One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Part 1)
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.

One Monkey Don't Stop No Show
Honey Cone Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The show must go on

Oh, one monkey
Don't stop no show
If you don't want my love
You're free to go
(You can go, you can go, you can go)
Life is a play
We play different parts
But to be a star in love
You've got to feel it in your heart

You've been acting too strange
You don't love me with soul
Well, there's lots of other guys
Who'd love to play your role

If you don't wanna be my leading man
Get out of my life and let me live again
(You can go, you can go, you can go)

Oh, the show must go on

Hey, one monkey
Don't stop no show
If you don't want my love
You're free to go
(You can go, you can go, you can go)

I said one monkey
Don't stop no show
If you really need our love
You'd better let it show
(Let it show, let it show, let it show)

Once we had a love
You couldn't live without
The greatest love that heaven
Has ever put out

Success has gone to your head
You wanna be free, yeah
Fool, don't you realize
Your backbone is me

If you no longer like your part
Get out of my life before you ruin my heart
(You can go, you can go, you can go)

Oh, the show must go on

I love you
But I can do without you
Arriba, arriba

You can go
There's the door
You can go, you can go
The show must go on

Hey, one monkey
Don't stop no show
If you don't want my love
You're free to go
(You can go, you can go, you can go)





I said one monkey
Don't stop no show

Overall Meaning

The Honey Cone's song "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show," is an upbeat, soulful song about the importance of moving on from a failed relationship. The phrase "one monkey don't stop no show" means that one bad incident should not prevent the whole event from taking place. The song is saying that one person leaving should not stop the show of love and happiness from continuing. The opening lyric is "the show must go on," which sets the tone for the song's theme. The show here can be interpreted as a metaphor for life itself, which continues despite setbacks and hurdles.


The song describes how life is like a play where everyone plays different parts. In a relationship, one partner may feel like a leading actor, while the other takes a supporting role. The song suggests that both partners should feel equally invested in the relationship; otherwise, the show can't go on. If one partner is not happy in their role, then they should leave, and the other partner should carry on. The song implies that if someone doesn't love you with their heart and soul, then it's better to move on and find someone who will.


In conclusion, "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" is a fun, upbeat song with a message about the necessity of moving on from a failed relationship. It reminds us that setbacks are just temporary, and life goes on despite them.


Line by Line Meaning

The show must go on
No matter what happens, the performance or event must continue as if nothing happened.


Oh, one monkey
There is one person causing trouble or drama.


Don't stop no show
This one person's actions will not ruin the performance or event.


If you don't want my love
If you don't want my affection or relationship.


You're free to go
You can leave the relationship or situation.


Life is a play
Life is like a theatrical performance, with different roles and actors.


We play different parts
We have different roles in life.


But to be a star in love
To be successful in a romantic relationship.


You've got to feel it in your heart
You have to truly love and be passionate about the relationship.


You've been acting too strange
You have been behaving in an unusual or suspicious manner.


You don't love me with soul
You are not fully committed or passionate in the relationship.


Well, there's lots of other guys
There are many other men who are interested in me.


Who'd love to play your role
Who would be willing to take your place in the relationship.


If you don't wanna be my leading man
If you do not want to be the main person in my life.


Get out of my life and let me live again
Leave me alone so I can move on and start fresh.


Hey, one monkey
Referencing the one person causing drama or trouble.


If you really need our love
If you truly want to be in this relationship.


You'd better let it show
You need to express your love and commitment openly and honestly.


Once we had a love
We used to have a strong and passionate relationship.


You couldn't live without
You were so in love that you could not imagine living without me.


The greatest love that heaven
The strongest and most powerful love imaginable.


Has ever put out
That ever existed or was created.


Success has gone to your head
You have become too proud or arrogant due to your success.


You wanna be free, yeah
You want to be independent and do not want to be tied down in this relationship.


Fool, don't you realize
You are foolish and do not understand.


Your backbone is me
I am the person who supports and guides you.


If you no longer like your part
If you do not want to be in this relationship or role.


Get out of my life before you ruin my heart
Leave now before you cause me pain or heartache.


I love you
I have romantic feelings for you.


But I can do without you
I can live and function without being in a relationship with you.


Arriba, arriba
A Spanish phrase meaning "hurry up" or "go quickly".


There's the door
A way to leave the situation or relationship.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TEX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@sully273

I'm 53 yr old now and I can still see myself in my room as a young teenager dancing and singing this song. It still puts a big smile on my face. I love this song so much.

@hanshawybloc

Reallyyyyy

@hanshawybloc

Was that tv land channel ??

@troiames1758

We used to reenact soul train

@hanshawybloc

@@troiames1758 me too 83 87

@michelelaraia7358

D'amico

7 More Replies...

@dreamvue1

Can't believe I know most of the lyrics to their songs. High School days❤ I remember you Honey Cone!

@ronaldmullins8445

The idiots these days could benefit from these ladies of the REAL THING!!! Such talented dancing sadly had been left far back in history.

@happydeedee9389

This entire song is fabulous! But my favorite line: "I love you - but I can do without you!" RIP Ms
Wright🌹💔

@dan51556

My favorite line too. Kind of puts the person in perspective

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