There are two guitarists called Al Casey:

#1 A jazz guitarist from K… Read Full Bio ↴There are two guitarists called Al Casey:

#1 A jazz guitarist from Kentucky known mostly for his work with Fats Waller.

#2 A rock & roll guitarist from the 60s known mostly for his work with Duane Eddy and Sandford Clark.

#1 - Albert Aloysius Casey (September 15, 1915 – September 11, 2005) known professionally as Al Casey, was an African-American swing guitarist who played with Fats Waller on some of his famous recordings. Casey composed the well-known tune "Buck Jumpin", which was recorded by Waller.
Casey was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Joseph and Maggie B. Johnson Casey. He grew up in New York City and attended DeWitt Clinton High School. He joined Thomas Fats Waller's band in the early 1930s and can be heard on hundreds of recordings, working with him until Waller died in 1943. In 1944, Casey briefly recorded with Louis Armstrong. He also worked with Clarence Profit's band that same year. In 1959 he contributed to an album called Paul Curry Presents The Friends Of Fats on the Golden Crest label.[citation needed]
Between stints with Waller, Casey worked with Teddy Wilson from 1939 to 1940. He recorded with Billie Holiday, Frankie Newton, and Chuck Berry, and even led his own a trio for a short time. Remembering his time, years later, working with Holiday, Casey commented that he was in love with her.
Casey freelanced over decades working with King Curtis from 1957 to 1961, where he played rhythm and blues. He continued playing into his late eighties with The Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, which he joined in 1981.
He died four days before his ninetieth birthday of colon cancer at the Dewitt Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in New York.

#2 - Alvin W. Casey (October 26, 1936 – September 17, 2006) was an American guitarist. He was mainly noted for his work as a session musician, but also released his own records and scored three Billboard Hot 100 hits in the United States. His contribution to the rockabilly genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.

Al is mainly known for his studio backup work, but also released records and had minor chart success under his own name. His guitar is prominent on the Sanford Clark hit The Fool, featuring a lick Al borrowed from the song, "Smokestack Lightning". He was part of the backup for Duane Eddy's recordings, playing bass, piano, and rhythm guitar.

Al and Lee Hazlewood worked together in 1963, recording Surfin Hootenanny, which was a chart success. (The backup vocal group was even named The K-C-Ettes.) Recorded in the style of Duane Eddy's Dance with the Guitar Man, "Surfin Hootenanny" featured Al mimicking the styles of Dick Dale, The Ventures, and Duane Eddy. The Surfin Hootenanny album is somewhat of a classic among surf and rock and roll fans. Later he was a featured guitarist on the Exotic Guitars series of albums, and he continued recording until a few years before his death.

Honeysuckle Rose
Al Casey Lyrics

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Every honey bee fills with jealousy,
When they see you out with me.

Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose

When you're passin' by flowers droop and sigh,
And I know the reason why.

Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose

Don't buy sugar,
You just have to touch my cup.
You're my sugar.
It's sweeter when you stir it up.

When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips.

Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose

Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose

Don't buy sugar,
You just have to touch my cup.
You're my sugar.
It's sweeter when you stir it up.

When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips
Seems the honey fairly drips.

Goodness knows
You're my honeysuckle rose

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Al Casey's "Honeysuckle Rose" are a playful homage to a lover, filled with metaphors and imagery of sweetness and desire. The opening lines suggest that the singer's companionship is coveted like honey, attracting the attention of even the bees. The following verse continues the theme of sweetness, as the flowers themselves seem to droop in longing in the presence of the singer's beloved. The chorus reinforces the singer's affection, proclaiming "Goodness knows, you're my honeysuckle rose," emphasizing that the subject of the song is not only sweet, but desirable and beautiful as well.

The second verse contains a hint of sexual innuendo, as the singer describes the enjoyment of sipping from their beloved's "tasty lips," with the honey nearly dripping from their glass. The second iteration of the chorus again emphasizes the raw attraction and sweetness of the beloved, with the final lines of the song repeating this sentiment as a closing.

Overall, the song is an exploration of the theme of sweetness and desire, using metaphors plucked from nature to describe the singer's relationship. The use of honey and honeysuckle both resonate as classic symbols of sweetness, and the playful, almost childlike tone of the lyrics keep it light and enjoyable.

Line by Line Meaning

Every honey bee fills with jealousy, When they see you out with me.
Other people get envious when they see us together because they know I have someone special like you.

Goodness knows You're my honeysuckle rose
I feel blessed to have you in my life and you mean everything to me.

When you're passin' by flowers droop and sigh, And I know the reason why.
Nature recognizes your beauty and grace when you walk by, and seeing you fills me with joy.

Don't buy sugar, You just have to touch my cup. You're my sugar. It's sweeter when you stir it up.
I don't need anything else to make me happy, just being around you is enough. You bring such delight and added sweetness to my life.

When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips Seems the honey fairly drips.
Kissing you is such a pleasurable and delicious experience that feels almost too good to be true.

Goodness knows You're my honeysuckle rose
I can't stress enough how much you mean to me and how grateful I am to have you in my life.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: IRVING CAESAR, JOSEPH MEYER, ROGER WOLFE KAHN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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