Kaw-Liga (song)

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Kaw-Liga (IPA: ˌkɔ.'la:.dʒə) is a proto-rockabilly song written by Hank Williams and Fred Rose. Backed by the Drifting Cowboys, Hank Williams recorded the song in Nashville in September, 1952 and the single was released posthumously in January 1953 on the MGM Records label. It remained No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart for 14 weeks and reached No. 23 on the pop charts. The flipside, "Your Cheatin' Heart, remained No. 1 on the country chart for 6 weeks.^[1]

[edit] Song

"Kaw-Liga" is a song about a wooden Indian, Kaw-Liga, who falls in love with an "Indian maid over in the antique store" but does not tell her so, being, as the lyrics say,^[2]

Too stubborn to ever show a sign,

Because his heart was made of knotty pine.

The Indian maid waits for Kaw-Liga to signal his affection for her, but he refuses to talk, ever the stoical Native American of the popular stereotype.[1] Because of his stubbornness, Kaw-Liga's love continues to be unrequited, with Hank Williams, the narrator/singer of the song lamenting,

Poor ol Kaw-liga, he never got a kiss,

Poor ol Kaw-liga, he dont know what he missed,

Is it any wonder that his face is red?

Kaw-liga, that poor ol' wooden head.

The song ends with the Indian maid being bought and taken away from the antique store by a buyer, leaving Kaw-Liga behind to pine (pun intended) after her,

As lonely as can be,

And wishes he was still an ol' pine tree.

Rumor has it this song was written while Hank was camping on an island on Lake Martin in Alabama.

The avant garde band The Residents made numerous covers of this song combining it's original backing music with the opening rift of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean.

[edit] Notes

^ Jim Dawson, & Steve Propes (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber, p. 111-114. ISBN 978-0-571-12939-3.
^ Hank Williams lyrics. Retrieved on November 20, 2006.