There is no ʻukulele that I can hear in this song, but “Heartache” by One Groove is still a simple, fun Jawaiian song that fits well on the uke.
“Jawaiian” is the Hawaiian version of reggae – borrowing the J from the style’s home: Jamaica. It has a mellow Hawaiian flavor while retaining the distinct rhythmic chank on the 2 and 4 beats that reggae is known for. In the past ten years our local reggae sound has become much more homogenized, but during my high school days Jawaiian was a fun, relatable style.
One of the big radio hits at the time was “Heartache” (and One Groove’s rendition of “Big Ship” by Jawaiian’s pioneer, Brother Noland). So naturally, I sat down and figured out the guitar intro and worked on my reggae chank playing along with the recording.
There’s not a lot to the picking. Though if you want to understand the double stops, check out this article on playing harmony.
As for the chords, it’s just C G F G throughout the song. Each one gets one bar – four counts.
Chords throughout: C G F G A |---7------------2-3-2---2-2/3-3/5---7-----10-----------10p8p7------------ E |-8---8-7----3h5---------3-3/5-5/7-8---8-7----7-5-7-8-7--------10-8-7---7- C |---------------------------------------------------------------------9--- G |------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Picking 2x – end on first note: C) Ooo… Lalala… 2x Please baby tell me what is goin' on 'Cause I need to know just what you plan And if this is the end of our love affair Please help me to understand Pre-Chorus: Was I not the man Who gave you my lovin' And gave you all my heart Now I’m so lost and lonely My one and only girl has gone away Chorus: No more lonely nights lying awake And no more tender hugs and kisses for you babe I’m so tired of playing silly games For it's you that is the cause of my heartache My heartache Ooo… lalala… My heartache Ooo… lalala… Listen! Now girl I can tell from the look in your eyes Your feelings have somehow changed And it breaks my heart that you didn't give love a chance 'Cause it was over before it began Pre-Chorus> Chorus> Rap Solo Pre-Chorus> Chorus> Ooo… lalala… Woah, no, no, my heartache Ooo… lalala… Woahohh… Ooo… Yeah… Ooo… lalala… My heartache Ooo… lalala… My heartache
