Kuiama is a song written by Jeff Lynne

Jeff Lynne

Jeffrey "Jeff" Lynne is an English songwriter, composer, arranger, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who gained fame as the leader and sole constant member of Electric Light Orchestra and was a co-founder and member of The Traveling Wilburys together with George Harrison, Bob...

 and performed by The Electric Light Orchestra.

This song is the last track of the ELO 2 LP. At 11:19, it is the longest track on the album, and the longest song ever recorded by Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra

Electric Light Orchestra were a British rock group from Birmingham who released eleven studio albums between 1971 and 1986 and another album in 2001. ELO were formed to accommodate Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne's desire to create modern rock and pop songs with classical overtones...

. It tells the tale of a soldier who has found an orphan

Orphan

An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...

 girl wandering the ruins of a battle-ravaged village in the Vietnam war

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

. The soldier is trying to comfort the girl and also to explain how he was the one who killed her parents.

Though not released as a single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

, the song apparently has made many compilation albums, such as Olé ELO

Olé ELO

Olé ELO is the second compilation album by the Electric Light Orchestra covering their early years. Released in 1976, this LP was originally compiled by United Artists Records as a promotional album for American radio stations, but when copies of the LP started selling to fans "underground" United...

, Afterglow

Afterglow (Electric Light Orchestra box set)

Afterglow was a box set compilation by Electric Light Orchestra released in 1990 with liner notes by music critic and editor Ira Robbins of Trouser Press fame...

, and The Light Shines On Vol 2

The Light Shines On Vol 2

The Light Shines On Vol 2 was a compilation LP by Electric Light Orchestra.Released in 1979 by Harvest it was a compilation of their early years with the label.-Track listing:#“10538 Overture” - Album version...

, and has been performed live. It was also a favorite of the ELO band members during the time.

"This one, without doubt, is the favourite of all the band. It's a sad story about a war orphan with a soldier explaining to her all about the war — and that it was he that killed her parents. The most sensitive thing we do."
Bev Bevan

Bev Bevan

Bev Bevan is an English rock musician, who was the drummer and one of the original members of The Move and Electric Light Orchestra...

 (1973, Birmingham Post & Mail article entitled: Chart Boost Coming For Brum And E.L.O.)

"I like Kuiama even though the opening reminds me of the opening of You Only Live Twice."
Wilfred Gibson

Wilfred Gibson

Wilfred Gibson is an English violinist who played in the band Electric Light Orchestra, and has performed as a session musician. He replaced original ELO violinist Steve Woolam in 1972 and performed in their first live concert...

(October 2003, Martin Kinch's Cherry Blossom Clinic website)