Tupelo Honey Lyrics

Lyric discussion by yuri_sucupira 

Cover art for Tupelo Honey lyrics by Van Morrison

A posting to the Van mailing list May/96 notes the existence of a "lost verse" to this song, here transcribed from a performance on the Van Morrison in Ireland concert video:

There's a rose pressed inside a bible That she reads on the balcony She's sweet in slumber and I've got her number For the beginning of the century.

Van list member Art Siegel comments in Nov/97 that "I don't think the rose in the bible is a true 'lost verse', but rather one that Van added to his live performances years after the original. There is, though, a true 'lost verse' which is in the original sheet music:"

I'll tell a tale of old Manhattan Adirondack bus to go Standing waiting on my number And my number's gonna show.

The Dusty Springfield cover version on The Van Morrison Songbook CD has a variant of this:

I heard a tale of old Manhattan I've never been there but I want to go Standing waiting on my number And my number's gonna show.