The paths of Johnny Hodges (John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges, nicknames: "Rab… Read Full Bio ↴The paths of Johnny Hodges (John Cornelius "Johnny" Hodges, nicknames: "Rabbit", "Jeep". b. July 25, 1907, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, d. May 11, 1970) and Duke Ellington are eternally intertwined. While Hodges is now universally acknowledged as one of the seminal alto saxophonists in jazz he was, at times, overlooked as an artist in his own right; somehow hidden in the penumbra of The Duke Ellington Orchestra, for which Mr. Hodges was the lead alto player for many decades (doubling on soprano saxophone in the '30's and '40's as well).

Hodges was apparently aware of this effect, leaving the Ellington orchestra in the 1950's, to be replaced by the stellar alto man, Willie Smith, formerly the lead alto star of the Jimmy Lunceford Orchestra. This situation somehow benefitted neither Ellington or Hodges, with the Ellington orchestra losing a certain luster despite Mr. Smith's excellence, and with major stardom just beyond Mr. Hodges' reach.

Luckily for the listener the recordings Mr. Hodges left behind as a leader, while arguably eluding stardom for the artist at the time, are nonpareil examples of relaxed swing, subtle inflection and perfect phrasing, peerless tone and seemingly effortless technique. More luck for the listener, Mr. Hodges later rejoined the Ellington fold, returning a signature sound to the orchestra's unique palette for many years after.

It has been reported that the Ellington orchestra worked nearly 365 days a year. When asked about this grueling schedule Mr. Ellington said something to the effect that he would settle for nothing less than the finest artists for his orchestra. What with the necessarily high salaries accorded an orchestra of virtuosos, the band had to work often in order to survive. Certainly no one in the Ellington orchestra more exemplified Mr. Ellington's highest standards than Johhny Hodges.

Honeysuckle rose
Johnny Hodges Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

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 song "Honeysuckle Rose" by Johnny Hodges is a sweet and light-hearted love song that compares the singer's lover to a honeysuckle rose, a type of fragrant flower. The opening lines of the song talk about how even honeybees feel jealous when they see the singer's lover with him, indicating how desirable and attractive the person is. It is as if their love is so pure and strong that it attracts not only humans, but beings from the natural world as well.

The next section talks about how the mere presence of the lover can cause flowers to droop and sigh, which might imply that the lover has a significant aura or energy that can affect the surrounding environment. Throughout the lyrics, the singer uses honey-related imagery to describe the sweetness of their lover's personality and how they add sweetness to the singer's life. When the singer is taking sips from their lover's "tasty lips", it seems like the honey is dripping, indicating that the love and passion is overflowing and abundant.

Line by Line Meaning

Every honey bee fills with jealousy
Whenever other people see us together, they're so jealous that it's as if bees around them are filled with envy.

When they see you out with me
Their jealousy is provoked alone by seeing the two of us together.

Goodness knows
It's true that everyone is envious of us, and it's a fact.

You're my honeysuckle rose
You are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on and I'm so lucky that you're mine.

When you're passin' by flowers droop and sigh
The flowers nearby seem to droop and sigh whenever you pass by, showing how enchanting you are.

And I know the reason why
I know exactly why the flowers are in such a state - because of your stunning beauty.

Don't buy sugar
There's no need to buy sugar because everything you do and are is already so sweet to me.

You just have to touch my cup
Simply by being near me, you make everything I have and touch sweeter.

It's sweeter when you stir it up
Even the everyday and mundane things become sweeter just by being around you, because you bring so much joy into my life.

When I'm taking sips from your tasty lips
Kissing you is so sweet and delicious that it's like sipping on the nectar of honeysuckle flowers.

Seems the honey fairly drips
It feels as if the sweetness of your lips is so intense that it's like honey dripping from them.

Goodness knows
All I can say is that it's true, and nobody can deny the fact that you're my honeysuckle rose.

You're my honeysuckle rose
You are the epitome of sweetness, beauty and enchantment and I'm blessed to call you mine.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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