Sweet Leilani
Encyclopedia
"Sweet Leilani" is a song from the 1937 film, Waikiki Wedding
. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
, and was popularized by Bing Crosby
who recorded it in 1935.
Harry Owens
wrote the song on October 20, 1934, for his daughter Leilani who was born the previous day. Leilani
is a popular Hawaiian
name, meaning "heavenly garland of flowers" (not "heavenly flower"). It also has a figurative meaning – small Hawaiian children were carried on their parents' shoulders like a lei
(a garland) so the name took on the meaning "heavenly child".
Waikiki Wedding
Waikiki Wedding is a 1937 musical film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Bing Crosby. Bing plays the part of Tony Marvin, a PR man charged with extolling the virtues of Hawaii. The female lead is Shirley Ross....
. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
, and was popularized by Bing Crosby
Bing Crosby
Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
who recorded it in 1935.
Harry Owens
Harry Owens
Harry Owens was an American composer, bandleader and songwriter.-Biography:Harry Robert Owens was born April 18, 1902, in O'Neill, Nebraska. He learned how to play a cornet in a small band on an Indian reservation in Montana.-Early years:He worked the vaudeville circuit by age 14. Owens studied...
wrote the song on October 20, 1934, for his daughter Leilani who was born the previous day. Leilani
Leilani
Leilani is a Hawaiian name that means heavenly lei.Leilani may refer to:-People:*Leilani Dowding, English model*Leilani Munter, NASCAR driver*Leilani Jones , stage actress*Leilani Kai, actress*Leilani Mitchell, Basketball player...
is a popular Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
name, meaning "heavenly garland of flowers" (not "heavenly flower"). It also has a figurative meaning – small Hawaiian children were carried on their parents' shoulders like a lei
Lei (Hawaii)
Lei is a Hawaiian word for a garland or wreath. More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. The most popular concept of a lei in Hawaiian culture is a wreath of flowers draped around the neck presented upon arriving or leaving as a symbol of...
(a garland) so the name took on the meaning "heavenly child".