Vintage Tacky Hawaiian

I'm not an expert on the Hawaiian language, but even I recognize that this Hickey Dula nonsense bears no resemblance to real Hawaiian words. What I didn't know is that these Hawaiian Territory cards from the 1920's refer to lyrics from a well-known song composed in 1916 by  E. Ray Goetz,  Joe Young and Pete Wendling. Many famous musicians recorded this song, including Fats Waller, Al Jolson, and Woody Allen and His New Orleans Jazz Band! You can even get it as a ring tone for your cell phone. Where have I been? And although the song was designed to appeal to mainlanders entranced with tropical Hawaii, the strange song was also a big hit in Hawaii.

Here are the lyrics:

Down Hawaii way
Where I chanced to stray
I heard a hula maiden say; singin'
Yaaka hula hickey dula
Yaaka hula hickey doo

Down Hawaii way
By a moonlit bay
As I lingered awhile
She stole my heart away; singin'
Yaaka hula hickey dula
Yaaka hula hickey doo

Oh, I don't care if you love the ladies far and near
You'd forget about them all if you could hear
Yaaka hula hickey dula
Yaaka hula hickey doo

I'm coming back to you
My hula lou
Beside the sea at Waikiki
You'll play for me
And once again
You'll sway my heart your way
With the yaaka hula hickey dula tune Yaaka hula hickey dula
Yaaka hula hickey doo