Stewart had earlier enjoyed success as a member of the 1960s pop band The Mindbenders and had delivered the vocals for that band's best-known track, "A Groovy Kind of Love". The Mindbenders disbanded in 1969 and Stewart teamed with fellow Mindbender and aspiring songwriter Gouldman to become part-owners of a Stockport recording studio which in 1969 was renamed Strawberry Studios (after the Beatles hit "Strawberry Fields Forever"). The pair, along with Godley and Creme, longtime friends of Gouldman, gained work writing and performing bubblegum songs under a variety of band names for US producers writer-producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz of Super K Productions.
German cover of "Neanderthal Man"
German cover of "Neanderthal Man"
"Neanderthal Man" was created by the trio of Stewart, Godley and Creme as they dabbled with recording equipment at Strawberry Studios, perfecting drum layering. The song consisted primarily of the chant "I'm a Neanderthal man/You're a Neanderthal girl/Let's make Neanderthal love/In this Neanderthal world", backed by Stewart's and Creme's acoustic guitars and a lumbering drum rhythm provided by Godley. The song was released as a single under the moniker Hotlegs (a name chosen in honour of a secretary at the studio[1])and reached No.2 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1970 and No. 22 in the US, ultimately selling two million copies worldwide.
The band recorded a follow-up album, Thinks: School Stinks, for Philips before branding themselves as Doctor Father in August 1970 for a new version of "Umbopo" on Pye Records.
Italian cover of "Neanderthal Man"
Italian cover of "Neanderthal Man"
The song was one they had originally recorded for Kasenetz and Katz for release under the name Crazy Elephant. Doctor Father's version failed to attract airplay or sales. Reverting to Hotlegs, the trio cut two more singles, "How Many Times" (1970) and "Lady Sadie" (September 1971), both of which failed to chart.
Thinks: School Stinks was repackaged for US release as Songs by the Philips label and again in Britain in 1975 as You Didn't Like It Because You Didn't Think Of It with two additional songs. The title song of the British repackaged album had originally been the B-side of "Neanderthal Man"; part of it had also been reworked to become "Fresh Air For My Mama" on the 1973 debut album by 10cc.
In 1972 Hotlegs was relaunched as 10cc.
Fly Away
Hotlegs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My hand to touch
My mouth
Away I go
Like Ivanhoe
With no surprises up my sleeve
And all the time to understand
Is all I ask of you
Away the wind
All her pictures gone to seed
Oh
Oh
Won't you take me down my love
Down beyond the land I am thinking of
I hear a voice against the wind
And know I long to fly
To fly
To fly away
The lyrics to Hotlegs' "Fly Away" have a sense of longing and desire to escape. The singer first reminds themselves to use their senses, urging their eyes to observe, their hand to touch, and their mouth to speak. Then the song takes off, likening the singer's departure to that of Ivanhoe, a medieval knight on a grand adventure. The singer muses that they have no surprises up their sleeve, perhaps indicating a desire for simplicity and freedom from complication.
As the song progresses, the singer asks for time to understand from their love. It is unclear what they are seeking to understand, but this could hint at a deeper underlying issue or feeling that they are grappling with. The wind is mentioned as carrying away old pictures, perhaps representing a past that the singer wants to leave behind. The song builds to its climax with the repeated desire to fly away, a yearning for ultimate escape and freedom.
Overall, "Fly Away" seems to be a song about a longing for something deeper or more fulfilling in life. It encapsulates the desire to break free from constraints and to seek out a new path, even if the destination is unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
Need I remind my eyes to see
Do I need to prompt myself to truly see and understand my surroundings?
My hand to touch
Should I remind myself to engage with the world around me through touch?
My mouth
Am I forgetting to speak up and communicate my thoughts and feelings?
Away I go
I am leaving this current situation.
Like Ivanhoe
I am departing with great bravado and adventure.
With no surprises up my sleeve
I am not expecting any unexpected events or outcomes.
Oh
An exclamation of excitement and anticipation.
And all the time to understand
I simply want the opportunity to comprehend and analyze the world around me.
Is all I ask of you
This is my only request.
Away the wind
A declaration that the wind is taking me away from my current situation and towards new experiences.
All her pictures gone to seed
All past memories and connections have faded and withered away.
Oh
An exclamation of disappointment or regret.
Oh
An exclamation of disappointment or regret.
Won't you take me down my love
Can you guide me towards where I am meant to be?
Down beyond the land I am thinking of
To a place that I cannot yet imagine or comprehend.
I hear a voice against the wind
A feeling that there is a guiding force pushing me towards my destination.
And know I long to fly
I have an intense desire to soar and experience new perspectives and adventures.
To fly
Repetition of the previous line to emphasize the desire to fly away to new experiences.
Contributed by Ethan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.