The Feeling Inside "Laughing in the Trade Winds"
Built on a call-and-response between Lehua and Makani, this is Radiance's most physical song — you can feel the wind in the arrangement itself. By the bridge, everyone is invited to just breathe.
AlbumRadiance
Track4
Vocal PerformerLehua, Makani
Moodcarefree, refreshing
Emotional Temperaturespirited
Narrative Rolesoul medicine
Images the Song Carries
- scattered leaves
- wind cleansing
- high spirited
- laughter medicine
Lyrics and Hawaiian Gloss
Verse 1
The ironwoods start their whisper dance,
A secret from the sea.
The clouds peel back to Molokaʻi,
Makani calling me!
My skirt (paʻu) snaps, my hair's a mess,
I lose my train of thought—
The wind just steals my sentence, leaves
The joy that it had brought!
Pre-Chorus
And I can't help but…
(Male response:) Yeah, you can't help it!
...Let it take me!
Chorus
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ha! Ha!)
Running with the Moananuiākea breeze!
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ho! Ho!)
All my worries scatter like the leaves!
From Hāna side to Lahaina roads,
It's the medicine everybody knows—
Just laughing in the trade winds!
Light group harmonies swell on the last line: "trade winds!"
Verse 2
The kukui leaves are clapping hands,
The ʻilima bends but stands.
It whistles through the ʻōhiʻa lehua,
Takes the world off its plans.
You try to shout to your friend,
But the words get turned around—
You're left just grinning ear to ear
At that silly, windy sound!
Pre-Chorus
And you can't help but…
(Female lead & male response, overlapping playfully:) No, you can't help it!
...Let it take you!
Chorus
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ha! Ha!)
Running with the Moananuiākea breeze!
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ho! Ho!)
All my worries scatter like the leaves!
From Hāna side to Lahaina roads,
It's the medicine everybody knows—
Just laughing in the trade winds!
Bridge
E hoʻi i ka makani mau — (Return to the constant wind)
The breather of our sea and ridge.
It's the ʻohana we didn't choose,
That lives on every ridge!
So fill your lungs and…
Upright bass & flute break, playful and breezy, for 4 bars.
Chorus – Full Energy
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ha! Ha!)
Running with the Moananuiākea breeze!
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ho! Ho!)
All my worries scatter like the leaves!
From Hāna side to Lahaina roads,
It's the medicine everybody knows—
Just laughing in the trade winds!
Outro
Just laughing… (Bamboo flute echoes melody)
Just laughing… (Shaker fades, ʻukulele chording)
In the trade winds…
Music gently fades on a bright, resolved chord, like a sunbeam.
The ironwoods start their whisper dance,
A secret from the sea.
The clouds peel back to Molokaʻi,
Makani calling me!
My skirt (paʻu) snaps, my hair's a mess,
I lose my train of thought—
The wind just steals my sentence, leaves
The joy that it had brought!
Pre-Chorus
And I can't help but…
(Male response:) Yeah, you can't help it!
...Let it take me!
Chorus
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ha! Ha!)
Running with the Moananuiākea breeze!
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ho! Ho!)
All my worries scatter like the leaves!
From Hāna side to Lahaina roads,
It's the medicine everybody knows—
Just laughing in the trade winds!
Light group harmonies swell on the last line: "trade winds!"
Verse 2
The kukui leaves are clapping hands,
The ʻilima bends but stands.
It whistles through the ʻōhiʻa lehua,
Takes the world off its plans.
You try to shout to your friend,
But the words get turned around—
You're left just grinning ear to ear
At that silly, windy sound!
Pre-Chorus
And you can't help but…
(Female lead & male response, overlapping playfully:) No, you can't help it!
...Let it take you!
Chorus
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ha! Ha!)
Running with the Moananuiākea breeze!
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ho! Ho!)
All my worries scatter like the leaves!
From Hāna side to Lahaina roads,
It's the medicine everybody knows—
Just laughing in the trade winds!
Bridge
E hoʻi i ka makani mau — (Return to the constant wind)
The breather of our sea and ridge.
It's the ʻohana we didn't choose,
That lives on every ridge!
So fill your lungs and…
Upright bass & flute break, playful and breezy, for 4 bars.
Chorus – Full Energy
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ha! Ha!)
Running with the Moananuiākea breeze!
Laughing in the trade winds! (Ho! Ho!)
All my worries scatter like the leaves!
From Hāna side to Lahaina roads,
It's the medicine everybody knows—
Just laughing in the trade winds!
Outro
Just laughing… (Bamboo flute echoes melody)
Just laughing… (Shaker fades, ʻukulele chording)
In the trade winds…
Music gently fades on a bright, resolved chord, like a sunbeam.