At the age of eleven or twelve, Staton and her sister Maggie were sent to t… Read Full Bio ↴At the age of eleven or twelve, Staton and her sister Maggie were sent to the Jewell Christian Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. Her vocal abilities quickly set her apart from the crowd; the school's pastor teamed the two sisters with a third girl to form the Jewell Gospel Trio. As teenagers, they toured the traditional gospel circuit in the 1950s with The Soul Stirrers, C. L. Franklin, and Mahalia Jackson. They recorded several sides for Nashbro, Apollo, and Savoy Records between 1953 and 1963.

In 1968, Staton launched her solo career as a Southern soul stylist, garnering 16 R&B hits for Rick Hall's Fame Studios and gaining the title of "First Lady of Southern Soul" for her Grammy-nominated R&B renditions of the songs "Stand by Your Man" and "In the Ghetto". Staton appeared on the September 23, 1972 edition (Season 2, Episode 1) of Soul Train. In 1975, Staton began collaborating with producer David Crawford on disco songs such as "Young Hearts Run Free", which reached #1 on the US R&B charts, #2 in the UK Singles Chart and went Top 20 on the Pop Hot 100 during the summer of 1976. It was remixed and re-released in 1986 reaching the UK Top 50. Follow up song "Destiny" hit the Top 50 in the UK. Candi's version of "Nights on Broadway" hit the UK Top 10 in 1977; it had been a US Billboard hit for the Bee Gees over a year before. In 1978 she scored another Top 50 hit in the UK with "Honest I Do I Love You". Other club hits included "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" and "Victim". In 1982 Candi again hit the UK chart with a version of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds". In 1997, singer Kym Mazelle recorded "Young Hearts Run Free" for the film adaption of Romeo and Juliet. Staton collaborated with Change, Luther Vandross, and Janet Jackson on her 1979 album title song "Chance" and album single "When You Wake Up Tomorrow" (co-written by Patrick Adams and Wayne K. Garfield, lyricist).

In 1982, Staton returned to gospel music. She married her third husband, John Sussewell (drummer for Ashford & Simpson and also Dory Previn's sixth album). Together they founded Beracah Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia with help from Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker's PTL Ministries. She has since recorded eight gospel albums, two of which received Grammy Award nominations.

In 1991 she returned to popular mainstream charts by lending her vocals to The Source's Top Ten British hit, "You Got the Love," a club-styled dance hit that sold two million copies and that is still considered a seminal classic of that era, leading to many remixes and cover versions being created.[citation needed] Staton signed with Intersound Records in 1995. In 2000, she released her eleventh album, Here's a Blessing. In 2004, the British record label Honest Jon's released a compilation CD of her country-soul work from the late 1960s and early 1970s, the self-titled Candi Staton, and Staton followed it up with a secular project in 2006 entitled His Hands, produced by Mark Nevers of Lambchop and with the title track written by Will Oldham. Two of Staton's children, Cassandra Hightower (background vocals) and Marcus Williams (drums), joined her on the CD. A second studio album for Honest Jon's, titled Who's Hurting Now?, appeared in 2009.

Staton's television show New Direction airs on TBN. Staton has also made appearances on the Praise the Lord telecast with Paul Crouch and his wife Jan Crouch.

Young Hearts Run Free
Candi Staton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What's the sense in sharing
This one and only life?
Endin' up just another lost and lonely wife
You'll count up the years
And they will be filled with tears
Love only breaks up to start over again
You'll get the babies, but you won't have your man
While he is busy loving every woman that he can, uh-huh

Say, "I'm gonna leave" a hundred times a day
It's easier said than done
When you just can't break away
(When you just can't break away)

Oh, young hearts run free
Never be hung up
Hung up like my man and me
My man and me
Ooh, young hearts, to yourself be true
Don't be no fool when love really don't love you
Don't love you

It's high time now just one crack at life
Who wants to live in, in trouble and strife?
My mind must be free
To learn all I can about me, uh-huh
I'm gonna love me, for the rest of my days
Encourage the babies every time they say
Self-preservation is what's really going on today

I say, "I'm gonna turn loose" a thousand times a day
But how can I turn loose
When I just can't break away?
(When I just can't break away)

Oh, young hearts run free
They'll never be hung up
Hung up like my man and me
You and me (ohh)
Ooh, young hearts to yourself be true
Don't be no fool when love really don't love you
Don't love you

Ohh, young hearts run free
They'll never be hung up
Hung up like my man and me
My man and me (ohh)
Ohhh, young hearts to yourself be true
Don't be no fool when love really don't love you
It don't love you (ohh)

Ooh, young hearts run free
They'll never be hung up
Hung up like my man and me
My man and me
Oh, young hearts, to yourself be true
Don't be no fool when love really don't love you
Don't love you

Oh, young hearts run free

They'll never be hung up
Hung up like my man and me

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Young Hearts Run Free" by Candi Staton portray a woman who is tired of sharing her life with a man who loves every woman that he can. She is tired of being a lost and lonely wife and counting the years filled with tears. She encourages young hearts to run free and not be "hung up like my man and me." She wants people to be true to themselves and not be foolish in love.

The song advocates for self-preservation and the importance of learning all there is to know about oneself. The lyrics suggest that it's high time to take control of one's life and not live in trouble and strife. The song is empowering, urging the listener to love themselves for the rest of their lives, even when they can't break away from a toxic relationship.

Overall, the song is an uplifting message about taking control of your life and not being held back by the wrong man or woman. The chorus is catchy, and the verses are full of insight and emotion.

Line by Line Meaning

What's the sense in sharing This one and only life?
Why bother sharing your life with someone if you're just going to end up alone?

Endin' up just another lost and lonely wife
Being committed to someone who does not reciprocate can leave you feeling lost and lonely

You'll count up the years And they will be filled with tears
Looking back on a failed relationship can be filled with regret and sadness

Love only breaks up to start over again
Love can end suddenly and painfully, but it's necessary to move on and find a better match

You'll get the babies, but you won't have your man While he is busy loving every woman that he can, uh-huh
You may end up with children, but if you're with a man who cannot be faithful, then you're not truly in a loving, committed relationship

Say, "I'm gonna leave" a hundred times a day It's easier said than done When you just can't break away
It's easy to say you're going to leave a bad relationship, but it's much harder to actually do it when you feel stuck

Oh, young hearts run free Never be hung up Hung up like my man and me My man and me Ooh, young hearts, to yourself be true Don't be no fool when love really don't love you Don't love you
Young hearts should run free and not be stuck in a bad relationship that doesn't truly love them. Self love and self-preservation are important when in a difficult relationship

It's high time now just one crack at life Who wants to live in, in trouble and strife?
Life is short, and it's not worth living if it's full of constant trouble and struggle

My mind must be free To learn all I can about me, uh-huh I'm gonna love me, for the rest of my days
It's important to focus on yourself and your own growth, and to love yourself no matter what happens in your relationships

Encourage the babies every time they say Self-preservation is what's really going on today
Teaching children to prioritize their own wellbeing and safety is important in a world where relationships can be difficult

I say, "I'm gonna turn loose" a thousand times a day But how can I turn loose When I just can't break away?
Breaking away from a bad relationship can feel impossible, even if it's something you truly want

Oh, young hearts run free They'll never be hung up Hung up like my man and me You and me (ohh) Ooh, young hearts to yourself be true Don't be no fool when love really don't love you Don't love you
Young hearts should never be stuck in a bad relationship, but focus on their own self-preservation and self-love

Ohh, young hearts run free They'll never be hung up Hung up like my man and me My man and me (ohh) Ohhh, young hearts to yourself be true Don't be no fool when love really don't love you It don't love you (ohh)
Young hearts should never be stuck in a bad relationship where love is not truly reciprocated, as it will only lead to heartache

Oh, young hearts run free They'll never be hung up Hung up like my man and me My man and me Oh, young hearts, to yourself be true Don't be no fool when love really don't love you Don't love you
Young hearts should avoid getting stuck in a bad relationship, and instead stay true to themselves and practice self-love and self-preservation

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: David Crawford

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS