Chorus:
Driving, driving, driving
Down that mountain road
Wishing you could meet me once again
Driving, driving, driving
Down that Saddle Road
Wishing you would greet me once again
Southern Cross is hanging low
Above the road ahead
Stars shine out across an open sky
The tires on my old four-by
Hug each and every bend
The way I wish that I was hugging you tonight
Chorus:
And I’m driving, driving, driving
Down that mountain road
Wishing you could meet me once again
Driving, driving, driving
Down that Saddle Road
Wishing you would greet me once again
Another constellation
Now guides me on my way
I wonder if it’s hanging over you
So many words I never took
The time nor dared to say
I sing them to the stars to send to you
Chorus:
And I’m driving, driving, driving
Down that mountain road
Wishing you could meet me once again
Driving, driving, driving
Down that Saddle Road
Wishing you would greet me once again
|
Leilehua Yuen w/Mokuli`i in background
9-14-03 |
| Source: Leilehua Yuen
- This song was composed while commuting across the
Saddle Road at 2 am on a clear, cold starry night. Each time the road would
swing around to face Mauna Loa, the Southern Cross was hanging right there
over the shoulder of the mountain. Each bend in the road would reveal a
new
constellation. So beautiful - the kind of beauty that brings tears to your
eyes. The stars were so clear, it felt like they were like fine crystal
glasses - that if they could just be stroked lightly, they would vibrate
and
sing through the heavens. Then I heard the singing of the Jeep's transmission,
the different notes playing a melody as I shifted. The rhythm of the song
picks up the sway of the car on the twists and turns of the Saddle Road.
In
the recording with Keoki Kahumoku and Sonny Lim, Keoki's ʻukulele playing
reminds me of the stars sparkling in the sky, and Sonny's bass reminds
me of
the deep rhythmic hum of the tires. The Polynesians used the stars and
constellations as navigational guides to sail the Pacific in canoes. 90%
of
the stars are visible in the skies of Hawaii, the only place in Polynesia
that
the Southern Cross and Polaris can be seen together in the sky. © 2001 |