Sweet Leilani
Lani McIntire, Bing Crosby
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Sweet Leilani Heavenly flower Nature fashioned roses kissed with dew And then she placed them in a bower It was the start of you Sweet Leilani Heavenly flower I dreamed of paradise for two You are my paradise completed You are my dream come true Sweet Leilani Heavenly flower Tropic skies are jealous as they shine I think they're jealous of your blue eyes Jealous because you're mine Sweet Leilani Heavenly flower I dreamed of paradise for two You are my paradise completed You are my dream come true You are my paradise completed You are my dream come true
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31 fans
Written by: Harry Owens
Lyrics © ROYAL MUSIC PUBLISHER, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Year of Release"Sweet Leilani" is a classic song performed by Bing Crosby which was released in 1937.
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Movie OriginThis song was featured in the movie "Waikiki Wedding". The song was also integral to the plot of the movie as it was the song around which the whole "Pineapple Princess" pageant revolved.
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WriterHarry Owens, the band leader at the time in the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Honolulu, wrote "Sweet Leilani".
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InspirationThe song was written to celebrate the birth of Owen's daughter, whom he named Leilani.
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Chart Success"Sweet Leilani" turned out to be a huge hit, spending a total of 10 weeks at the No. 1 position on "Your Hit Parade", a popular American music chart show.
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Award-winning SongThe track won an Academy Award for 'Best Original Song' in the year of its release.
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Record-Breaking Sales"Sweet Leilani" was also a commercial success, with its 78rpm record reported to have sold over one million copies.
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Bing Crosby's AssessmentBing Crosby once claimed "Sweet Leilani" to be "the favorite of all the songs that I have recorded."
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Cover VersionsThe song has been covered by various artists. Some of the more famous versions include a rendition by Andy Williams released in his 1961 album “Hawaiian Wedding Song” and a version by Marty Robbins included in his 1963 album “Island Woman”.
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Cultural ImpactThis song played a major role in popularising Hawaiian music in mainland America during the 1930s and 1940s.
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Crosby's Popular AlbumIt was later included in an album by Crosby called "South Sea Island Magic" which became very popular.
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Being BannedIn a surprising turn of events, NBC radio banned "Sweet Leilani" when it was initially released as they thought it was a commercial for Harry Owen’s very successful souvenir shop of the same name in Waikiki. However, CBS continued to play it, resulting in its widespread popularity.
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"Sweet Leilani Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Apr. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/3935771/Bing+Crosby/Sweet+Leilani>.
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