Song Lyric Sunday — Terms of Endearment

Fandango

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams asked us to pick a song about pet names we use as terms of endearment for that special someone in our life. I was thinking about going with Elton John’s “The Bitch is Back,” but then I noticed that Jim asked us to focus on more endearing terms, like “babe,” “cutie,” “doll,” “honey,” and “sweetie.” And so, for the third time in five weeks, I’m going with a Van Morrison song, “Tupelo Honey.”

“Tupelo Honey” was written by Van Morrison and was the title song from his 1971 album, Tupelo Honey. The song was released as a single in 1972, and it reached number 47 on the U.S. pop chart. Tupelo honey, for your information, is honey made from the sweet flowers of the tupelo tree, which grows abundantly in swampy areas of the southeastern United States.

“Tupelo Honey” was written as an homage to the domestic happiness Morrison had found once he’d married his wife Janet. They’d met during his time with Them, an Irish R&B band. She was also his muse for several of Morrison’s earlier songs, including “Crazy Love,” a song I featured in my December 29, 2019 Song Lyric Sunday post. In fact, the song’s melody, which has a catchy, soulful, and almost mystical feel to it, was borrowed from Morrison’s song “Crazy Love,” released the previous year.

Here are the lyrics to “Tupelo Honey.”

You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail right around all the seven oceans
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea
She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee

You can’t stop us on the road to freedom
You can’t keep us ’cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor bent on chivalry
She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like honey, baby, from the bee

You can’t stop us on the road to freedom
You can’t stop us ’cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor intent on chivalry
She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like honey, baby, from the bee

You know she’s alright, oh she’s alright with me
You know, you know, you know she’s alright, she alright with me
You know, you know, you know you know
You know she’s alright, alright with me
She’s alright, she’s alright
She’s alright with me
She’s alright
She’s alright with me
She’s alright
She’s alright with me

She’s al, she’s alright, she’s alright
She’s alright with me
She’s alright, she’s alright, she’s alright, she’s alright

You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail it right around all these seven oceans
Drop it smack dab in the middle of the deep blue sea
Because, she’s as sweet as Tupelo honey, yes she is
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like honey, baby, from the bee

She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as Tupelo honey
Just like the honey, from the bee
She’s alright, she’s alright with me
She’s my baby, you know she’s alright
She’s my baby, she’s my baby, she’s alright
She’s my baby

20 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday — Terms of Endearment”

  4. Paula Light February 2, 2020 / 6:33 am

    I also chose this! 🎶

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Fandango February 2, 2020 / 8:45 am

      Yes. You, the Deadhead guy, and me. It’s a great choice, no?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      • Paula Light February 2, 2020 / 8:50 am

        It’s fabulous! ✨

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply
  5. newepicauthor February 2, 2020 / 7:04 am

    The third time is a charm and there is nothing more charming than Tupelo Honey. Can you make it four in a row with I/Me/Them/Us/You/We next week?

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    • Fandango February 2, 2020 / 8:47 am

      I’ll see what I can do. Van Morrison used to be in the band “Them.” Can that count? 😏

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. J-Dub February 2, 2020 / 1:26 pm

    I was so hoping someone would pick this song. Van Morrison ❤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  8. msjadeli February 2, 2020 / 3:25 pm

    I don’t care much for most of Van Morrison but this one and Brown Eyed Girl are two that I do like. It’s nice to feel that happiness with another person.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  9. leigha66 February 3, 2020 / 10:33 am

    Sad to say this is the first time I have heard this song… very good!

    Like

    Reply

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