Their only hit, "Little Honda", was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love of The Beach Boys and given to Usher early in 1964. Usher called in a group of studio musicians – including Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine – and hastily recorded the song that summer. It was leaked to local radio and spread across U.S. pop radio.
As the song climbed the charts, Usher assembled a band which toured with The Beach Boys in support of "Little Honda", which eventually peaked at #9 on the U.S. pop singles chart. An album Go Little Honda was put together, most of the songs on which were written by Usher and KFWB disc jockey and lyricist, Roger Christian, and concerned Honda motorcycles ("Hon-da Beach Party", "Haulin' Honda", "Two Wheel Show Stopper", "A Guy Without Wheels" ...) Its picture sleeve showed a four-member group and its liner notes contained an elaborate back story, penned by Christian, which posited one Ritchie Burns as the founder and leader of the band. The album crept its way to the lower reaches of the U.S. pop albums chart.
The band then released another full-length LP, but never scored another hit single. Later The Beach Boys covered the song they themselves had written and scored a minor hit. The Hondells, such as they were, disbanded in 1965.
Member Chuck Girard had been in The Castells and in the 1970s became a popular and pioneering CCM artist.
Indie rock band Yo La Tengo covered the song "Little Honda" on their album I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One.
Endless Sleep
The Hondells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looked for my baby, she's nowhere around.
Traced her footsteps down to the shore,
'Fraid she's gone forever more.
I looked at the sea and it seemed to say,
"I took your baby from you away."
I heard a voice cryin' in the deep,
"Come join me baby in my Endless Sleep."
Why did we quarrel, why did we fight?
Why did I leave her alone tonight?
That's why her footsteps ran into the sea
That's why my baby has gone from me.
I looked at the sea and it seemed to say,
"I took your baby from you away."
I heard a voice cryin' in the deep,
"Come join me baby in my Endless Sleep."
Ran in the water, heart full of fear,
There in the breakers I saw her near;
Reached for my darlin', held her to me,
Stole her away from the angry sea.
I looked at the sea and it seemed to say,
"You took your baby from me away."
My heart cried out, "She's mine to keep."
I saved my baby from an Endless Sleep.
The lyrics to The Hondells' song Endless Sleep talk about a man who is looking for his baby, who has disappeared during a black night with rain falling. He traces her footsteps down to the shore, where he fears she is gone forever. Looking at the sea, he hears a voice crying in the deep, inviting his baby to join in its endless sleep. The man is tormented by questions, wondering why they quarreled and fought, why he left her alone tonight, and why her footsteps ran into the sea. He realizes that it is the reason why his baby has gone from him.
However, in a dramatic turn of events, the man sees his baby in the breakers and runs into the water, holds her tightly to himself, and saves her from the angry sea. When he looks back at the sea again, it seems to tell him that he took his baby from it away. The man's heart cries out that she's his to keep, and he rescued her from the endless sleep.
Line by Line Meaning
The night was black, rain fallin' down;
The scene was dark, with rain pouring down.
Looked for my baby, she's nowhere around.
Searched for my beloved, but she was nowhere to be found.
Traced her footsteps down to the shore,
Followed her trail up to the seashore,
'Fraid she's gone forever more.
Afraid she has left forever.
I looked at the sea and it seemed to say,
I gazed at the ocean and felt like it was speaking,
"I took your baby from you away."
"I took your beloved away from you".
I heard a voice cryin' in the deep,
I heard a voice screaming from the depths,
"Come join me baby in my Endless Sleep."
"Come be with me forever in endless slumber."
Why did we quarrel, why did we fight?
Why did we argue? Why did we fight?
Why did I leave her alone tonight?
Why did I abandon her tonight?
That's why her footsteps ran into the sea
Her footsteps led her into the water for that reason
That's why my baby has gone from me.
That's why my beloved has left me.
I looked at the sea and it seemed to say,
The ocean spoke again to me, and this time,
"I took your baby from you away."
"I took your beloved away from you".
I heard a voice cryin' in the deep,
Another voice cried out in despair from the depths,
"Come join me baby in my Endless Sleep."
"Come be with me forever in endless slumber."
Ran in the water, heart full of fear,
I charged into the ocean, afraid and nervous,
There in the breakers I saw her near;
And there in the waves, I spotted my beloved.
Reached for my darlin', held her to me,
I embraced my love and held her tightly,
Stole her away from the angry sea.
And escaped with her from the violent waters.
I looked at the sea and it seemed to say,
Once again, the ocean seemed to speak to me when,
"You took your baby from me away."
"You took your beloved away from me".
My heart cried out, "She's mine to keep."
I exclaimed, "She's mine to hold!"
I saved my baby from an Endless Sleep.
I saved my beloved from an eternity of slumber.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOLORES NANCE, JODY REYNOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
GreasyFilms2016
I love this version best.
Sandy&Scott Petrasek
Perfect song...
John Benn
Too BLOODY FAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!