you won't have heard: MAKE THE WORLD GO AWAY

(okay you probably have heard a version of it, but not this one)

Make the World Go Away - Bill Kaiwa

Welcome back to another instalment of SONGS YOU WON’T HAVE HEARD!

I went back to forgotify (http://forgotify.com/) and it gave me another song to listen to!

Sit back, have a read, and Make the World Go Away...

THE SONG:

Make the World Go Away was originally composed by Hank Cochran in 1960, which was then first recorded by Ray Price in 1963, achieving No. 2 on the Billboard Country chart. Since then it has been covered by a plethora of artists, including, but not limited to, Elvis Presley, Donny and Marie Osmond, Tom Jones, and of course, our man of the hour, Bill Kaiwa.

The original spins a story of a man who has realised he's made a mistake in leaving his lover, and sings of how he wishes they would return and “make the world go away” - like they used to. It tugs at the heartstrings, makes you think, and maybe even shed a little tear about your very own ‘one that got away’.

Kaiwa’s version removes the violins of the original, replacing them with a woozy, tranquil guitar line, full of sliding and bending notes that conjure up images of the relaxing, dreamy world of Kaiwa’s homeland Hawaii. The hazy and soothing melody places you on a Hawaiian beach in the setting sun, without a care in the world, no deadlines, relationships, or social politics to deal with….

Sorry, got a bit swept up in it there.

But that highlights the effectiveness of Kaiwa’s take on this song – his fusion of Country and Hawaiian music mesh beautifully to make this song less about love, and instead leaves you felling a different kind of longing. Kaiwa is longing for the simple life, longing for the world to quite literally go away, so that he can remove all the problems he has in the life, and take them “off his shoulders”. Instead of missing your ex, Kaiwa's version leaves you dreaming of home, wherever that may be.

What most clearly differentiates Kaiwa’s version from the multitude of other covers of Make The World Go Away, is the fact that the middle section is sung entirely in Hawaiian, and this just adds to the authenticity of the message he is trying to deliver – his is a version about home, about Hawaii, and by speaking the native language, he can, even in the smallest sense, be back.

THE ARTIST:

Bill Kaiwa, in his later years

As mentioned, Kaiwa was an influential musician in Hawaii, releasing throughout the 60’s and 70’s, trying to bring traditional Hawaiian music to a younger generation who weren’t so interested in tradition, by fusing it with a multitude of genres, such as R&B, Rock, and in this case, Country & Western.

A multi-talented man, he was also painter and sculptor, as well as apparently an accomplished golfer. While his international impact may have been small, he has labelled a hero by some in Hawaii, and throughout his lengthy career, did a great deal for the native music scene.

He died in 2011, aged 77, leaving behind him a highly enviable discography, and legendary status in Hawaiian music.

Other songs to check out: Laupahoehoe, Hanohano Hanale, Country Roads (in fairness, this song is impossible to get wrong – Kaiwa’s is a very enjoyable take on it nonetheless).

RATING:

7/10

A definite improvement on the original, which comes across a bit too mopey, for want of a better world.

Kaiwa took a song that many have taken and made it undeniably his own, and was undeniably effective in redirecting the original message to spread his.

It is relaxing, thought-provoking, and most importantly, makes the world go away, even just for a few minutes.

Stream it here: