Formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961, the original group comprised singer-musician-composer and bandleader Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl Wilson and Dennis Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Wilson neighbor David Marks appeared on their first four albums and was a member from 1962 to 1963 as a temporary replacement for Jardine, who had left the group to pursue a career in dentistry.
On their first few studio albums, the group primarily played surf music, but this changed after 1964 as their songs became more sophisticated and autobiographical. The 1965 album Today! particularly represented this shift in sound. Bruce Johnston joined the group that same year. Session drummer Hal Blaine is quoted: "We all studied in conservatories; we were trained musicians. We thought it was a fluke at first, but then we realized Brian was writing these incredible songs. This was not just a young kid writing about high school and surfing."
Following their most esteemed work, Pet Sounds (1966), the band became symbols of psychedelic counterculture. The highly anticipated follow-up, Smile, was left unfinished, and Brian soon relinquished his creative hold on the group. A trilogy of lo-fi releases followed: Smiley Smile (1967), Wild Honey (1967), and Friends (1968). Brian would not be credited as a primary composer for any Beach Boys album until 1977's Love You, an album on the fringe of synth-pop, new wave, and punk.
In Brian's absence, the Beach Boys still managed to release music that was regarded favorably by fans and critics despite poor sales: Sunflower (1970) and Surf's Up (1971). South African musicians Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar played and sang with the band on the next two albums: Carl & the Passions - So Tough (1972), and Holland (1973).
Many changes in both musical style and personnel have occurred in their sometimes-stormy career: Brian Wilson's mental illness and drug addiction; the deaths of Dennis Wilson in 1983 and Carl Wilson in 1998; and continuing legal battles among surviving members of the group. With the release of 1974's Endless Summer they became a more popular touring act, playing their greatest hits. They have recorded 36 Billboard Top 40 hits (including four number-one singles), have had over 100 million sales, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
Official site: http://www.thebeachboys.com
wild honey
The Beach Boys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Eat up, eat up, eat up, honey
Mama I'm tellin' you as sure as I'm standing here
She's my girl and that's the way I'm keeping it now mama dear
No good will it do you to stand there and frown at me
The girl's got my heart and my love's coming down on me
My love's coming down since I got a taste of wild honey
Wild honey
She got it on and stung me good yes sirree
With all the other stud bees buzzing all around her hive
She singled me out, single handed took me alive
Well can you can, you gonna take my life eating up her wild honey
(Sweet, sweet,honey bee)
(Eat up, eat up, eat up, honey)
Oh mama she's sweeter
Gettin' sweeter
Sweeter, sweeter
Sweet
Wild honey
Let me tell you how she really got to my soul
It ain't funny
The way she make want to sing a little rock 'n' roll
There's nothing quite nice as a kiss of wild honey
I break my back workin' just to save me some money
So I can spend my life with her
Sock it to me wild honey
Wild honey, she's mine
Wild honey, she's mine
(Sweet, sweet,honey bee)
(Eat up, eat up, eat up, honey)
The lyrics of "Wild Honey" by The Beach Boys seem to be about a man who has fallen deeply in love with a woman, who he describes as having the sweetness of a honey bee. He tells his mother that the girl has won his heart and that he is determined to keep her, regardless of any objections or disapprovals she may have. The man claims that he feels as though he has been stung by a bee, and that he cannot resist the woman's charms. He compares her to other "stud bees" buzzing around her, who have not been able to capture her heart as he has.
The song seems to be about the power of love and attraction, and the irresistible nature of sweetness. The references to "wild honey" and the "honey bee" help to create an overall sense of sensuality and indulgence, as the man revels in his love for this woman. Through this imagery, the song explores the natural world and its role in human emotions, suggesting that sweet and delicious things can bring people together and create deep connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet sweet honey bee
Addressing a honey bee with affection, portraying it as something that he loves.
Eat up, eat up, eat up, honey
Asking the honey bee to consume as much nectar as possible, wanting to see it thrive.
Mama I'm tellin' you as sure as I'm standing here
Addressing his mother to inform her about the girl he has fallen in love with.
She's my girl and that's the way I'm keeping it now mama dear
Declaring that he is committed to the girl and not willing to change his mind.
No good will it do you to stand there and frown at me
Asserting that his mother's opposition will not change his decision.
The girl's got my heart and my love's coming down on me
The girl has captured his heart and he is deeply in love with her.
My love's coming down since I got a taste of wild honey
He has fallen in love with the girl since he tasted her 'wild' sweetness.
You know she's got the sweetness of a honey bee
Comparing the girl's sweetness to that of a honey bee.
Wild honey
Referring to the girl's taste of sweetness that is not usual.
She got it on and stung me good yes sirree
The girl's sweetness has caught him off guard and he is stung by love.
With all the other stud bees buzzing all around her hive
The girl has many suitors that are after her.
She singled me out, single handed took me alive
Despite many suitors, the girl chose him and he is now in love with her.
Well can you can, you gonna take my life eating up her wild honey
The girl's sweetness is so addictive that he is willing to risk his life just to experience it.
(Sweet, sweet,honey bee)
Repeating his affectionate address to the honey bee.
(Eat up, eat up, eat up, honey)
Repeating his request for the honey bee to consume as much nectar as possible.
Oh mama she's sweeter
Telling his mother that the girl is even sweeter than he initially thought.
Gettin' sweeter
Explaining that the girl is getting sweeter as he spends more time with her.
Sweeter, sweeter
Continuing to emphasize the girl's increasing sweetness.
Sweet
Concluding his description of the girl's sweetness.
Wild honey
Repeating his reference to the girl's unique taste of sweetness.
Let me tell you how she really got to my soul
Describing how the girl has deeply influenced his emotions.
It ain't funny
Implying that the effect the girl had on him was serious and not something to laugh about.
The way she make want to sing a little rock 'n' roll
Expressing how happy the girl makes him feel, even to the point of wanting to sing and dance.
There's nothing quite nice as a kiss of wild honey
Stressing how much he enjoys the girl's sweetness, even comparing it to a kiss.
I break my back workin' just to save me some money
Working hard to be able to provide for the girl and spend his life with her.
So I can spend my life with her
The motivation behind his hard work is to ensure that he can spend his life with the girl he loves.
Sock it to me wild honey
Stressing his desire for the girl and her sweetness.
Wild honey, she's mine
Affirming that the girl is his and no one else's.
(Sweet, sweet,honey bee)
Repeating his affectionate address to the honey bee.
(Eat up, eat up, eat up, honey)
Repeating his request for the honey bee to consume as much nectar as possible.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL LOVE, BRIAN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@drumgold23
The Beach Boys are just the most endlessly fascinating band that ever existed. Their whole history is way more crazy and surreal than their early surf and sun hits would lead you to believe.
@jeremycline9542
I recently got into their '67-'76 work and I love it...it's like discovering the Beatles didn't break up or something to that effect.
@muggymug
Almost as confusing as the history of Yes.
@1401minstrel
Well said!
@NOWtheband
Right on!
@lowenbad
There’s a fascinating playlist on Spotify called “The Beach Boys Story” that is 17 hours long and goes into every single facet of their career in Chronological order. Highly recommended for a crash course on their history.
@EdKazO-Vision
It’s a crime the way Blondie and Ricky are always written out of The Beach Boys story.
@ripping6900
Sail On was frim this era. Great tune. How could the Beach Boys go wrong with a former Rutle.
@XxSTAR1977WARSxX
Wild... the only time The Beach Boys were anything close to a jam band. Even ol’ Michael Love is taking a backseat and making himself useful. Marvelous
@danijelujcic8644
First video I've ever seen of ML actually playing something :-)