Wild Honey

Album: Wild Honey (1967)
Charted: 29 31
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Wild Honey is probably a reference to a kiss, although it could have a more explicit meaning. The phrase has been used by many bands including U2 ("Wild Honey"), The Beatles ("Wild Honey Pie"), and The Steve Miller Band ("Wild Mountain Honey").
  • This was released as a single with "Wind Chimes" from the album Smiley Smile. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Patrick - Statesville, NC, for above 2
  • Mike Love of The Beach Boys recalled to Billboard magazine in a 2012 interview that he went into the kitchen to make some tea whilst "Darlin'" was being recorded at Brian Wilson's house in Bel-Air. "Brian had a health food store back then called the Radiant Radish," he remembered, "and I look up and see 'wild honey,' and the track is pumping and I thought, "I'll make up a song called 'Wild Honey.'" So Love penned a song "about a girl and this guy-I was even thinking about Stevie Wonder at the time." He wondered, "What would Stevie Wonder say to his mother about a girl that maybe she didn't want him to get involved with, but he says, 'Screw it' - he really digs this chick. That was the premise of the song."

Comments: 5

  • Steve Dotstar from Los Angeles, CaI've never heard this song with the vocal..just love the backing track from Stack O'Tracks album. very cool sounding!
  • Mario from Esky, MiThere is a theremin line played in sync with an organ throughout the song.
    The backing track can be heard on the official Beach Boys' Stack-o-Tracks album.
    This song was inspired by one of Brian Wilson's favorite foods! The song has never been mixed into stereo and it would be hard to, since most of the master tapes for this song are lost.
  • Andrew from Birmingham, United StatesOops, I meant "Long live the Beach Boys!" Again, no offense to Carl and Dennis.
  • Andrew from Birmingham, United StatesThis is one of my favorites of the Beach Boys; of the many groups, the Beach Boys are some of my favorites themselves. This is one heck of a song. Great beat; great lyrics; great everything! Love live the Beach Boys! Oh, no offense, Carl and Dennis Wilson.
  • Niall from Dublin, IrelandCarl was really finding his voice with this song
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New Words

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.

Adele

AdeleFact or Fiction

Despite her reticent personality, Adele's life and music are filled with intrigue. See if you can spot the true tales.

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"

Ian Anderson: "The delight in making music is that you don't have a formula"Songwriter Interviews

Ian talks about his 3 or 4 blatant attempts to write a pop song, and also the ones he most connected with, including "Locomotive Breath."

John Lee Hooker

John Lee HookerSongwriter Interviews

Into the vaults for Bruce Pollock's 1984 conversation with the esteemed bluesman. Hooker talks about transforming a Tony Bennett classic and why you don't have to be sad and lonely to write the blues.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.