My Coconut Hat – Words and music by Nancy M. Gustafsson |
Somebody told me that skinny or fat, Gentlemen always are dressed in a hat, No matter if he has nothing but that, So I made a coconut hat. Coconut hat, coconut hat, So I made a coconut hat. I put on the hat and I was rather proud, Walking the beachside and singing out loud, Accepting the cheers and applause from the crowd, Just wearing my coconut hat. Coconut hat, coconut hat, Just wearing my coconut hat, Coconut hat, coconut hat, Just wearing my coconut hat Then from the South shore there sprang up a breeze, Ruffled the waves and tickled the trees, Blew up a storm cloud of sand at my knees, And knocked off my coconut hat. Coconut hat, coconut hat, And knocked off my coconut hat, Coconut hat, coconut hat, And knocked off my coconut hat. My hat whirled around like an old spinning top, Then it took off like it never would stop, A hula girl saw it and she picked it up, Now she has my coconut hat. Coconut hat, coconut hat, Now she has my coconut hat, Coconut hat, coconut hat, Now she has my coconut hat. I fell in love with the very first glance, She wore my hat and she did a dance. This is the story of love and romance, And me and my coconut hat. Coconut hat, coconut hat, Me and my coconut hat, Coconut hat, coconut hat, Me and my coco nut hat!! |
Source: Recorded on “Ukulele Tree”, Kokua Records, PO Box 8100, Honolulu, HI 96830, © 1974, Nancy M. Gustafsson. While doing exercises at a class at Fort DeRussy, beachside, we saw a very brown young man making a hat from coconut leaves. When he stood up, all he wore was a small brown malo, so everyone looked at him. He put on the hat and walked on the beach. A gust of wind blew off his hat which rolled up to where 2 girls were practicing hula. When we left, he was sitting on a bench between the 2 girls and one had on his hat. When I came home, I composed the song. I remembered my mother in Denmark told me: “If comes a knock on the door and the man has no hat—don’t open up. If he has a hat, it’s O.K, "he’s a gentleman!" |