Giuseppe (Joe) Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was a U.S. jaz… Read Full Bio ↴Giuseppe (Joe) Venuti (September 16, 1903 – August 14, 1978) was a U.S. jazz musician and violinist. Venuti claimed to have been born aboard a ship as his parents emigrated from Italy, though many believe he was simply born in Philadelphia. Considered the father of jazz violin, he pioneered the use of string instruments in jazz along with the guitarist Eddie Lang, a childhood friend of his. Through the 1920s and early 1930s, Venuti produced many recordings. He worked with Benny Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers, Bing Crosby, the Boswell Sisters and most of the other important white jazz and semi-jazz figures of the late 1920s and early 1930s. However, following Lang's early death in 1933, he began to slip off the radar. After a period of relative obscurity in the 1940s and 1950s, he was 'rediscovered' in the late 1960s and established a musical relationship with tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, that was almost as fruitful as his previous collaboration with Lang. Venuti and Sims produced a number of very exciting recordings in 1974/75: an appropriate coda to the great violinist's career.

In the mid-1970s, Venuti performed and recorded, again in the limelight: good examples of his latter-day recordings are the Chiaroscuro CD's Joe Venuti and Zoot Sims (CR(D) 142) and Joe & Zoot & More (CR(D)126). He died in Seattle, Washington.

Venuti was also a legendary practical joker.

Honeysuckle Rose
Joe Venuti Lyrics

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Honey, honey,
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.

Overall Meaning

The song "Honeysuckle Rose" by Joe Venuti is a playful love song that makes use of metaphorical language to convey the depth of the singer's feelings for his/her lover. The lyrics begin with an address to the lover, whom the singer is affectionately calling "honey." He/she implores the lover to listen to his/her plea as he/she states that every honeybee becomes jealous when he/she is seen out with the singer. This alludes to the fact that the singer's lover is a desirable individual who attracts attention from others, much like the sweetness of honey which attracts bees. The singer then says that he/she does not blame the honeybees since the lover is like a honeysuckle rose, which is seen as an object of envy due to its beauty and allure.

The second stanza of the song continues in the same vein, with the singer expressing his/her admiration for the lover's beauty and how it affects the world around them. The flowers droop and sigh because they are not the object of the singer's affection, which is the lover. The singer then goes on to say that he/she does not need sugar as the lover is sweet enough for him/her. When the singer takes sips from the lover's lips, it is as if honey drips from them. The lover is likened to a "confection," which is a sweet or dessert, emphasizing the idea that the singer finds the lover irresistibly sweet and desirable.

Overall, "Honeysuckle Rose" is a love song that makes use of metaphors and playful language to convey the singer's affection for his/her lover. It is a joyful and lighthearted tune that celebrates the beauty and allure of the person being addressed.

Line by Line Meaning

Honey, honey, Oh, honey, listen to my plea:
The singer is addressing their romantic interest affectionately and making a request.

Every honeybee Fills with jealousy, When they see you out with me! I don't blame them, goodness knows, Oh, honey! suckle rose!
Others are envious of the singer's romantic relationship and the singer recognizes why but doesn't feel guilty for the love they share.

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!
The presence of the singer's sweetheart causes a romantic reaction in the environment and the singer acknowledges the effect their love has on them.

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!
The artist doesn't need any extra sweetness added to their life because the presence of their love is already more than enough.

When I'm taking sips From your dainty lips, Seems the honey fairly drips, You're confection, goodness knows, Oh, honey! suckle rose.
The artist associates their lover's sweetness with honey and experiences it as if it were dripping off their lips, affirming their lover's sweetness.

Every honeybee Fills with jealousy, When they see you out with me! I don't blame them, goodness knows, Oh, honey! suckle rose!
The singer reiterates that others envy their romance and that it doesn't make them feel guilty, but instead more grateful for their honey-like love.

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!
The singer doubles down on their observation that their romantic love causes a physical reaction in the environment and reaffirms their love for their sweetheart.

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.
The artist repeats their earlier lines about not needing any extra sweetness and experiencing their sweetheart's sweetness as if it were tangible, further emphasizing their love.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andy Razaf, Thomas Waller

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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