Yow, I have not heard the song to which you refer, and I am not going to seek it out, either. How do you explain the line about "the angels came" then? Unless perhaps she ran off with an entire baseball team?
He had several songs like that... his style bounced around quite a bit, from tear jerking ballads (Butterfly for Bucky), to introspective ballads, to country flavroed rock, to latin flavored pop that sounded like it came right off a Tony Orlando and Dawn album (which happens to be may favorite of his)
Hadn't thought of the baseball interpretation, but that's not bad. Yes, that is a pretty clear sign that she's dead. But the possibility does exist that that's simply how he's chosen to cope with losing her - as heartbreaking as death is, at least he could then say it wasn't his fault. If she got fed up with his chauvinism and ran off on him, he wouldn't have that luxury. Since the song doesn't actually say how she died or that he found her body when he got home, it's not completely implausible.
Never been one I care to hear. Bobby Russell also penned that other slice of treacle Little Green Apples as well as The Night The Lights Went Out in Georgia. I actually liked the follow-up Autumn Of My Life a lot more, definitely my cup of sap. He also had some good stuff into the 70s. Since we're half way through the season let's stop to say Hello Summertime:
"Honey" was OK the first 10 or so times I heard it, but it was one of those overplayed records that wore thin after that. That's the curse of being #1 is that your song would be repeated ad nauseum on all kinds of radio stations. Bobby had a few other of these wimpy-type songs too as I recall, but I preferred the songs that were more uptempo like "Muddy Mississippi Line" posted above. In that vein - and from that same album is my favorite Bobby Goldsboro song, "Mornin', Mornin'" That one got a lot of airplay on the station I listened to and it's stuck with me all of these years.
Here in the Islands this was pretty popular because of the large Japanese population. I don't know that something like this would fly in this day and age but it's sort of amusing. And it was written by Bacharach/David!
Good God, I had no idea Bobby Goldsboro had recorded so much material that's even worse than "Honey."
I didn't even read your blurb when I gave the record a spin (a short one, I cut it off) in the hopes that it would be a brilliant cover of one of my favourite Four Seasons tracks. No such luck. But the immediate strong impression was precisely as you said: Tony Orlando and Dawn. Whom I can also live without. As for Honey, I read a review of it somewhere that said the narrator was so sappy, what with "oh what the heck" after she totals his car, that he would probably put down roots if he weren't careful. I didn't realize for a long time that it was a suicide (until I read it somewhere), I always had trouble picking up clues like that ... Apparently Everyone's Gone to the Moon by Jonathan King is too, which I also didn't realize, there not being any reference to "topping yourself" (in the British parlance) in its lyrics. That was pointed out to me c. 2002. That one I do like a lot.
It's surprising that Honey was #1 for 5 weeks. I don't like it, but it's not even that exciting of a song. Or catchy. It just plods along. We're almost half way through 1968 and there's only been 6 songs that hit #1. It's so interesting that most of these '68 songs have stayed at #1 for weeks.
Another song that was real popular at this time was "Mac Arthur Park" by Richard Harris, which is what I would rather listen to over "Honey" any day. I'm surprised "Mony Mony" by Tommy James & The Shondells wasn't able to wedge its way to the top.
There were only 2 songs in '68 that hit the top for only 1 week. This was a record until 1984 when only 1 song managed that feat. Then in 2002, no song spent just 1 week at the top. 1975 holds the record for most weeks in a row where no song went beyond 1 week at #1 - 12 in total! From Mandy in January through Lovin' You in April. It's also the year that had the most one week #1 songs - 24 in total.
And that streak was bracketed on both ends by Elton John songs - "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" in January and "Philadelphia Freedom" in April, #1 for 2 weeks each.
Wow, lots of Bobby G songs being posted. Okay, okay, I did two but still, who knew he'd generate such interest. Here's one more from 1970:
I like "Honey". Sure, it may sound corny to some, but I like the fact that it made it to #1 while being different from most of what was on the radio back then.
Just my opinion, but I don't think we can really say for sure that it was a suicide. The only real clue to that end is that the way ol' Bobby treated her when she was alive showed signs of abuse (laughing at her when she nearly injured herself, coming home unannounced to "catch" her crying, the fact that she thought he'd be angry at her over the car accident, etc.). But since all we know about her death is that she was home alone, any number of things could have happened.
The Smothers Brothers did a hilarious send up of Honey on their TV show in 1968. The skit had Tommy Smothers as the widower husband giving tours of the "Honey House" to a group of tourists while singing the song. References in the song are highlighted such as tissues strewn about the room because Honey was crying. You could see the tree and how big it has grown. There is a gift shop where people could buy souvinirs such as a button saying "I'm being good." As the next group arrives, Dickie Smothers takes the role of the husband. And Bobby Goldsboro is there in the scene as one of the eager tourists! The video was on Youtube for a while, but sadly it was taken down. I remember seeing the show. I do know that the song holds meaning for many people, especially those who have lost a spouse. I admit it was an effective tearjerker for me back then. My favorite songs by Bobby are I'm A Drifter and The Straight Life. If you go to Bobby's webpage, you will find that he is also an oil painter and children's book author. But be forewarned that Honey starts playing as you click ... The Official Website of Bobby Goldsboro!
