Pili Me ʻOe (Right There With You) - Words & music by Charles King

A he uʻi ʻoe i kaʻu ike lā
A he uʻi hoʻohihi naʻu lā
Pali e ke kua mahina e ke alo lā
Noho ia e ke onaona lā
Hoʻāhiuhiu ʻoe iāʻu lā
Mea ʻole i ka ʻiʻini loko lā
No Huʻehuʻe nei keiki lā
Ke kaula ʻili liloʻoe

Hui:
Kani e ka pio hiu a wela
Kau a ka i hona pali
Kani e ka pio hiu a wela
Kau a ka i hona pali
Auwē hehene lā (He! He!)
Auwē hehene lā (He! He!)
Auwē hehene lā (He! He!)
Auwē hehene lā (He! He!)

I ke ʻoe i ka nani o Huʻehuʻe lā
Kau mai luna me ka haʻaheo lā
Huli ou mau maka me ka hoʻohihi lā
Noho ʻoe i ka olu lau kukui lā
Pā kolonahe ka makani ʻEka lā
Hoʻoheno ana me he ipo lā
A o ʻoe e ka ipo kohu ka nohona lā
A oia uka ʻiuʻiu

Hui:
Pili me ʻoe hehu la ia
O ka puana ia
Pili me ʻoe hehu la ia
O ka puana ia
Auwē hehene lā (He! He!)
Auwē hehene lā (He! He!)
Auwē hehene lā (He! He!)
Auwē hehene lā (He! He!)

You are beautiful to my sight
A beauty I've taken a fancy to
Back straight as a cliff, face bright as the moon
A person ever sweet
You are always avoiding me
In spite of my love for you
This lad is from Huʻehuʻe
With a lasso that will draw you to me

Chorus:
With a gay whistle, away I go
Riding downhill
With a gay whistle, away I go
Riding downhill
For you are the answer (Whee ha!)
For you are the answer (Whee ha!)
For you are the answer (Whee ha!)
For you are the answer (Whee ha!)

You are the beauty of Huʻehuʻe
Up high with pride
Yours eyes look at it and take a fancy to it
They rest on the cool grove
The cool breeeze, the ʻEka, blows
It seems to woo one as a lover
You are the sweetheart that will make life pleasant
In that distant upland

Chorus:
Close beside you, what care I
For you are what I want
Close beside you, what care I
For you are what I want
For you are the answer (Whee ha!)
For you are the answer (Whee ha!)
For you are the answer (Whee ha!)
For you are the answer (Whee ha!)


Source: King’s Songs of Hawai`i - A Hawaiian cowboy song, Huʻehuʻe is the Hind ranch on the Big island. Chorus: He! He! is spoken or shouted, not sung. Verse 2, stanza 5, ʻEka is the name of a Kona wind. Translation by Mary Pukui. © 1942, Charles E. King