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Does anybody remember that old song? It took me a lot of searching to find out how to spell “Kaw-liga,” as I was spelling it Kalija, Kahlijah, Colija, and Kolija, but luckily I remembered some of the lyrics to this song that I heard several times as a child. It seems that it was recorded in 1952, 16 years before I was born, and was released in January of 1953 by MGM records. Hank Williams, Sr. recorded the song which can be listened to by clicking here. The lyrics are as follows:
KAWLIGA WAS A WOODEN INDIAN STANDING BY THE DOOR
HE FELL IN LOVE WITH AN INDIAN MAIDEN OVER IN THE ANTIQUE STORE
KAW – LI – GA
JUST STOOD THERE AND NEVER LET IT SHOW
SO SHE COULD NEVER ANSWER YES OR NO
HE ALWAYS WORE HIS SUNDAY FEATHERS AND HELD A TOMAHAWK
THE MAIDEN WORE HER BEADS AND BRAIDS AND HOPED SOME DAY HE’D TALK
KAW – LI – GA
TOO STUBBORN TO EVER SHOW A SIGN
BECAUSE HIS HEART WAS MADE OF KNOTTY PINE
POOR OL’ KAW – LI – GA, HE NEVER GOT A KISS
POOR OL’ KAW – LI – GA, HE DON’T KNOW WHAT HE MISSED
IS IT ANY WONDER THAT HIS FACE IS RED
KAW – LI – GA, THAT POOR OL’ WOODEN HEAD
KAWLIGA WAS A WOODEN INDIAN, NEVER WENT NOWHERE
HIS HEART WAS SET ON THE INDIAN MAIDEN WITH THE COAL BLACK HAIR
KAW – LI – GA
JUST STOOD THERE AND NEVER LET IT SHOW
SO SHE COULD NEVER ANSWER YES OR NO
AND THEN ONE DAY A WEALTHY CUSTOMER BOUGHT THE INDIAN MAID
AND TOOK HER OH SO FAR AWAY BUT OL KAW – LI – GA STAYED
KAW – LI – GA
JUST STANDS THERE AS LONELY AS CAN BE
AND WISHES HE WAS STILL AN OLD PINE TREE
January 9, 2008 at 8:19 am
Yes….I too, after waking up this morning with this song popoing into my head from childhood, tried to locate it by spelling it ‘Kalija. Well it lead me to your site…and the song. I was born in ‘45 so was a young child when this record came out. Santa had come and given me my first record playe. It looked like a square little suitcase and the case was a green and black Scotch-plaid finish. It came with a 45 rpm record of Hank Williams Sr. singing “Your Cheating Heart”. (Am sure that is the song that ‘Saqnta’ brought it for, but of course, I discovered the revrse side….”Kawliga”!!!!!! Drove my parents nuts with this…………the hit side never got played
February 6, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I love that song.
February 23, 2008 at 7:34 am
As I was singing the few words that I know of this song this morning, my wife asked what it was as she had never heard it before. I couldn’t remember who sang it, nor could I locate it in my library as I too was spelling it wrong. However, I found your site which has solved my dilemma. Thank you.
April 4, 2008 at 1:35 pm
I love Hank!And I love this song…in fact I named my son, (who is now 6) Kaw-Liga Eli-Redfeather. I have yet to meet another who shares is name.
May 4, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I didn’t know it was Hank who sang it, and didn’t know the spelling. I have been trying to find it for some time; and now I probably will finaly be able to. Thanks for the info.
June 22, 2008 at 10:36 am
Like the 1st response, woke up one morning with the song in my head. My mother passed this year and I’m sure my dreams brought it to mind. I have great childhood memories of this song. My grandfather had an old jutebox with all kinds of old country-western songs(a few us kids weren’t allowed to pick) I remember my cousins and I playing this one and another(Running Bear- loved little white dove, I’m off lookin for this now) over and over again til they unpluged the box to rebook it. Thanks for the memories!
July 10, 2008 at 12:26 pm
i always loved that song my dad use to sing that all the time he died when i was 11 and i was at a restaurant and i heard it for the first time in 10 years im so glad u put this together thank you please let me know how i can get the song gabby87@cablone.net
August 15, 2008 at 1:18 pm
My wife and I danced to this song many times in Germany when we were dating in the 1960-1964 period. She always said the only reason she married me was because how good I could sing Kaw-Liga . . . . after a few German beers.
October 16, 2008 at 5:04 am
That is great, thanks for printing out the words, this is my Oklahoma buddy JOE BAILEY’S theme song.
October 23, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Im only 18 but this is one of my FAVORITE songs ever !!!
My dad and i have a very goffy dance to it. All my friends just look at me like im so stupid. BUT I LOVE IT !!!!
November 21, 2008 at 5:42 am
When I was in Korea this song was all the rage. As I was on the night radar repair crew, and (supposidly) sleeping days, much of my repose was destroyed by my quanset hut bunkies and this tune, but I still enjoyed it.
December 7, 2008 at 6:44 pm
I love that song, they used to sing it on Hee Haw a lot.
I watch Hee Haw on RFD on Sunday nights, re-living my childhood, Charlie pride sang it last week and a few weeks ago someone else sang it.
December 21, 2008 at 10:30 pm
hey thats ma name how cool =]]
January 9, 2009 at 5:47 pm
I , sing most of hanks’ songs***** I , came acroos a song that just shocked me… Blues eyes crying in the rain by Hank Sr. & that had to be recorded before Willie Nelson did it..To find it type in Hank williams** and it will come up…. Enjoy it
March 8, 2009 at 2:45 pm
I was the most bashful kid going to Tehachapi High School (CA) when this song first came out, the line “never got a kiss” inspired some of my classmates to nickname me kalija. Good times good memories, though I mispelled the name it is still used as my nickname by some old folks with long memories.
I enjoyed your site. Many Thanks
Kalija
March 12, 2009 at 1:21 pm
I emptied a paper towel roll and started to sing this song through it. haha theres a little story here when i was a kid we ,my mom my 2 brothers and dozens of aunts uncles and counsins spent summers at the lake. There was a reservation of indians as they were called back then across the lake. They would pound on they;re drums and as we sat around the campfire we sang this song when it came time to sing KAWLIJA my uncles tried to outdo one another going as long and as loud as we could. It then seemed like the drums and our singing was in sync Thanks for the memories.
May 31, 2009 at 8:57 pm
I remember the song well, too. I felt so sorry for Kawliga (although I thought his name was Kalijah). One day My aunt (in about 1954) had her camera with her when she walked uptown with me and my brother and took this photo of Kawliga getting his kiss. Is there a way I can submit the photo?
June 11, 2009 at 9:30 am
I guess most of you lot are american. I dont know if you know what i know but….
A version of this song sung over the bassline to micheal jackson’s Billie Jean was a huge club hit in the 1990s here in the UK. I heard Moby play it in vancouvers a few years back and it is fantastic.
Unfotunatley i dont know who it is by -if anyone does, let me know.
I have an MP2 recording off digital radio with the song on which i will put up on my myspace for a bit (then take down before i get sued).
G