Akaka Falls (Wailele O ‘ Akaka) Ukulele Chords – Helen Parker. This song uses the chords: C, C7, F, G7, A. You can change the key for free, as needed.
Akaka Falls (Wailele O ‘ Akaka) Ukulele Chords – Helen Parker
CMaliC7hini ku`u `ike C`ana
Kahi G7wailele `o `ACkaC7ka
Kau mai lā i CluA7na
Lele G7hunehune mai lā i nāC pali
CKau C7nui aku kahi maCna`o
A e `C7iki uhi aku i ka CnaC7ni
FIa `uka i puCīaA7
I ke `G7ala me ke onaCona
COnaG7ona wale ho`i i Cuka
I G7ka pa`a mau `ia e ka CnaC7ni
FI `uka kū paCoaC7
E moG7ani nei i ku`u Cpoli
CI ne`e G7oe kū au e `Cako
I ka G7pua o ka `awapuChi
FI laila nō ka malihCinA7i
Na`u G7ia a e honiChoni
CNa ke G7akua manaC loa
E kia`i G7maluhia CmaC7i
FI kēia mau CpuA7a
O kuu G7āina aCloha
CHa`G7ina `ia mai ka puCana
I kahi G7wailele `o `ACkaC7ka
FKau mai lā i CluA7na
Lele G7hunehune mai la I nāC pali
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‘ Akaka Falls (Wailele O ‘ Akaka) History:
The song “ʻAkaka Falls” (also known as “Wailele ʻO ʻAkaka”) is one of the best-loved modern Hawaiian standards. It was written by Helen Parker, sometimes credited more fully as Helen Kauinohea Parker. The song is a musical tribute to the famous ʻAkaka Falls State Park on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.
The melody is gentle, flowing, and deeply evocative — very much like the waterfall itself. The song paints a picture of a visitor standing before the falls in awe of the beauty, fragrance, mist, and spiritual feeling of the Hawaiian uplands. Hawaiian songs often blend landscape with emotion, and this song is a perfect example of that tradition.
One of the recurring images in the lyrics is the mist drifting from the cliffs:
“The water flows gently down the cliff.”
The Hawaiian word “onaona,” repeated in the song, refers to fragrance or sweet scent — another example of how Hawaiian poetry combines sight, smell, weather, and feeling into one experience.
The song is also connected to an old Hawaiian legend. According to tradition, a man named ʻAkaka fell to his death from the waterfall. His two grieving lovers became the smaller nearby falls, forever mourning him. That legend gives the song an undercurrent of melancholy beneath its beauty.
Musically, “ʻAkaka Falls” has become a standard in Hawaiian music. It has been recorded by many artists, but one of the most famous modern versions is by Kealiʻi Reichel on his landmark 1994 album Kawaipunahele. Other artists who have recorded or performed it include Alfred Apaka, Martin Denny, Jake Shimabukuro, and The Brothers Cazimero.
Here’s a beautiful performance and discussion of the song:
“Akaka Falls, a Hawaiian love song based on an ancient story”
What makes the song endure is that it feels both peaceful and haunted at the same time — a hallmark of many great Hawaiian mele (songs). It’s not just describing a waterfall; it’s describing memory, longing, place, and reverence for the land.
