Mele Kalikimaka
"Mele Kalikimaka" is a Hawaiian-themed Christmas song written in 1949 by Robert Alex Anderson. The song takes its title from the Hawaiian phrase, "Mele Kalikimaka," meaning "Merry Christmas".[1] The phrase is borrowed directly from English but since Hawaiian has a different phonological system—Hawaiian does not have the /r/ or /s/ of English and its phonotactic constraints do not permit consonants at the end of syllables or consonant clusters—"Merry Christmas" becomes "Mele Kalikimaka".[2] One of the earliest recordings of this song was by Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters in 1950 on Decca 27228 (78 rpm) / 9-27228 (45 rpm) and it has been covered by many artists. The song is notably featured in the films L.A. Confidential and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
The Beach Boys recorded a song of the same name for their album Ultimate Christmas, but it contains lyrics and music completely different from the song written by Robert Alex Anderson.
Notable versions
- 311
- Dick Powell, Richard Diamond, Private Detective; A Christmas Carol radio episode
- Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
- Blue Hawaiians, from Christmas On Big Island
- Jimmy Buffett, from Christmas Island
- Teresa Carpio
- The Good Lovelies
- Hawaii Calls
- Nick Hexum
- Don Ho
- Chris Isaak, on Christmas (2004)
- Davy Jones
- Genoa Keawe & her hula maids, on the compilation album Vintage Hawaiian Treasures, Vol. 8: Santa's Gone Hawaiian!
- Arthur Lyman
- Bette Midler, from Cool Yule
- Mina
- Jake Owen
- Poi Dog Pondering
- The Puppini Sisters, from Christmas with The Puppini Sisters
- Reel Big Fish
- KT Tunstall: Kazoo Solo
- Walk off the Earth
- Dead Meadow
- Seth MacFarlane, from Holiday for Swing (2014)
- Train, from Christmas in Tahoe (2015)
