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.
Little Honda
The Hondells Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm gonna wake you up early 'cause I'm gonna take a ride with you
We're goin' down to the Honda shop, I'll tell you what we're gonna do
Put on a ragged sweatshirt, I'll take you where you want me to
First gear, it's all right (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Second gear, I'll lean right (little Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Faster, it's all right
It's not a big motorcycle, just a groovy little motorbike
It's more fun than a barrel of monkeys that two-wheeled bike
We'll ride on out of town to anyplace I know you like
First gear, it's all right (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Second gear, I'll lean right (little Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Third gear, hang on tight (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Faster, it's all right
It climbs the hills like a matchless, 'cause my Honda' built really light
And when I go in to the turns and I hang on tight
I'd better turn on the lights so we can ride my Honda tonight
First gear, it's all right (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Second gear, I'll lean right (little Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Third gear, hang on tight (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Faster, it's all right
First gear, it's all right (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Second gear, I'll lean right (little Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Third gear, hang on tight (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Faster, it's all right
First gear, it's all right (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Second gear, I'll lean right (little Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Third gear, hang on tight (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
The Hondells' classic hit "Little Honda" is a fun, upbeat song about taking a ride on a Honda motorcycle. The song's lyrics speak of waking someone up early to go down to the Honda shop and take a ride together. The singer suggests putting on a ragged sweatshirt and promises to take the listener wherever they want to go. The song goes on to describe the experience of riding on the motorcycle, climbing hills, and taking turns. The catchy chorus repeats a simple message, "Honda, Honda, go faster, faster," emphasizing the thrill of the ride.
While "Little Honda" might seem like a simple song on the surface, it actually speaks to a broader cultural moment in the mid-60s when motorcycles were becoming increasingly popular. The song capitalizes on the excitement and sense of freedom that many young people felt when riding motorcycles during this time. It's also interesting to note that Honda itself was becoming more popular in the US during this time, with its small and affordable motorcycles capturing the attention of many riders.
The song's lyrics also reference the "matchless" quality of the Honda, suggesting that it was reliable and well-made. This emphasis on the Honda's attributes speaks to the importance of branding and marketing in creating a successful product. Overall, "Little Honda" is a fun, catchy song that captures the youthful spirit of the 1960s and speaks to a broader cultural moment of motorcycle culture in America.
Line by Line Meaning
It's alright (it's alright, it's alright)
Everything is fine and okay.
I'm gonna wake you up early 'cause I'm gonna take a ride with you
I will wake you up early because I want to take a ride together.
We're goin' down to the Honda shop, I'll tell you what we're gonna do
We will go to the Honda shop and I will tell you what we are going to do.
Put on a ragged sweatshirt, I'll take you where you want me to
Wear a raggedy sweatshirt, and I will take you where you want to go.
First gear, it's all right (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Using first gear is fine and we can go faster with the Honda bike.
Second gear, I'll lean right (little Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
When we use second gear, I will lean to the right and we will go faster on the little Honda bike.
Third gear, hang on tight (Honda, Honda, go faster, faster)
Third gear is fast so hold on tight while we pick up speed on the Honda bike.
Faster, it's all right
Going faster is okay and there is nothing to worry about.
It's not a big motorcycle, just a groovy little motorbike
The Honda bike is not a big motorcycle, but it is a cool little motorbike.
It's more fun than a barrel of monkeys that two-wheeled bike
Riding the Honda bike is more fun than a barrel of monkeys and any other two-wheeled bike.
We'll ride on out of town to anyplace I know you like
We will ride out of town to any place that I know you will like.
It climbs the hills like a matchless, 'cause my Honda' built really light
The Honda bike can climb hills easily because it is built really light just like a Matchless bike.
And when I go in to the turns and I hang on tight
When we go into turns, I will hold on tight.
I'd better turn on the lights so we can ride my Honda tonight
I should turn on the lights so we can ride the Honda bike tonight.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Brian Wilson, Michael Love
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind