Edna Wright, Carolyn Willis, and Shellie Clark comprised the vocal trio Hon… Read Full Bio ↴Edna Wright, Carolyn Willis, and Shellie Clark comprised the vocal trio Honey Cone, which only stayed together for four years but was still one of the best female soul groups of the early '70s. Although Honey Cone (which lead singer Wright formed in 1969) was based in Los Angeles, their recordings were Northern-style soul — specifically, Detroit soul. Martha & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes — two of the female vocal groups that epitomized Motown Records' sound in the '60s — were among Honey Cone's main influences, and the group (which favored a blend of sweetness and grit) worked closely with three producer/songwriters who used to work at Motown: Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland. However, Honey Cone's members had been in the music industry before they joined forces with the famous Holland/DozierHolland team. Willis (born 1946, Los Angeles, CA) had been with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, who were known for '60s hits like "Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Heart?" and "Not Too Young to Get Married." Clark (born in 1943, Brooklyn, NY) was an ex-member of the Ikettes, (Ike & Tina Turner's female backup singers), while Wright (born 1944, Los Angeles, CA) had been with the Blossoms. In fact, Wright's older sister is singer/actress Darlene Love, who was a member of Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans as well as the Blossoms (in addition to doing a lot of recording by herself). Wright also recorded as a solo artist in the '60s; her Champion single "A Touch of Venus" (recorded under the pseudonym Sandy Wynns) was a small regional hit in Southern California. And like so many of the soul singers who were active in the '60s and '70s, Wright wasn't without gospel credentials. She had a Christian upbringing and sang gospel with the Church of God in Christ Singers, but ended up making secular R&B her primary focus. Wright, Clark, and Willis had only been together a few months when, in 1969, the group caught the attention of Eddie Holland (who came up with the name Honey Cone). The prolific Holland/DozierHolland team (which wrote countless mega-hits for Motown artists) had recently left Motown and started their own Detroit-based soul label Hot Wax/Invictus, and Honey Cone became the company's first signing. Honey Cone's first release, a 1969 single titled "While You're Out Looking for Sugar," was also Hot Wax's first release. The very Motown-sounding tune was not a major hit; it reached number 26 on Billboard's R&B singles chart and number 62 on the magazine's pop singles chart. But for a small upstart label, that single was a decent start. Honey Cone's next single, "Girls, It Ain't Easy," was equally Motown-sounding and did become a major hit, reaching number eight on Billboard's R&B singles chart. After that, Honey Cone enjoyed their biggest hits of all. Released in late 1970, the infectious "Want Ads" (which Taylor Dayne covered in 1988) got off to a slow start and the song had been out four months before it even charted in either Billboard or Cash Box (Billboard's main competitor at the time). But when "Wants Ads" finally took off, it really took off and soared to number one on Billboard's R&B and pop singles charts. In 1971, Honey Cone had another number one R&B hit with "Stick Up," which was also a number 11 pop hit. And a few more major hits followed in 1972, including the ballad "The Day I Found Myself" and the Latin-influenced "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" (a number five R&B single and a number 15 pop hit). But as big as Honey Cone was from 1969-1972, it didn't fare nearly as well in 1973; none of the three Honey Cone singles that Hot Wax put out in 1973 ("If I Can't Fly," "The Truth Will Come Out," and "Ace in the Hole") were big hits. Sadly, Hot Wax/Invictus found itself experiencing a serious cash flow problem in 1973, despite having put out big sellers by Honey Cone as well as Freda Payne, 100 Percent Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and the Chairmen of the Board. The problem wasn't that Hot Wax/Invictus' releases lacked commercial appeal; the problem, allegedly, was that the company was not getting paid by its independent distributors. In 1973, Honey Cone broke up, and Hot Wax/Invictus went out of business the following year. Wright went on to record by herself, providing the solo LP Oops! Here I Go Again for RCA in 1976. All five of the LPs that Honey Cone recorded for Hot Wax — Honey Cone in 1969, Take Me With You in 1970, Sweet Replies and Soul Tapestry in 1971, and Love, Peace & Soul in 1972 — went out of print when the label folded. However, all of Honey Cone's major hits are included on a 14-song Greatest Hits CD that Fantasy assembled in 1990. And the comprehensive Soulful Sugar, which Castle put out in 2001, boasts no less than 45 tracks.

If I Can't Fly
Honey Cone Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

[Chorus]
If I can't fly, I'm gonna run
If I can't run, I'm gonna walk back to you
If I can't walk, I'm gonna crawl back to your arms
(Back to your arms)

Our love is ending
But new love's beginning for you, baby

Only time will tell if this love will fail,
Will tomorrow bring you sorrow?

If you're drifting around
Having your ups and downs
If your luck starts to change sunshine turns to rain
I'll be your sun again, together we can win

[Chorus]

You've been so good to me
Lord knows I prayed
You'll make it all the way with your new love
If the day ever comes, you feel are the ones
It's not too late if it's a mistake

If you're walking down the aisles
Saying those wedding vows
And you wanna stop the wedding
Your heart starts regretting ever leaving me
And you start pleading me

Stop! (Stop!)
Tell the preacher I'm trying to reach ya
(I'm trying to reach ya)
Ohh (I'm trying to reach ya)
Stop! Hold on, I'm coming
Baby I'm running, running, running

[Chorus x2]

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Honey Cone's "If I Can't Fly" are a plea to a lover who is moving on to a new relationship. The chorus suggests that no matter how difficult the journey may seem to get back to one another, the singer will put in the effort regardless of the mode of transportation. From running, to walking, to crawling, the lyrics convey the determination to reunite. The song acknowledges that although the relationship is ending, there is the possibility of reconciliation in the future.

The lyrics also touch upon the fear of the consequences of a new relationship - the uncertainty of whether new love will lead to happiness or sorrow is acknowledged. The singer reminds their former flame that, despite all the ups and downs, they were always there to offer support and be the sunshine during their lowest moments. The suggestion remains that the singer is ready to do so again.

Finally, the song takes a look at marriage and the possibility of regret. The singer pleads with their former love to halt the wedding and return to them. The lyrics implore them that it is not too late to change their mind, to not commit to something that they do not truly want, and to come back to a love that they know.

Overall, "If I Can't Fly" is a song about the strength of love and the lengths that one will go to keep it alive. It acknowledges the difficulties that often come with relationships and highlights the importance of being there for one another during the tough times.

Line by Line Meaning

If I can't fly, I'm gonna run
If I can't achieve everything I want to in our relationship, I will put in a lot of effort to make it work

If I can't run, I'm gonna walk back to you
If I can't put in as much effort as running, I will still try to come back to you in the best way possible

If I can't walk, I'm gonna crawl back to your arms
If I can't even put in basic effort like walking, I will still try to come back to you in any way possible

Our love is ending
Our relationship is coming to an end

But new love's beginning for you, baby
You are moving on to a new relationship

Only time will tell if this love will fail,
We don't know yet if your new relationship will last

Will tomorrow bring you sorrow?
Are you going to regret your decision tomorrow?

If you're drifting around
If you feel lost and unsure

Having your ups and downs
Going through periods of highs and lows

If your luck starts to change sunshine turns to rain
If things start to go badly for you

I'll be your sun again, together we can win
I will be there for you again and together we can overcome any obstacle

You've been so good to me
You have been really kind to me

Lord knows I prayed
I have prayed for you to be happy

You'll make it all the way with your new love
You will have a successful relationship with your new partner

If the day ever comes, you feel are the ones
If you realize that we are meant to be together

It's not too late if it's a mistake
We can still fix things if breaking up was a mistake (and we want to get back together)

If you're walking down the aisles
If you're getting married

Saying those wedding vows
Making promises to your new partner

And you wanna stop the wedding
If you realize you have made a mistake and want to stop the wedding

Your heart starts regretting ever leaving me
You start to feel bad about breaking up with me

And you start pleading me
You start to beg me to take you back

Stop! (Stop!)
Stop the wedding!

Tell the preacher I'm trying to reach ya (I'm trying to reach ya)
Tell the person presiding over your wedding that I am trying to stop you from getting married

Ohh (I'm trying to reach ya)
I am trying really hard to reach you and stop you from making a mistake

Stop! Hold on, I'm coming
I am on my way to try and stop the wedding!

Baby I'm running, running, running
I am putting in maximum effort to try and stop this wedding!

[Chorus x2]
The main message of the song is that the singer will always try to come back to their partner and make things work, no matter what

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANGELO BOND, GREGORY S. PERRY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

@mrsm222

8y↑25

"If I can't fly I'm gonna run
If I can't run I'm gonna walk back to you
If I can't walk I'm gonna crawl back to your arms"
.................that's real passion