The real band behind the "Ohio Express" name was originally named "Sir Timothy & The Royals" and hailed from Mansfield, Ohio. They hooked up with the men of Super K in 1966 and were renamed the Ohio Express. They released their first single and LP on Cameo-Parkway Records of Philadelphia in the autumn of 1967. Unfortunately, the record label went into bankruptcy shortly after that and was purchased by music business mogul Allen Klein, who still owns the masters to this day.
The group then moved to the home label of bubblegum pop, Buddah Records (purposely misspelled so as not to be sacrilegious), where they released four LPs and a multitude of singles. They became a major part of the sunshine-soaked vibe of 70s pop and were somewhat of a household name. They charted several singles in the Top 40, most featuring the vocals of Levine, though their albums sold less well and none never charted above #100 on the Billboard charts.
The New York studio musicians were mostly heard on the tracks released as singles, while the five lads from Ohio could be heard on some of the album tracks as well as appearing at various concerts. The flesh-in-blood Ohio group also made several television appearances. Copying the sounds of Joey Levine proved somewhat of a challenge live, but they band kept on going.
By the end of Ohio Express' career at Buddah, recordings made by various groups of musicians were released as singles under the Ohio Express name, including "Sausalito," recorded in England by future members of 10cc.
The song "Yummy Yummy Yummy" was featured in several popular television shows. at the end of a Monty Python episode called "How Not to Be Seen," though this was a cover version and not the original recording. It was also featured in at least two episodes of The Simpsons, once in an episode in which Bart munches his way to obesity due to an addictive set of snack machines being installed at Springfield Elementary, and another instance in an episode in which Homer listens to and sings along to "Yummy Yummy Yummy" while his father watches the first moon landing in 1969. It was also featured in an end scene from the popular documentary from Morgan Spurlock, Super Size Me in which Spurlock is eating his "Last McSupper", as dubbed in the movie while joined by a crowd of fans and friends.
Several Ohio Express songs have been used in television commercials in the ensuing years, most recently "Chewy Chewy" in an ad for Quaker Oats Granola bars.
Mary
Ohio Express Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only once in a life
Does a boy find a girl
He loves much as I love you
Mary Ann
Give me back your love if you can
I know we'll be happy again
Only once in a life
Does a boy feel as glad
As I felt when I had you
Mary Ann
Give me back your love if you can
I know we'll be happy again
Think of what you do
Do to the one boy
Who needs you so bad
You were my one joy
Now you've made me so sad
Only one in a life
Does a boy feel the hurt
That I felt when I lost you
Mary Ann
Give me back your love if you can
I know we'll be happy again
Think of what you do
I want to tell you
I need you so much
I really felt that
I long for your touch
Only once in a life
Does a boy cry the tears
That I cried when I..I lost you
Mary Ann
Give me back your love if you can
I know we'll be happy again
Think of what you do
Mary Ann
Give me back your love if you can
I know we'll be happy again
The Ohio Express's song "Mary Ann" is a love song in which the singer is expressing his love for Mary Ann and asking for her to return his love. The song conveys a sense of hurt and heartbreak, as the singer has lost Mary Ann and is longing for her to come back to him. The lyrics suggest that the singer's love for Mary Ann is intense and real, and that he is deeply affected by her absence.
Throughout the song, the singer repeats his plea for Mary Ann to return his love, stating that he knows they will be happy again if she does. The lyrics hint at the idea that Mary Ann has hurt the singer in some way, perhaps by leaving him or rejecting his love, and that he is struggling to cope with the pain of this loss. The lyrics express a sense of vulnerability and raw emotion, as the singer lays bare his feelings and his need for Mary Ann's love.
Overall, "Mary Ann" is a poignant and emotional song that captures the depth of love and heartbreak in a few short verses. Through its simple but powerful lyrics, the song speaks to the universal experience of loving someone deeply and the pain of losing that love.
Line by Line Meaning
Only once in a life
Rarely, if ever, does a particular event occur in one's lifetime
Does a boy find a girl
When a boy discovers a girl with whom he feels a particular connection
He loves much as I love you
When the boy's affection for Mary Ann is so profound that he cannot contain it
Mary Ann
The name of the girl whom the artist is addressing
Give me back your love if you can
The plea made by the artist for Mary Ann to return his affection
I know we'l be happy again
The intended outcome of the singer's emotion and Mary Ann's return of his affection
Think of what you do
The request made by the singer for Mary Ann to consider her actions carefully
Do to the one boy
The person who will be affected by Mary Ann's actions and decisions is the artist
Who needs you so bad
The intensity of the artist's need for Mary Ann to reciprocate his feelings
You were my one joy
The overwhelming happiness brought to the artist by his relationship with Mary Ann
Now you've made me so sad
The pain and suffering caused by Mary Ann's current disinterest in the singer
Does a boy feel the hurt
The depth of the emotional pain felt by the artist with Mary Ann's loss
That I felt when I lost you
The singer's profound feeling of loss
I want to tell you
The singer's desire to express his emotions explicitly to Mary Ann
I need you so much
The magnitude of the singer's need for Mary Ann in his life
I really felt that
The artist's assurance that his emotions are not imagined or fleeting
I long for your touch
The artist's desire for physical proximity and comfort from Mary Ann
Does a boy cry the tears
The depth of the emotional pain felt by the singer with Mary Ann's loss
That I cried when I..I lost you
Expression of the singer's profound sadness after the termination of his relationship with Mary Ann
Give me back your love if you can
The plea made by the artist for Mary Ann to return his affection
I know we'l be happy again
The intended outcome of the artist's emotion and Mary Ann's return of his affection
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KEN LAGUNA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind