Honeysuckle Rose
Benny Goodman And His Orchestra;Charlie Christian Lyrics
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Oh, honey, listen to my plea:
Every honeybee
Fills with jealousy,
When they see you out with me!
I don't blame them, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
When you're passin' by,
Flowers droop and sigh
And I know the reason why,
You're my sweety, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
I don't buy sugar,
You just have to touch my cup;
I don't need sugar,
It's sweet enough when you stir it up!
When I'm taking sips
From your dainty lips,
Seems the honey fairly drips,
You're confection, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose.
Every honeybee
Fills with jealousy,
When they see you out with me!
I don't blame them, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
When you're passin' by,
Flowers droop and sigh,
And I know the reason why,
You're my sweety, goodness knows,
Oh, honey ! suckle rose!
I don't buy sugar,
You just have to touch my cup;
I don't need sugar,
It's sweet, stir it up!
When I'm taking sips
From your dainty lips,
Seems the honey fairly drips,
You're confection, goodness knows,
Oh, honey! suckle rose.
In this swing classic, Anita O'Day sings about her honey, and how every honeybee fills with jealousy when they see her out with him. She compares him to a honeysuckle rose, an irresistibly sweet flower, and describes how flowers droop and sigh when he passes by because he is her sweetie. O'Day describes the physical sweetness of their relationship, saying that she doesn't need sugar because he is sweet enough when he stirs it up. When she takes sips from his dainty lips, it seems like honey is dripping, and he is a confection. Overall, the song is an upbeat celebration of a sweet and intoxicating romance.
One interesting fact about this song is that it was written way back in 1929 by Fats Waller and Andy Razaf, but it wasn't until Benny Goodman recorded it in 1937 with vocalist Martha Tilton that it became a hit. Another interesting fact is that the song was recorded by a number of other jazz greats, including Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and has since become a jazz standard. The song was also featured in the 1941 film "Hellzapoppin" and the 1953 film "The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T," among others.
Another interesting fact is that the song's lyrics have been interpreted as having a sexual subtext due to the use of honey and the reference to touching O'Day's cup. However, according to O'Day herself, the song was meant to be a lighthearted and innocent celebration of a sweet romance. Additionally, the song's melody is believed to be influenced by another Fats Waller song, "Ain't Misbehavin'."
Finally, the song's lyrics have been covered in a number of languages, including French, Russian, and Japanese. The chords for this song are as follows:
Intro: A7 / / / D7 / / / A7 / / / E7 / / / A7 / / /
Verse:
A7 / / / D7 / / / A7 / / / E7 / / / A7 / / /
A7 / / / D7 / / / A7 / / / E7 / / / A7 / / /
Chorus:
D7 / / / Dm7 / / / A7 / / / A7 / / / D7 / / / Dm7 / / / A7 / / / E7 / / / A7 / / /
Outro: A7 / / / D7 / / / A7 / / / E7 / / / A7 / / /
Line by Line Meaning
Honey, honey,
My dearest and most beloved
Oh, honey, listen to my plea:
Listen to my request, my love
Every honeybee
Each and every bee
Fills with jealousy,
Becomes envious
When they see you out with me!
At the sight of you with me!
I don't blame them, goodness knows,
I cannot fault them, truth be told,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
Sweetheart, you are simply enchanting!
When you're passin' by,
Whenever you stroll by,
Flowers droop and sigh
Flowers wilt and release a sigh
And I know the reason why,
I am aware of why this happens,
You're my sweety, goodness knows,
You are my darling, without a doubt,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
My love, you are like a beautiful flower!
I don't buy sugar,
I don't purchase sugar,
You just have to touch my cup;
All it takes is for you to touch my cup,
I don't need sugar,
I don't require sugar,
It's sweet enough when you stir it up!
It is sufficiently sweet when you mix it together!
When I'm taking sips
As I sip
From your dainty lips,
From your soft, slender lips,
Seems the honey fairly drips,
It feels like honey is dripping,
You're confection, goodness knows,
You are an exquisite treat, honestly,
Oh, honey! suckle rose.
My darling, you are incomparable!
Every honeybee
Each and every bee
Fills with jealousy,
Becomes envious
When they see you out with me!
At the sight of you with me!
I don't blame them, goodness knows,
I cannot fault them, truth be told,
Oh, honey! suckle rose!
Sweetheart, you are simply enchanting!
When you're passin' by,
Whenever you stroll by,
Flowers droop and sigh,
Flowers wilt and release a sigh
And I know the reason why,
I am aware of why this happens,
You're my sweety, goodness knows,
You are my darling, without a doubt,
Oh, honey ! suckle rose!
My love, you are like a beautiful flower!
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind