The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, bulbs grow in my latest garden
Warm, warm, warm, warm, warm sun-fingers wave
In my latest garden
Flowers dance, their faces brave
Come talk freely in the garden of my lady
Her hominy smile, her hominy snatch
Only a crow would peck and a chicken would scratch
Her lips turned up to kiss
I see ya, Phoebe, baby, in your bonnet
With the sunset written on it
In the shadow of a tree curled around her knee in color
And just behind ya was the sea of negativity
Tinklin' like mercury in the wind
Her feet kept by the ground, her toes bare brown
Her carriage, she'd abandoned like a hand-me-down
She walked back into nature, a queen uncrowned
She had just recognized herself to be an heir to the throne
Her garden gate swings lightly without weight
Open to most anyone that needs a little freedom
For God's sake
Oh, come as many as you can
In dark or light you're free to grow as flowers
Share her throne and use her toothbrush and spend some interesting hours
Warm, warm, warm, warm, warm sun-fingers wave
In my latest garden
Flowers dance, their faces brave
Come talk freely in the garden of my lady
Her hominy smile, her hominy snatch
Only a crow would peck and a chicken would scratch
Her lips turned up to kiss
I see ya, Phoebe, baby, in your bonnet
With the sunset written on it
In the shadow of a tree curled around her knee in color
And just behind ya was the sea of negativity
Tinklin' like mercury in the wind
Her feet kept by the ground, her toes bare brown
Her carriage, she'd abandoned like a hand-me-down
She walked back into nature, a queen uncrowned
She had just recognized herself to be an heir to the throne
Her garden gate swings lightly without weight
Open to most anyone that needs a little freedom
For God's sake
Oh, come as many as you can
In dark or light you're free to grow as flowers
Share her throne and use her toothbrush and spend some interesting hours
Lyrics submitted by DonCaballero
Sweet Sweet Bulbs Lyrics as written by Don Van Vliet
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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A few notes:
The repetition throughout the first verse is very evocative. Not only the repeated words ("Sweet, sweet..." and "Warm, warm...") but also repeated vowels: the long 'a' in "latest," "wave," "latest," "faces," and "brave." Also the repeated consonant 'r,' especially 'ar': "grow," "garden," "warm," "fingers," "their," and "brave"-- nearly half of the words in the entire verse.
In the second verse "hominy" is a play on 'hominy,' meaning corn kernels prepared as food (traditionally eaten by native Americans of course, and maybe reminiscent of Thanksgiving) as well as 'homine' which is a variation of 'homo,' latin for 'man' or 'human.'
Phoebe is a Greek name meaning "radiant, shining one." It was an epithet used to refer to Artemis, goddess of wilderness, wild animals and the moon. It corresponds to the male name Phoebus, which was an epithet for Apollo, the god of light and also Artemis' twin brother. Phoebe was also an early Christian deacon known for being a 'prostatis' to early Christians (a female guardian, protectoress or patroness; generally one who cares for others and offers her resources for them to share).