# Dirty Dancing's Holy Grail: The origin of the lyrics. . . **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 30, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-dancings-holy-grail-the-origin-of-the-lyrics/78944 "2001-08-30T15:28:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-dancings-holy-grail-the-origin-of-the-lyrics/78944/1 "2001-08-30T15:28:48Z")
To Baby’s annoying sister’s annoying “Hawaiian” song: I think this one is still unsolved. What are the lyrics to that song, and was it written just for the film, or is some ancient Hawaiian song that Ms Brucker deliberatedly massacred. _. . . and you can whack 'em while you walk 'em, you can whack 'em while you walk awaaay. . . awaaaay. . . awaaaaay. . . awAAAAAy. . ._ (or so it sounds) This comes up on IMDB every once in a while, and no one there has ever come up with an answer. I’ve even posted this question before, but it remains a mystery. Anyone??? ---
**Author:** ![MeCorva](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@MeCorva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeCorva)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2001, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-dancings-holy-grail-the-origin-of-the-lyrics/78944/2 "2001-08-30T21:54:18Z")
The lyrics from the script apparently are ([http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/4547/script.html](http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Cinema/4547/script.html)) > [@](#): > > Who’s this Hula hana, of kamana whala hula bay, she will hula when you have a lovely gift she wants, you’ll hear her say, bring me a pineapple that doesn’t sting a bird that swims a fish that sings, I wanna I really wanna, bring me a volcano that blows up all the molten jama and a blue banana, I canna canna bring me a pineapple that doesn’t sting a bird that swims a fish that sings, I wanna I really wanna, bring me a volcano that blows up all the molten jama and a blue banana, I canna canna (Lisa continues to sing in the background) > > … > > you can wackle all you wanna, while I hula all the day away, and you can wackle all you wanna, while I hula all the day away. I have no idea of the origin. Me’Corva ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-dancings-holy-grail-the-origin-of-the-lyrics/78944/3 "2015-06-12T17:29:54Z")
Well, gee, thanks for aaaaallll the responses to this thread. You’d think with all the zombie threads that someone would have come across this one searching for the same thing. Anyway, if anyone is interested, [the answer.](http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20136607,00.html) > [@People Magazine](#): > > Between scenes [Jane Brucker] busied herself cowriting the nonsense hula song she performed in the film. “She is great fun,” says coauthor and choreographer Kenny Ortega. “We had each other in stitches.” And there you have it. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-dancings-holy-grail-the-origin-of-the-lyrics/78944/4 "2022-08-22T18:43:58Z")
Not that anyone seems to be interested in it, other than I, but [more info on how the song came to be.](https://movieweb.com/jane-brucker-hula-hana-from-dirty-dancing/) ETA: I would like to apologize for the rather pretentious title, but remember this was over 20 years ago, and both this board, and the (now mostly defunct) IMDB message boards were still more or less in their infancy. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2022, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dirty-dancings-holy-grail-the-origin-of-the-lyrics/78944/5 "2022-08-22T18:57:37Z")
I love how we can get answers here, even decades later. Nice story, too.