Tupelo Honey

The Zoo Crew is spinning the sweet sounds of Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison, a track from his 1971 album of the same name, and the Zoo Freaks are surely vibing to its soulful groove. This song, a love letter wrapped in country-soul, carries a melody borrowed from Morrison’s earlier tune Crazy Love, released in 1970. Interestingly, the same melody later found its way into his 1991 song Why Must I Always Explain? from the album Hymns to the Silence. Morrison has even performed Tupelo Honey as a medley with these two songs in live concerts, creating a seamless tapestry of his musical evolution. Bob Dylan, a close friend and collaborator, once said that Tupelo Honey “has always existed and that Morrison was merely the vessel and the earthly vehicle for it,” a sentiment echoed by Allmusic, which praised the song’s timeless, natural flow. The track’s gentle flute intro, crafted by jazz drummer Connie Kay (who also played on Morrison’s Astral Weeks), builds into a passionate vocal performance where Morrison pours his heart into lines like “she’s as sweet as Tupelo honey” and “she’s all right with me.”

Some fans interpret the song’s lyrics as a nod to the Statue of Liberty, early America, or the concept of freedom, especially with lines like “You can’t stop us on the road to freedom” and references to the Boston Tea Party. Others believe it’s a tribute to Morrison’s first wife, Janet “Planet” Rigsbee, who inspired several of his early works. The song’s title comes from the rare, mild-tasting honey made from the nectar of tupelo tree blossoms in the southeastern United States, a detail that gained wider recognition after the album’s release and later through the 1997 film Ulee’s Gold, where Peter Fonda’s beekeeper character harvests this honey. On the sitcom Friends, Ross famously called Tupelo Honey the most romantic song ever, cementing its place in pop culture. The song also influenced Bruce Springsteen’s Racing in the Street, showing its structural impact on other artists. A duet version with Brian Kennedy appears on Morrison’s 1994 live album A Night in San Francisco, and another with Bobby Bland is featured on the 2007 compilation The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3.

Van Morrison, born George Ivan Morrison on August 31, 1945, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, began his musical journey as a teenager with a deep love for blues, jazz, and soul. Growing up in a working-class family, he was exposed to his father’s extensive record collection, which included artists like Lead Belly, Ray Charles, and Hank Williams. By age 13, Morrison was playing guitar and saxophone, performing in local skiffle and rock bands. His first taste of fame came with the band Them in the mid-1960s, where he penned and sang the garage rock classic Gloria, a song that became a staple for countless cover bands. After leaving Them, Morrison launched his solo career in 1967 with the hit Brown Eyed Girl, though he faced challenges with unfavorable record contracts that fueled his distrust of the music industry. His 1968 album Astral Weeks, a mystical blend of folk, jazz, and soul, established him as a visionary artist, followed by the more polished Moondance in 1970, which solidified his reputation as a blue-eyed soul innovator.

Morrison’s career, now spanning nearly six decades, has been marked by relentless creativity and a refusal to be boxed in by genre. Known for his unpredictable personality and occasional grumpiness—once famously muttering a curt response to a fan who praised his music on a hiking trail—he’s also a deeply spiritual artist whose work explores love, freedom, and transcendence. His induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and the enduring acclaim for albums like Astral Weeks and Moondance (both listed among Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums) reflect his monumental impact. You can explore more about Van Morrison on his official website, follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans gather to celebrate his music on sites like Van Morrison’s Official Fan Club and the Van Morrison Fans Facebook Group, where Zoo Freaks might find kindred spirits sharing stories and setlists from his legendary performances.