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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.

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Honey Cone Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wanted, young man single and free
Experience in love preferred
But will accept a young trainee
Oh I'm gonna put it in the want ads
I need a love that's true
Gonna put it in the want ads
My man and I are through
At home I find myself
Lost and all alone
My man is playing the field
The thrill is gone
He stays out all night
Says he's with the boys
But lipstick on his collar
Perfume on it too
Tells me he's been lying
Tell ya what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna put it in the want ads (want ads)
This girl's in misery
Gonna put it in the want ads
Somebody rescue me

I spend my nights alone
Cryin' bitter tears
Although I cry out loud
Nobody really hears
And when I need him most
He's never by my side
He's either playing cards
Or drinking at the bar
He thinks that I'm a fool
I'm going to the evening news
Gonna put it in the want ads (want ads)
I need somebody new
Gonna put it in the want ads
My man and I are through

Extra extra, read all about it
Wanted, young man single and free
Experience in love preferred
But will accept a young trainee

Oh, oh oh

Lipstick on his collar
Perfume on it too
Tells me he's been lying
I'm going to the evening news
Gonna put it in the want ads (want ads)
I need somebody new
Gonna put it in the want ads
My man and I are through
Gonna put it in the want ads
This girl's in misery
Gonna put it in the want ads




Please somebody rescue me
Gonna put it in the want ads (want ads)

Overall Meaning

The song "Want Ads" by Honey Cone was released in 1970 and became a hit almost immediately, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song is about a woman who has been left by her unfaithful partner and is seeking a new, trustworthy partner. The lyrics express her frustration with her current situation and her determination to find someone who will treat her better.


While the song's story is straightforward, it also highlights issues of gender roles and societal expectations around relationships. The woman in the song is taking control of her own life and actively seeking a new partner, which was not necessarily seen as socially acceptable for women at the time. The want ad serves as a symbol of her agency and independence, as she puts her desire for love out into the world in a public and proactive way.


The song's catchy melody and upbeat tempo make it an iconic example of the soul and pop music of the time. The soulful harmonies of the group, led by lead singer Edna Wright, add to the infectiousness of the song. "Want Ads" has since been covered by a number of artists, including Taylor Dayne and the cast of the TV show Glee.


Line by Line Meaning

Wanted, young man single and free
A single young man who is free from commitments is needed


Experience in love preferred
Preferably someone who has been in love before


But will accept a young trainee
But someone who is inexperienced in love will also be considered


Oh I'm gonna put it in the want ads
These requirements will be advertised in the want ads


I need a love that's true
A genuine love is necessary


Gonna put it in the want ads
This requirement will also be advertised in the want ads


My man and I are through
The relationship with her current man is over


At home I find myself
When she's at home


Lost and all alone
She feels lost and lonely


My man is playing the field
Her man is cheating on her


The thrill is gone
Their relationship is not exciting anymore


He stays out all night
Her man doesn't come home at night


Says he's with the boys
He claims to be with his friends


But lipstick on his collar
But she found lipstick on his collar


Perfume on it too
And also found perfume


Tells me he's been lying
This confirms that he has been lying


Tell ya what I'm gonna do
She decides what to do next


This girl's in misery
She's feeling miserable


Somebody rescue me
She needs someone to save her from the situation


I spend my nights alone
She spends her nights alone


Cryin' bitter tears
She cries a lot


Although I cry out loud
Even though she cries loudly


Nobody really hears
No one hears her cries


And when I need him most
When she needs him the most


He's never by my side
He's never there for her


He's either playing cards
He's either playing cards


Or drinking at the bar
Or drinking at the bar


He thinks that I'm a fool
He underestimates her intelligence


I'm going to the evening news
She's going to make her story public


Please somebody rescue me
She pleads for someone to save her


Extra extra, read all about it
She wants everyone to know about her situation


Oh, oh oh
Sigh of frustration




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Barney Perkins, General N. Johnson, Gregory S. Perry

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

mario lisofsky

They are one of my all-time favorite female soul groups. Wonderful !!!

Ruben Delgadillo

Lord I miss women wearing hot pants.

Baba Kazi

Me tooo

Teach ONE2

yea and Go Go boots ! with the hot pants BRING BACK THE 60's/70's !! Miss those days

Ragnar Danneskjöld

I was born in 1971 but their hair, the dance and their voices are what I love about the 1970s. Beautiful women.

TWTR4EVER

The Honey Cone string of Hits like "Want Ads", "Stick Up" and "One Monkey" solidified them on Pop and R&B Music in the 1970's

Andrés Chavez

Lol

Carolyn Dorrough

They look like they enjoyed singing this together ❤ heard this a zillion times in my mom home.

trifectakush

That’s my Godmother Shelly Clark!!! Honey Cone got that fire 🔥 🔥 🔥

DiamondRubyJewel

PLEASE TELL HER HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE HER AND THE GROUP!!! LUVVV THEM. SO NUBIAN, PROUD, FEMININE, SELF RESPECTING AND STRONG... BOLD! THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE!!! STILL BETTER THAN 90% OF WHAT THEY CALL MUSIC TODAY🙄

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