Honey – Bobby Goldsboro | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 5 weeks), 1968
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Honey songwriter Bobby Russell experienced a taste of chart success just a month after turning 21 when surf-rockers Jan & Dean took his Tennessee to #69 in 1962.
Four years later Gary Lewis and The Playboys made Bobby a Top 10 contender with their version of Sure Gonna Miss Her. Then, in early ’68 Bobby’s Little Green Apples became a #6 country single for Roger Miller, and reached #2 pop by O.C. Smith.
Still, the best was yet to come. Working at home one evening, Bobby noticed how much a tree he’d planted in the front yard had grown. Honey flowed from there.
Bob Shane, formerly of the Kingston Trio, first committed Honey to vinyl, and Bobby Goldsboro heard it. Bobby G’s own recording took just two takes. Take two rocketed to #1 in just four weeks.
At the Grammy awards both Honey and Little Green Apples received multiple nominations with Apples taking home two statues for Bobby Russell.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Bob Montgomery
Lyrics Written by:
- Bobby Russell
Awards:
- “Honey” was nominated for Best Original Song at the 40th Academy Awards in 1968
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).