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.
Sugar Sugar
Ohio Express Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Than a bowl of soup
You're oh so very hot
And, baby, you're cooler
Than the coolest snow
You know, you know
That baby, you're sweeter than sugar
Uh huh, (uh huh), uh huh, (uh huh)
Sweeter than sugar
Oh, sugar, you're so sweet
Baby, you're softer
Than a cotton field
You're oh so very soft
And you're so good lookin'
I can't help but stare
Cause you're all there
And, baby, you're sweeter than sugar
Uh huh, (uh huh), uh huh, (uh huh)
Baby, you can't be beat, no, no
Sweeter than sugar
Cause, sugar, you're so sweet
(Ahhh)
(You're sweet, you're sweet, you're oh so sweet)
(So sweet. so sweet, so very sweet)
(You're sweet, so sweet, you're oh so sweet)
And you're doin' me fine
You do me outta my mind
And I'm a lucky, so lucky, I love her, cause I'm lucky? (96% correct?)
Cause you're sweeter than sugar
Uh huh, (uh huh), uh huh, (uh huh)
Baby, you can't be beat, no, no
Sweeter than sugar
Oh sugar you're so sweet
(One two tree four, sugar, I'm takin' more)
Sweeter than sugar
Uh huh, (uh huh), uh huh, (uh huh)
Baby you can't be beat, no, no
Sweeter than sugar
Uh huh, (uh huh), uh huh, (uh huh)
Oh, no, you're sweeter than...
Sweeter than sugar
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah
Oh baby you and me we're a...
Sweeter than sugar
The Ohio Express's song "Sweeter Than Sugar" is an upbeat, easy-to-dance-to song that expresses the singer's affection and admiration for his lover. The song begins with the comparison "Baby, you're hotter than a bowl of soup / you're oh so very hot," and describes the lover as "cooler than the coolest snow." The sweetness continues in the next verse, with the comparison "Baby, you're softer than a cotton field / you're oh so very soft." The singer goes on to say that he can't help but stare at his lover because she's "so good-looking," and notes that his lover does him just fine and that she drives him crazy.
The chorus expresses the singer's overall sentiment: "baby, you're sweeter than sugar / oh, sugar, you're so sweet." The last verse repeats the chorus with an added bit of fun, as the singer starts to count ("One, two, three, four") and declares that he's "takin' more" of his lover's sweetness. The song ends on a happy note, with the singer declaring that he and his lover are "sweeter than sugar."
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, you're hotter
Than a bowl of soup
You're very attractive, and I find you alluring in a powerful way
You're oh so very hot
Your beauty and attractiveness are strong and undeniable
And, baby, you're cooler
Than the coolest snow
Your calmness and self-possession are impressive and refreshing
You know, you know
You're already aware, and there's no need for me to tell you
That baby, you're sweeter than sugar
You're incredibly charming and delightfully attractive
Uh huh, (uh huh), uh huh, (uh huh)
I agree that you're very sweet and attractive
Oh, baby, you can't be beat, no, no
You're unbeatable in terms of your attractiveness and charm
Sweeter than sugar
You're more alluring and charming than anything else in the world
Oh, sugar, you're so sweet
You're incredibly charming and attractive
Baby, you're softer
Than a cotton field
You're gentle and kind-hearted, with a tender personality
You're oh so very soft
Your tenderness and gentleness are noteworthy and delightful
And you're so good lookin'
I can't help but stare
Your beauty and attractiveness are so powerful that I can't stop looking at you
Cause you're all there
You have everything I could ever want in a partner
And, baby, you're sweeter than sugar
You're incredibly charming and delightfully attractive
Baby, you can't be beat, no, no
You're unbeatable in terms of your attractiveness and charm
Cause, sugar, you're so sweet
Your charming and delightful personality is like no other
(Ahhh)
(You're sweet, you're sweet, you're oh so sweet)
(So sweet. so sweet, so very sweet)
(You're sweet, so sweet, you're oh so sweet)
Your attractiveness and charm are so powerful that they bring me to a state of near-hypnotic bliss
And you're doin' me fine
You do me outta my mind
And I'm a lucky, so lucky, I love her, cause I'm lucky?
Your attractiveness and charm are so strong that they're affecting my judgement and making me feel incredibly fortunate to be with you
Cause you're sweeter than sugar
Your charming and delightful personality is like no other
One two tree four, sugar, I'm takin' more
I'm so captivated by your beauty and charm that I can't get enough of you
Sweeter than sugar
You're more alluring and charming than anything else in the world
Oh sugar you're so sweet
Your charming and delightful personality is like no other
Baby you can't be beat, no, no
You're unbeatable in terms of your attractiveness and charm
Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah
Oh baby you and me we're a...
Our connection is so strong and powerful that we're an unbeatable team
Sweeter than sugar
You're more alluring and charming than anything else in the world
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: J LEVINE, S FELDMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind