We had a lot of fun, but now we've gotta run. Oh yes, the sun has set on our time today. And, of course, Hawaiian shirts and leis are a must! The beauty of the islands has inspired some of the most unique and flowing. It would be great to have some hula dancers with grass skirts. The ukulele, Hawaiian musics ultimate symbol, is synonymous with island aloha. You can have a lot of fun staging this song. Facts like this and a discussion on the Hawaiian words used make "Aloha, My Friend" an excellent tool for cross curricular teaching and learning about Hawaii and/or Hawaiian music. "Aloha 'Oe" was written by Queen Lili'uokalani in 1877 while on a horseback trip to the windward side of O'ahu. Be sure to point out to your students (or see if they notice) part of the well-known song "Aloha 'Oe" used in the accompaniment during the bridge (beginning with the pick-up to measure 14). We made the accompaniment for this song sound very Hawaiian, complete with slide and acoustic guitars, bass, and ukulele. Both sets use the Hawaiian word "mahalo" which means "thank you." The second set of lyrics is more general and can be used just about any time of year - for example to close a concert, or at the end of a class period. The first set (which can be heard on the recording for this issue) can be used for the end of a school year. Of course, it can also mean "hello" and "goodbye." For our setting, we're using "aloha" as a way to say "goodbye." To make this song more versatile, we're providing you with two sets of lyrics. It can be an expression of affection, love, peace, compassion, and mercy. This one centers around the familiar Hawaiian word "aloha." In the Hawaiian language, the word "aloha" has many meanings. 5), that we thought it would be fun to bring you another Hawaiian song. We had so much fun bringing you the song "Humuhumunukunukuapua'a" (Vol. There's nothing like the sound of Hawaiian music.