"Honey Pie" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as the "White Album"). The song was written entirely by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership.
Interpretation
The song is a direct homage to the British music hall style. It concerns a famed actress, called only by the term of endearment "Honey Pie", who becomes famous in the United States, and her old lover, who wishes for her to rejoin him in England. The premise – a humble admirer yearning for the return of his lover – is not unlike a typical music hall plot. To establish an appropriate, old-timey sound, the band added the third line, "Now she's hit the big time!", along with "crackles" taken from a 78 rpm record.
The song begins with a slower intro, and becomes fast after that.
Recording
Recording began on 1 October 1968, at Trident Studios in London's Wardour Street. Only one take was recorded on the first day, although it is likely that a number of rehearsal attempts had previously been recorded and wiped. The next day, McCartney taped his lead vocals, and a lead guitar part was added. According to George Harrison, John Lennon played the guitar solo. The song's woodwind arrangement by George Martin was recorded two days later on 4 October. McCartney added a final vocal overdub at the end of the session.
In his book Revolution in the Head, Ian MacDonald describes "Honey Pie" as having “a catchy tune, the correct period harmonic design, and all the proper passing chords”. Dave Rybs of "Beatles Music History" called the song "underrated."
Although Lennon's guitar solo is only four bars long, Guitar Player contributor Christopher Scapelliti praised it as being "stylistically, it’s right on the money." the Golden Gate Quartet, Tuck & Patti, and John Pizzarelli, English folk-rock duo Therapy on their album One Night Stand, among others. In the 1978 film Sextette, Dom DeLuise performed the song. Phish covered the song, with the rest of the "White Album", on the album Live Phish Volume 13.
In 2016 Wesley Schultz sang it in Beat Bugs episode 12b.
Personnel
The Beatles
- Paul McCartney – vocal, piano
- John Lennon – rhythm guitar, lead guitar
- George Harrison – six-stringed bass
- Ringo Starr – drums
Additional musicians
- George Martin – saxophone and clarinet arrangement
- Harry Klein – saxophone
- Dennis Walton – saxophone
- Ronald Chamberlain – saxophone
- Jim Chester – saxophone
- Rex Morris – saxophone
- Raymond Newman – clarinet
- David Smith – clarinet