<… Read Full Bio ↴What can you say about Everette Harp, smooth, real smooth sax playing!
Everette Harp started playing piano at two and began practicing saxophone at the age of four. The youngest of the eight children of a minister, gospel music was one of Harp's earliest influences. Harp started playing jazz in high school, and graduated from North Texas State University with a music major in the early 1980s. While there he joined Phi Beta Sigma. Working as an accountant for a short time, Harp played in local bands before moving to Los Angeles in 1988. He immediately toured briefly with Teena Marie, and then internationally with Anita Baker. In 1992, Harp released his self-titled solo debut.
Soon after Harp played at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and began weekly appearances on The Arsenio Hall Show. He continued to play & tour with notables, including Chaka Khan, George Duke, Chante Moore, Anita Baker, Kenny Loggins, Brenda Russell, Marcus Miller, Dianne Reeves, and many more. Harp is also known for his performances with Marcus Miller along with David Sanborn and Wayne Shorter. In the past few years Harp has reduced his side gigs to focus on his solo career. Harp has also performed at the Omaha Blues, Jazz, & Gospel Festival held annually in North Omaha, Nebraska in August. He also performed "Soul Train '93" (You Know You Want to Dance)" with the rap group Naughty by Nature in 1993.
Flyin' High
Everette Harp Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Flying high without ever leavin' the ground, no
Rest of the folks are tired and weary
Oh Lord, and have laid their bodies down.
I go the place where danger awaits me
and it's bound to forsake me.
So stupid minded.
I can't help it
But I go crazy when I can't find it,
In the morning, I'll be alright, my friend.
But soon the night will bring the pains,
The pain, oh the pain
Flying high in the friendly sky
Without ever leaving the ground
And I ain't seen nothing but trouble baby
Nobody really understands, no no
And I go to the place where the good feelin' awaits me
Selfdestruction in my hand
Oh Lord, so stupid minded
Oh and I go crazy when I can't find it
Well I know I'm hooked my friend
To the boy who makes slaves out of men.
And oh beleive me
Flying high in a friendly sky
Oh baby, flyin' high
The lyrics to Everette Harp's "Flyin' High" carry a deeper and more complex meaning than what is conveyed on the surface. The song uses the metaphor of flying high, which usually has a positive connotation, to describe the destructive addiction to drugs. The first line, "Flying high in the friendly sky," sets the tone of the song: the singer is on a high, but it's not a pleasant one. He is under the influence of drugs and has not left the ground physically, but mentally, he is soaring. The next line, "Flying high without ever leaving the ground, no," reinforces this notion that the high is not a result of any physical journey.
The rest of the lyrics paint a picture of someone consumed by addiction. Harp sings, "Rest of the folks are tired and weary, Oh Lord, and have laid their bodies down," indicating that while everyone around him is tired and seeking rest, the singer is still under the influence and seeking more. He then goes on to say, "I go the place where danger awaits me and it's bound to forsake me," alluding to the fact that he is aware of the harmful effects of drugs but cannot resist the pull. The lines "But I go crazy when I can't find it, In the morning, I'll be alright, my friend," reiterate how addiction controls the singer's thoughts and actions.
In the final stanza, he sings, "And oh believe me, flying high in a friendly sky, Oh baby, flyin' high," which echoes the first verse but with a slightly darker tone, emphasising the singer's inability to break free from his addiction. Overall, the song paints a harrowing picture of addiction and its all-consuming nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Flying high in the friendly sky
Feeling euphoric and carefree without any physical assistance while being in the sky
Flying high without ever leavin' the ground, no
Being in a state of mind where one feels elated without actually taking any substances or physically flying
Rest of the folks are tired and weary
Other people are exhausted and run down
Oh Lord, and have laid their bodies down.
They have gone to sleep or maybe even died
I go the place where danger awaits me
Going to a place where harm is likely to happen
and it's bound to forsake me.
The hazard is going to abandon or betray the person
So stupid minded.
Feeling foolish or irrational
I can't help it
It's not under the person's control
oh ya, so stupid minded.
Reinforcing the idea that the person is not thinking clearly
But I go crazy when I can't find it,
Losing one's self-control when unable to obtain or locate something important
In the morning, I'll be alright, my friend.
Having faith that everything will be okay in the morning
But soon the night will bring the pains,
Despite the hopefulness, the night will bring agony
The pain, oh the pain
The anguish will be intense
And I ain't seen nothing but trouble baby
The person has experienced nothing but problems
Nobody really understands, no no
Feeling like nobody can relate or comprehend what's going on
And I go to the place where the good feelin' awaits me
Going to a location where pleasant sensations or experiences are anticipated
Selfdestruction in my hand
Holding something that could lead to self-destructive behavior
Oh Lord, so stupid minded
Feeling slow-witted or foolish
Oh and I go crazy when I can't find it
Losing one's composure when the item, substance, or sensation is missing
Well I know I'm hooked my friend
Realizing that one is addicted to the item, substance or sensation
To the boy who makes slaves out of men.
Referring to the source of the addiction, personifying it as something that enslaves people
And oh beleive me
The person is emphasizing their previous statement
Flying high in a friendly sky
Feeling euphoric and carefree without any physical assistance while being in the sky
Oh baby, flyin' high
Reiterating the feeling of elation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Anna Gaye, Elgie Rousseau Stover, Marvin P Gaye
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind