The band made its recording debut in 2001 with Blackwater, following up in 2004 with Lochloosa (both released under the name Mofro; both albums reissued by Alligator). In 2007 the band, with it's current name, released Country Ghetto, followed by the 2008 album Orange Blossoms. With the release of 2010’s Georgia Warhorse, the band stepped further into the mainstream view with the AAA radio breakout single The Sweetest Thing. In 2011 the full fury of the band’s live show was captured on the live CD/DVD Brighter Days.
April 2013 brings the release of the band's sixth studio album, This River. Named for the St. John’s River, a centering point for Grey's childhood near Jacksonville, Florida, b]This River flows from freewheeling celebrations (Florabama) to dark inner journeys (Somebody Else), from late night, beer-soaked testimonials (Your Lady, She’s Shady) to heartfelt ballads of the almost-forgotten (The Ballad Of Larry Webb), and ends with the title track and a singularly devastating vocal performance. With Dan Prothero at the helm as producer, JJ and the band once again returned to Retrophonics Studio in nearby St. Augustine, Florida and muscled out some of JJ’s strongest material to date.
The band has played countless festivals, including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Austin City Limits Festival, Byron Bay Blues Festival (Australia), Montreal Jazz Festival and Fuji Rock (Japan). Over the course of his career, Grey has shared stages with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, B.B. King, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Los Lobos, Jeff Beck, Ben Harper, Booker T. Jones, Mavis Staples and many others. In 2011 the band extensively toured the UK. That same year, back in the U.S.A., Grey embarked on his first-ever solo tour, playing packed-to-capacity clubs. The band returned to Europe in 2012, playing multiple dates in the UK, Germany and The Netherlands.
JJ’s songs have appeared in film and network television including House, Flashpoint, Crash, Friday Night Lights, The Glades, The Deadliest Catch and the film The Hoot. In November 2009, JJ wrote his first film score for the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning documentary The Good Soldier, that appeared in theatres and on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. In 2010, JJ played piano, sang and contributed a song (The Wrong Side) to Buckwheat Zydeco’s Grammy-winning Alligator Records album Lay Your Burden Down. JJ also appears on Shemekia Copeland’s Grammy-nominated 2012 CD 33 1/3.
Tupelo Honey
JJ Grey & Mofro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail right around the seven oceans
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea
She′s as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She′s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can't keep us ′cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor bent on chivalry
She′s as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She′s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You can't stop us on the road to freedom
You can′t stop us 'cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor intent on chivalry
She′s as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You know she′s alright
You know she′s alright with me
She's alright, she′s alright (she's an angel)
You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail it right around the seven oceans
Drop it smack dab in the middle of the deep blue sea
Because she′s as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She′s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
She's an angel of the first degree
She′s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like the honey, baby, from the bee
She′s my baby, you know she's alright...
The lyrics of JJ Grey and Mofro's song "Tupelo Honey" seem to be divided into two sections. The first section speaks to the sweetness of a woman the singer knows, comparing her to tupelo honey. The second section is about determination, freedom and justice. The contrast between the two sections might suggest that the sweetness of tupelo honey is a metaphor for something deeper, which the song later alludes to.
The first verse suggests that the sweetness of the woman is beyond compare; it's as if she's the sweetest thing in the world. The chorus repeats this idea, using honey as an analogy for the woman's sweetness. Then, after a brief instrumental interlude, the song breaks into a rallying cry for freedom fighters. The second verse speaks to the injustices faced by people who are fighting for freedom and the determination that they possess to push through. It uses the metaphor of knights in armor to strengthen the image of men who courageously march forward towards their goal, just as the woman who is the subject of the song is seen as an angel of the highest degree, these brave men are men of insight and they're unstoppable. The chorus repeats again, making the connection that the men fighting for freedom are as determined and unwavering as the woman is sweet, and so they can't be stopped.
At the heart of the song is the idea that there is beauty and sweetness in the world that is worth fighting for, and that the determination of freedom fighters is an extension of that beauty. The song is a powerful message of hope and resilience, and is a testament to the power of music to bring people together around an idea.
Line by Line Meaning
You can take all the tea in China
You can gather every possible thing of value that's out there
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Bring them all to me
Sail right around the seven oceans
Travel all over the world
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea
And throw it to the bottom of the ocean
She's as sweet as tupelo honey
This woman is incredibly sweet and special
She's an angel of the first degree
She's like a divine presence in human form
Just like honey from the bee
Her sweetness is as natural and pure as honey made by bees
You can't stop us on the road to freedom
No one can prevent us from pursuing our path to liberation
You can't keep us 'cause our eyes can see
We won't be trapped because we can see the truth
Men with insight, men in granite
We are strong and wise men who can't be broken
Knights in armor bent on chivalry
We are like honorable knights who fight for what is right
You know she's alright with me
I believe in and trust this woman
Drop it smack dab in the middle of the deep blue sea
Throw it right to the heart of the ocean
Because she's as sweet as tupelo honey
This woman is amazing and sweet
Just like the honey, baby, from the bee
She has a natural and pure sweetness
She's my baby, you know she's alright...
She's my woman and I trust her
Writer(s): Van Morrison
Contributed by Sophia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.