Jan Berry and Brian Wilson collaborated on roughly a dozen hits and album cuts for Jan & Dean, including the number one national hit, "Surf City" (1963). Subsequent Top-10 hits for Jan & Dean included "Honolulu Lulu," "Drag City," "The Little Old Lady from Pasadena," and "Dead Man's Curve" -- which became eerily portentous when Berry received severe head injuries in an automobile accident just a short distance from Dead Man's Curve in April 1966.
This accident marked the end of their commercial peak, during which they'd scored an impressive total of 26 chart hits over eight years. The group finally stopped performing after Jan Berry died in March 2004.
Tennessee
Jan & Dean Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bopbop bop bopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Sweeter than the birds that go in the trees
That's what she meant to me
Sweeter than the wine and she looked so fine
When she met me in Tennessee
I felt so grand when she took my hand
And said, 'Come, go with me'
Held me tight on a moonlit night
Someplace in Tennessee
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbop bop bop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Sweeter than the birds that go in the trees
That's what she meant to me
Sweeter than the wine and she looked so fine
When I met her in Tennessee
I felt so grand when she took my hand
And said, 'Come, go with me'
Held me tight on a moonlit night
Someplace in Tennessee
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbop bop bop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbop bop bop
The lyrics of Jan & Dean's song "Tennessee" are quite simple and repetitive, mostly consisting of bop sounds, which mimic the rhythm and melody of the song. The song appears to be primarily about the singer's experience meeting a beautiful woman in Tennessee, who is sweeter than the birds and wine. The woman takes the singer's hand and leads him to a moonlit night while holding him tight. The song implies a feeling of romance and a pleasant time in Tennessee.
Despite the simple and repetitive nature of the lyrics, the use of onomatopoeia and rhyme scheme adds a playful and catchy element to the song making it an enjoyable listen. The song also captures the essence of Southern hospitality, as the fictional woman is depicted as welcoming the singer into her world in Tennessee. In addition, the repetition of the lyrics and bop sounds is reminiscent of the vocal harmony and doo-wop style of music in the 1950s and 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Repetitive sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Sweeter than the birds that go in the trees
She was sweet and pleasant, more pleasant than the sweet-singing birds
That's what she meant to me
She was very important to me
Sweeter than the wine and she looked so fine
She was more pleasant than the finest wine and looked absolutely beautiful
When she met me in Tennessee
I met her in Tennessee and that was a very special moment for me
I felt so grand when she took my hand
I felt really great and special when she held my hand
And said, 'Come, go with me'
She invited me to go with her, which made me feel even more special and important
Held me tight on a moonlit night
She held me tightly on a night with a beautiful moon in the sky
Someplace in Tennessee
The exact location where she held me tight is unspecified, but it was definitely in Tennessee
Bop bop bopbop bop bopbopbop
Repetitive sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Sweeter than the birds that go in the trees
She was sweet and pleasant, more pleasant than the sweet-singing birds
That's what she meant to me
She was very important to me
Sweeter than the wine and she looked so fine
She was more pleasant than the finest wine and looked absolutely beautiful
When I met her in Tennessee
The moment I met her in Tennessee was very special to me
I felt so grand when she took my hand
It made me feel really great and special when she held my hand
And said, 'Come, go with me'
Her invitation for me to go with her made me feel even more special and important
Held me tight on a moonlit night
She held me tightly on a night with a beautiful moon in the sky
Someplace in Tennessee
The exact location where she held me tight is unspecified, but it was definitely in Tennessee
Bop bop bopbop bop bopbopbop
Repetitive sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbopbopbopbopbop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bopbopbopbopbop bopbopbopbopbop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Bop bop bop bop bopbopbop bop bop
Continuation of the sound that sets the rhythm for the song
Lyrics Β© CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JAMES E CASON, ROBERT RUSSELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind