Honey Don't by Carl Perkins on TIDAL

About the Song

Carl Perkins, a pioneer of the rockabilly genre, released “Honey Don’t” in 1956, a song that would become a cornerstone of his career and a classic of early rock and roll.

With its infectious rhythm, catchy melody, and energetic guitar playing, “Honey Don’t” perfectly captures the spirit of rockabilly. Perkins’s vocals are full of raw emotion and passion, delivering the song’s message with conviction.

The lyrics of “Honey Don’t” are simple yet effective, telling the story of a man pleading with his lover to be honest about her feelings. The song’s repetitive chorus, “Honey don’t, honey don’t, honey don’t,” creates a sense of urgency and desperation.

“Honey Don’t” was a huge success upon its release, reaching number 2 on the Billboard country chart. It has since been covered by countless artists, including Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Jerry Lee Lewis, cementing its status as a rock and roll standard.

In addition to its commercial success, “Honey Don’t” is also significant for its influence on other musicians. The song’s driving rhythm and catchy melody helped to define the sound of rockabilly and inspired countless artists who followed in Perkins’ footsteps.

In conclusion, “Honey Don’t” is a timeless classic that continues to be loved by fans of rock and roll. Its infectious rhythm, catchy melody, and powerful vocals make it a must-listen for anyone who appreciates the early days of rock and roll.Carl Perkins | Discogs

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Lyrics: Honey Don’t 

Well, how can you say you will, when you won’t
You tell me you do, baby, when you don’t?
Let me know, honey, how you feel
Tell the truth how is love realAh-hah, oh honey don’t, well honey don’t
Honey don’t, no honey don’t, hey honey don’t
I say you will when you won’t, ah-hah honey don’tWell, I love you, baby, and you ought to know
I like the way that you wear your clothes
Everything about you is so doggone sweet
You got that sand all over your feetSo ah-hah, hey honey don’t, honey don’t
Well honey don’t, ah-hah honey don’t, honey don’t
I say you will when you won’t, ah-hah honey don’t

Oh honey don’t

Well, sometimes I love you on a Saturday night
Sunday morning you don’t look right
You’ve been out painting the town
Uh baby, been stepping around

So ah-hah, hey honey don’t, well honey don’t
Honey don’t, honey don’t, well honey don’t
I say you will when you won’t, ah-hah honey don’t

Well well, honey don’t, oh honey don’t
Yeah honey don’t, honey don’t
I say you will when you won’t, ah-hah honey don’t

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MINNIE PEARL WALKED ONSTAGE AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY FOR 50 YEARS WITH A $1.98 PRICE TAG ON HER HAT — AND THEN ONE NIGHT, SHE JUST COULDN’T ANYMORE. Here’s something most people don’t think about with Minnie Pearl. That price tag hanging off her straw hat? It wasn’t random. Sarah Cannon — that was her real name — created it as a joke about a country girl too proud of her new hat to take the tag off. And audiences loved it so much that it became the most recognizable prop in country music history. For over fifty years, that tag meant Minnie was here, and everything was going to be fun. So imagine what it felt like when she couldn’t put the hat on anymore. In June 1991, Sarah had a massive stroke. She was 79. And just like that, the woman who hadn’t missed an Opry show in decades was gone from the stage. But here’s what gets me. She didn’t die in 1991. She lived another five years after that stroke, mostly out of the public eye, unable to perform, unable to be “Minnie” the way she’d always been. Her husband Henry Cannon took care of her at their Nashville home. Friends visited, but they said it was hard. The woman who made millions of people laugh couldn’t get through a full conversation some days. Roy Acuff, her old friend from the Opry, kept her dressing room exactly the way she left it. Nobody used it. The hat sat there. She passed on March 4, 1996. And what most people remember is the comedy. The “HOW-DEEE” catchphrase. The big goofy grin. What they don’t remember is that Sarah Cannon was also a serious fundraiser for cancer research. Centennial Medical Center in Nashville named their cancer center after her — not after Minnie, after Sarah. She raised millions and rarely talked about it publicly. There’s a story about the very last time Sarah tried to put on the hat at home, months after the stroke, and what her husband said to her in that moment — it’s the kind of detail that makes you see fifty years of comedy completely differently. Roy Acuff kept Minnie Pearl’s dressing room untouched for years after she left — was that loyalty to a friend, or was he holding a door open for someone he knew was never coming back?