Honey Bee
Muddy Waters Lyrics


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Sail on
Sail on my little honey bee, sail on
Sail on
Sail on my little honey bee, sail on
You gonna keep on sailing
Till you lose your happy home

Sail on
Sail on my little honey bee, sail on
Sail on
Sail on my little honey bee, sail on
I don't mind you sailing
But please don't sail so long

All right, little honey bee

I hear a lotta buzzing
Sound like my little honey bee
I hear a lotta buzzing
Sound like my little honey bee





She been all around the world making honey
But now she is coming back home to me

Overall Meaning

In Muddy Waters's iconic blues song, "Honey Bee," the singer addresses their beloved, urging them to continue on their journey ("sail on") while warning them of the potential consequences ("you gonna keep on sailing till you lose your happy home"). The singer seems resigned to their lover's desire to explore and travel, but pleads with them to return home eventually ("I don't mind you sailing but please don't sail so long"). In the final stanza, the singer hears a familiar buzzing sound, which they recognize as their "little honey bee" returning home after her travels.


The metaphor of the bee as a vehicle for the lover's wanderlust is a central image in the song. Bees are traditionally associated with travel and exploration, as they journey from flower to flower to gather nectar. However, the singer raises the stakes by warning of the potential loss of their "happy home" if the bee continues to travel for too long. The repetition of the phrase "sail on" becomes more ominous with each repetition, suggesting the inevitability of the lover's departure and the singer's own sense of resignation.


In addition to its poignant lyrics, "Honey Bee" is also notable for its use of amplification and distortion, which were groundbreaking techniques at the time of its release in 1951. The song was a hit for Waters, and has since been covered by countless artists, including Taj Mahal, Eric Clapton, and the Allman Brothers Band.


Line by Line Meaning

Sail on
Continue on your journey


Sail on my little honey bee, sail on
Continue on your journey, my dear lover


Sail on
Continue on your journey


Sail on my little honey bee, sail on
Continue on your journey, my dear lover


You gonna keep on sailing
You will continue sailing


Till you lose your happy home
Until you lose our home filled with happiness


Sail on
Continue on your journey


Sail on my little honey bee, sail on
Continue on your journey, my dear lover


Sail on
Continue on your journey


Sail on my little honey bee, sail on
Continue on your journey, my dear lover


I don't mind you sailing
I don't mind if you continue sailing


But please don't sail so long
But please don't continue your journey for too long


All right, little honey bee
Okay, my dear lover


I hear a lotta buzzing
I hear a lot of chatter


Sound like my little honey bee
Sounds like my dear lover


I hear a lotta buzzing
I hear a lot of chatter


Sound like my little honey bee
Sounds like my dear lover


She been all around the world making honey
She has traveled around the world spreading her love


But now she is coming back home to me
But now she is returning to be with me




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MC KINLEY MORGANFIELD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@liamgallagher8795

Sail on

Sail on my little honey bee, sail on

Sail on

Sail on my little honey bee, sail on


You gonna keep on sailing


Till you lose your happy home



Sail on

Sail on my little honey bee, sail on


Sail on

Sail on my little honey bee, sail on


I don't mind you sailing

But please don't sail so long

All right, little honey bee

I hear a lotta buzzing

Sound like my little honey bee


I hear a lotta buzzing


Sound like my little honey bee

She been all around the world making honey

But now she is coming back home to me


MASTERPIECE OF THE BLUES



All comments from YouTube:

@hughcameron

Muddy and the band played the first gig of this tour in Glasgow. Carey Bell led the band for 45 minutes before Muddy came on for an hour and a half. After Muddy left the band played for another hour. It was the best night of music I have ever had.

@samsukepicotiri2919

Was it a common thing to happen? I mean such a long show.

@heinrichkoop9189

You lucky ... 😀

@tcm6756

So very cool Hugh. This is a marvelous video. It sort of peaked here, didn't it?

@Bellabaddi

Sounds like a lot of legends did this. bb king and James brown did this, a lot of others I can’t recall too. I was always impressed at how good their whole bands were, like a well oiled machine.

@biggusdickus1689

@@samsukepicotiri2919 Lot's of bands will play 3+ hours in more jam centred genres. Pretty common amongst blues/jazz artists as well as prog/psych bands

10 More Replies...

@JV-df9em

Even the filmography is incredible, what a masterpiece

@joefox9765

👍

@armurano5093

Definitely film.

@dianacrow7509

Rare...

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