"Honey Pie" is a song written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartn… Read Full Bio ↴"Honey Pie" is a song written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and recorded by The Beatles for their 1968 album The Beatles.

"It’s not a parody, it’s a nod to the vaudeville tradition that I was raised on."
- McCartney

Interpretation

The song is a direct homage to the British music hall style. It concerns a famed actress, called only by the term of endearment "Honey Pie", who becomes famous in the United States, and her old lover, who wishes for her to rejoin him in England. The premise – a humble admirer yearning for the return of his lover – is not unlike a typical music hall plot. To establish an appropriate, old-timey sound, the band added the third line, "Now she's hit the big time!", along with "crackles" taken from a 78 rpm record. The song begins with a slower intro, and becomes fast after that.

Recording

Before recording sessions for the album began, the Beatles recorded a demo of Honey Pie at George Harrison's Esher home studios. This version contained slightly different lyrics and lacked the introduction of the final version. The demo was later released in 1996 on Anthology 3 and the 2018 Super Deluxe edition of The Beatles album.

Recording began on 1 October 1968, at Trident Studios in London's Wardour Street. Only one take was recorded on the first day, although it is likely that a number of rehearsal attempts had previously been recorded and wiped. The next day, McCartney taped his lead vocals, and a lead guitar part was added. According to George Harrison, John Lennon played the guitar solo. The song's woodwind arrangement by George Martin was recorded two days later on 4 October. McCartney added a final vocal overdub at the end of the session.

Honey Pie
The Beatles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She was a working girl
North of England way
Now she's hit the big time
In the U.S.A.
And if she could only hear me
This is what I'd say

Honey pie, you are making me crazy

I'm in love but I'm lazy
So won't you please come home

Oh honey pie, my position is tragic
Come and show me the magic
Of your Hollywood song

You became a legend of the silver screen
And now the thought of meeting you
Makes me weak in the knee

Oh honey pie, you are driving me frantic
Sail across the Atlantic
To be where you belong

Will the wind that blew her boat
Across the sea
Kindly send her sailing back to me

Honey pie, you are making me crazy

I'm in love but I'm lazy
So won't you please come home

Overall Meaning

The Beatles' song "Honey Pie" is a tribute to the golden age of Hollywood glamour and the transatlantic romance that often resulted from it. It tells the story of a working-class girl from the north of England who has made it big in the United States as a Hollywood starlet. The singer of the song is in love with her but is unable to leave his comfortable life in England. He pleads with her to return to him so that they can be together.

The lyrics are filled with references to Hollywood icons and Hollywood culture of the 1920s and 30s. The chorus, "Honey pie, you are making me crazy, I'm in love but I'm lazy, so won't you please come home," is a direct homage to the popular song "Honeysuckle Rose" written by Fats Waller and originally recorded in 1929. The line "Come and show me the magic of your Hollywood song" is a reference to the popular musicals of the time, such as "Singin' in the Rain" and "Top Hat."

The singer's desperate longing for the starlet reflects the notion that Hollywood stars were often seen as unattainable dream figures. However, the line "Will the wind that blew her boat across the sea kindly send her sailing back to me" suggests that the singer is still hopeful that their love can overcome the distance between them.

Overall, "Honey Pie" is a nostalgic love letter to a bygone era of Hollywood glamour and romance, with a touch of wistful longing for a love that remains just out of reach.

Line by Line Meaning

She was a working girl
She used to have a job and work for a living

North of England way
In the northern part of England

Now she's hit the big time
She has become successful

In the U.S.A.
In the United States of America

And if she could only hear me
If she could listen to me

This is what I'd say
This is what I would tell her

Honey pie, you are making me crazy
My dear, you are driving me crazy

I'm in love but I'm lazy
I love you, but I am not willing to make an effort

So won't you please come home
Please come back to me

Oh honey pie, my position is tragic
My dear, my situation is extremely unlucky

Come and show me the magic
Come and show me what makes you so special and amazing

Of your Hollywood song
Of your glamorous and exciting life in Hollywood

You became a legend of the silver screen
You have accomplished great things and become famous in movies

And now the thought of meeting you
Just thinking about meeting you

Makes me weak in the knee
Makes me feel nervous and excited

Oh honey pie, you are driving me frantic
My dear, you are making me feel extremely agitated

Sail across the Atlantic
Travel across the Atlantic Ocean

To be where you belong
To return to where you came from and feel at home

Will the wind that blew her boat
Could the wind that carried her away

Across the sea
Across the ocean

Kindly send her sailing back to me
Please bring her back to me by blowing her boat back my way

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN LENNON, PAUL MCCARTNEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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