
The lovers feel the rhythm, the little babies clap their hands.
The vendors do the hula beside their hot dog stands.
For which I got a thumbs-up and a dollar.
I’d played for 90 minutes. With 7 singles and a quarter in my pocket, I quickly got out of the sun.
Category Uncategorized | Tags: Did You Ever See a Dream Walking, Making Love Ukulele Style, The Hawaiian Wedding Song, The Hukilau Song
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Delightful Day in May
0May 17, 2017 by admin
“Where’s your ukulele?” asked the woman, making a strumming action, as we passed on the path.
I pointed to the case strapped on my back. She gave me a thumbs-up.
The day was perfect at Bethesda Fountain. John Boyd and his crew sang in the arcade. The big bubble man spun his creations in the center of the terrace. I set up at the fountain, where a bride and groom were posing. I opened with “The Hawaiian Wedding Song.”
A nice young woman gave me my first dollar. She would not hula. From the far side of the fountain, a pudgy kid of 8 or 9 came running. Arms flailing and out of breath, he tossed 30 cents in the case. He had no time to hula; he took a deep breath and raced back around the fountain. A young woman walking with her mother stopped to give me a dollar, but not to dance.
A couple with 2 young girls sat down near me. The elder girl, 4 or 5 years old, explored the stuff in my case. “Would you like to hula?”
“No.”
The younger, barely walking, showed no such reticence. With her father’s help, I put a baby lei — fashioned from broken adult leis — around her neck. I again invited her sister, but she just said, “No.”
The toddler floundered through the intro to “The Hukilau Song,” so I invited mom to help her out. Mom would not take a lei, but she nevertheless took the toddler’s hand and together they managed a cute little hula. Big sister was playing with the hula girl toys, her back turned on the action. Dad gave me a buck.
Two 30-something women sat near me while an older woman took a picture. “You,” she called, “get in photo.”
I grabbed 2 leis and slipped them around 2 necks. “Sing,” she commanded. I sang.
They were from Macedonia. The photographer, who may have been mother, aunt or older sister, handed me 2 singles.
I ended with “Little Grass Shack,” to the delight of a man walking past, who stopped to hula for a second, then walked on.
Category Uncategorized | Tags: Little Grass Shack, The Hawaiian Wedding Song, The Hukilau Song
