You’ve probably heard it at a wedding. Or maybe in the quiet, hazy hours of a Sunday morning. The acoustic guitar ripples like water, the pedal steel sighs, and then that voice—gravel and silk—starts singing about tea in China.
Van Morrison’s "Tupelo Honey" isn’t just a song. It’s a mood. Released in 1971, the title track of his fifth studio album is widely considered one of the most romantic pieces of music ever put to tape. But if you look closer at the tupelo honey song lyrics, there’s a lot more going on than just a guy who really likes sweets.
The Woman Behind the Words
Most people know the "she" in the song is Janet Planet (born Janet Rigsbee), Van’s wife at the time. They were living in Woodstock, New York, hiding away from the chaos of the music industry. You can see her on the album cover—she’s the one on the horse while Van walks alongside.
Honestly, the lyrics are a pure time capsule of domestic bliss. At 26, Van was deeply in love. He calls her an "angel of the first degree." It’s vulnerable. For a guy who gained a reputation for being, well, a bit prickly and difficult with the press later in life, this song is remarkably soft.
The "lost verse" sometimes heard in live versions—where he mentions a rose pressed inside a Bible—only adds to that scrapbook feeling. He wasn’t just writing a hit; he was documenting his life.
What’s the Deal With "Tea in China"?
"You can take all the tea in China / Put it in a big brown bag for me."
It’s a weirdly specific image, right? In Belfast, where Van grew up, saying you wouldn’t do something for "all the tea in China" was common slang. It basically meant there was no price high enough. By saying he’d take that tea and drop it in the "deep blue sea," he’s telling the world that no amount of wealth or luxury matters compared to the woman he’s with.
It’s a grand, sweeping gesture. It’s also a bit of a middle finger to the material world.
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Why the Lyrics Reference Tupelo Honey Specifically
So, why tupelo? Why not clover or wildflower honey?
Tupelo honey is a very real, very specific thing. It comes from the Ogeechee Tupelo trees that grow in the swamps of the Florida Panhandle and Southern Georgia. It’s rare. The trees only bloom for about two or three weeks a year.
Key facts about the real honey:
- It has a high fructose-to-glucose ratio, which means it never crystallizes. It stays liquid forever.
- It has a greenish-gold hue and a buttery, mild taste.
- It’s often called the "Champagne of Honey."
When Van sings that she’s "as sweet as tupelo honey," he’s not just using a random adjective. He’s describing a love that is rare, expensive, and—crucially—doesn't "harden" or turn gritty over time.
Freedom and the Granite Men
The middle of the song takes a slightly cryptic turn. He starts talking about the "road to freedom" and "men in granite."
Some critics argue this is a nod to the American Dream or the Statue of Liberty. Others think it’s a reflection on the "Troubles" back in Ireland. Remember, 1971 was a heavy year for Belfast. Van was an expatriate in America, watching his home burn from across the ocean.
The "knights in armor bent on chivalry" suggest a longing for a simpler, more noble era. It’s a bit of mysticism thrown into an otherwise straightforward love song. That’s the classic Van Morrison formula: one foot in the kitchen with his wife, and the other foot in a mystical realm of ancient symbols.
The Controversy of the Melody
Here’s a bit of trivia that kind of ruins the magic for some: Van has used this exact melody multiple times.
If you listen to his earlier hit "Crazy Love," the DNA is clearly there. Later, in 1991, he used the same structure for "Why Must I Always Explain?" He often mashes these songs together in concert because they are, for all intents and purposes, the same tune.
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Even Bob Dylan once famously said that "Tupelo Honey" had always existed and that Van was just the "vessel" for it. It feels like a folk song that was pulled out of the air rather than something written in a studio.
How to Appreciate the Song Today
If you really want to dive into the tupelo honey song lyrics, don't just read them on a screen. Listen to the way he delivers them.
The song builds. It starts as a whisper and ends with Van belting "She's alright!" over and over. It’s a soulful exercise in repetition. By the time the seven-minute album version finishes, he’s convinced you (and maybe himself) that this love is the only thing that actually exists.
To get the full experience of the song's history:
- Check out the 1997 film Ulee’s Gold. Peter Fonda plays a beekeeper who actually makes tupelo honey, and the song plays during the credits. It’s the perfect visual companion.
- Compare the "Lost Verse" live versions. Look for recordings from the mid-90s where he adds the lines about the "rose pressed inside a Bible." It gives the song a more religious, sacred undertone.
- Order the real honey. If you can find a jar of authentic Nyssa Ogeche honey from the Apalachicola River basin, taste it while the record is playing. You'll realize Van wasn't exaggerating the sweetness.
The marriage to Janet didn't last—they divorced in 1973—but the song remains a perfect, un-crystallized moment of what it feels like to be completely, hopelessly content.