Hawaiian National Anthem

I was looking through the national anthems, and Hawaii caught my eye. Hawaii is obviously is a state, but yet it still has its own anthem. The anthem is entitled "Hawai'i Pono'i", and it was written in 1876 by King David Kalakaua in honor of King Kamehameha I, who founded the Hawaiian Kingdom. I think the fact that Hawaii even has its own anthem defines it so well. Hawaii has always been its own independent nation, no matter what. The Hawaiian people have a sort of Hawaiian nationalist spirit, which includes remembering the history of the people, a warrior spirit, and a sense of community and family. All of these are present in the national anthem. I think that the feeling of the anthem is trying to unite the nation as one, and celebrate the rich history and the great leaders that Hawaii has had, especially King Kamehameha, who actually established Hawaii as a true kingdom. It was abolished when the monarchy was overthrown and the US took control, but it was later put in place as the state song, which shows how important the meaning of the song is. Even though Hawaii was no longer its own independent nation, it still could be independent in spirit and still remember the great chiefs who made life for the generations after it the best that they could. Also, if you have ever been to Hawaii, or even if you just know some things about it, they call everyone who lives on the US continent "mainlanders", and sometimes if you visit Hawaii and they don't like your vibe, they will tell you to go back to the mainland. Hawaii seems to be all about the island spirit, and the song showcases this very well.

I used this link for lyrics.

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