The group disbanded again in 1970. After again reforming with a line-up including Bonner, Satchell, Middlebrooks, Jones, Webster, trumpeter Bruce Napier, trombonist Marvin Pierce, and keyboardist Walter "Junie" Morrison, the Players had a minor hit on the Detroit-based Westbound label in 1971 with "Pain" which reached the Billboard R&B Top 40. The band signed with Mercury Records in 1974; by this time their lineup had changed again, with keyboardist Billy Beck instead of Morrison and Jimmy "Diamond" Williams on drums instead of Webster. Bonner sang lead vocals on most of the band's hits.
The band’s first big hit was "Funky Worm", which hit #1 on the Billboard R&B Charts and made the pop Top 15 in May 1973; the song was included on the soundtrack of the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (playing on fictional Funk radio station Bounce FM, which also featured the Ohio Players song "Love Rollercoaster"). The band had seven more Top 40 hits between 1973 and 1976, including the smashes "Fire" (#1 on both the R&B and pop charts for two weeks and one week respectively in February 1975) and "Love Rollercoaster" (#1 on both the R&B and pop charts for 1 week in January 1976). The group's last big hit was "Who'd She Coo" a #1 R&B hit in August 1976.
The band became widely known not only for their sound, which has been sampled and copied by countless R&B and hip-hop artists since, but for their sexually provocative album covers, including the cover of 1974's Ecstasy, which featured a man and a woman in a pose of arousal wearing chains and leather, and 1975's Honey, which featured a nude woman holding an overflowing jar of honey and dropping some into her mouth with a ladle. There is also an urban legend that has it that a scream on Love Rollercoaster that came during the break after the second verse was the sound of someone being murdered in the studio while the track was being recorded. It is believed to be the scream of a female model (the nude woman featured on the image for the Honey album) after being stabbed with a knife by the band's manager. She was complaining that the honey and fibre glass she was sat on reacted when mixed causing permanent damage to her legs during the image photography, ending her modelling career. She then approached the manager seeking compensation during the recording of Love Rollercoaster only to be stabbed and attacked. The Ohio Players then left the scream in as a sick tribute.[1] The band did not discredit this rumor at the time, because, as one band member put it later, "that makes you sell more records." The real source of the scream -- and the origins of the rumor -- were explained by Ohio Player Jimmy "Diamond" Williams: "There is a part in the song where there's a breakdown. It's guitars and it's right before the second verse and Billy Beck does one of those inhaling-type screeches like Minnie Ripperton did to reach her high note or Mariah Carey does to go octaves above. The DJ made this crack and it swept the country. People were asking us, 'Did you kill this chick in the studio?' The band took a vow of silence because that makes you sell more records."
Clarence Satchell died in January 1996 after he had a brain aneurysm. Ralph Middlebrooks died in November 1997.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers were one of the bands heavily influenced by The Ohio Players, covering "Love Rollercoaster" for the film Beavis and Butt-head Do America. In the UK, there is a chain of music and DVD stores named after one of their hit songs, "Fopp". "Fopp" was also covered by Soundgarden for an EP called Fopp.
Honey
The Ohio Players Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on, buzz me up to heaven
I've been missing you I should be kissing you
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
I wouldn't tell a lie got a love I can't deny
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
I close my eyes and I see you clear
It feels like you're lying here
All the things I want to say come and go
Easy as the breeze those words just flow
I float on air light as a feather
Your love so sweet like an open flower
I'm dizzy from the time we spent together
I need that honey drip every hour
I'm thinking about your sugar lips
Got a feeling for you now that's so strong
I'm dreaming of the candy in your finger tips
Baby don't stay away from me for too long
I've been missing you I should be kissing you
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
I wouldn't tell a lie got a love I can't deny
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
Honey to the Bee
Mmmm mmm mmm
buzz me up to heaven baby
Mmmm mmm mmm
ah alright
Come on, buzz me up to heaven
You make me smile though you're far away
I hear your voice like it was yesterday
all the things you do to make me feel so fine
I gotta tell the world about a love that's mine
These wings to fly are gonna last forever
'cause one by one my dreams come true
And I touch the sky whenever we're together
I can't believe the joy I get with you
I'm thinking about your sugar lips
Got a feeling for you now that's so strong
I'm dreaming of the candy in your finger tips
Baby don't stay away from me for too long
I've been missing you I should be kissing you
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
I wouldn't tell a lie got a love I can't deny
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
I've been missing you I should be kissing you
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
I wouldn't tell a lie got a love I can't deny
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
Honey to the Bee
(Heaven) you're the only one who can get me there
(Heaven) when you gonna hear my prayer
(Heaven) you're the only one who can get me there
(Heaven) when you gonna hear my prayer, yeah?
I'm thinking about your sugar lips
got a feeling for you now that's so strong
I'm dreaming of the candy in your finger tips
Baby don't stay away from me for too long
I've been missing you I should be kissing you
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
wouldn't tell a lie got a love I can't deny
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
I've been missing you I should be kissing you
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
wouldn't tell a lie got a love I can't deny
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
Honey to the Bee
Mmmm mmm mmm
Honey to the Bee
buzz me up to heaven baby
Mmmm mmm mmm
see'mon' buzz me up to heaven
The Ohio Players' "Honey" is a smooth love song that celebrates the joy and ecstasy of being in love. The song starts with the singer asking his lover to "buzz him up to heaven," which is a clear expression of his desire to be with his lover and experience the thrill of love that takes him to the highest level of pleasure. The lyrics are sweet and romantic, showcasing the depth and intensity of the singer's love for his lover. The chorus of the song is a repetition of the line "Honey to the Bee that's you for me," which conveys the singer's belief that his lover is his soulmate and the perfect match for him.
The song's verses describe the intensity of the singer's desire for his lover, which is palpable through the playful and sensual lyrics. The singer talks about how he misses his lover and wants to kiss her, and how he dreams of her all the time. The lyrics are punctuated with vivid descriptions of pleasure and ecstasy, like "I float on air light as a feather," "Your love so sweet like an open flower," and "I touch the sky whenever we're together." Overall, "Honey" is a beautiful love song that captures the sweetness and intensity of true love.
Line by Line Meaning
Buzz me up to heaven baby
Come and lift me up to the heights of ecstasy, my love
Come on, buzz me up to heaven
Please fulfill my desire and take me on a heavenly journey with your love
I've been missing you I should be kissing you
I have been longing for you, my love. It's about time that I shower you with my love and affection
Honey to the Bee that's you for me
You are the perfect match for me, my love. Just like honey is to a bee
I wouldn't tell a lie got a love I can't deny
My love for you is genuine and authentic. I never deceive, and I can't deny the intense emotions that I have for you
I close my eyes and I see you clear
Whenever I close my eyes, it's only you that I see. You are always in my thoughts
It feels like you're lying here
I feel your presence, even when you are physically absent. That's how strong my feelings for you are
All the things I want to say come and go
There are a million things that I want to say, but words fall short when it comes to expressing my love for you
Easy as the breeze those words just flow
Whenever I am with you, expressing my love becomes natural and effortless, just like a breeze
I float on air light as a feather
Your love makes me feel weightless and blissful. I am on cloud nine whenever I am with you
Your love so sweet like an open flower
Your love is as sweet and refreshing as an open flower. It is a source of joy and rejuvenation
I'm dizzy from the time we spent together
I am so much in love with you that even the thought of spending time with you makes me dizzy with joy
I need that honey drip every hour
I crave and desire your love every moment of the day. It is my source of sustenance
I'm thinking about your sugar lips
I can't stop thinking about how sweet and delicious your lips are. They are irresistible
Got a feeling for you now that's so strong
My feelings for you are intense and overwhelming. I can't contain them
I'm dreaming of the candy in your finger tips
I dream about the tender touch of your fingertips. They are magical and tantalizing
Baby don't stay away from me for too long
I can't bear to be away from you for too long. Please come back to me soon
(Heaven) you're the only one who can get me there
You are my gateway to heaven. You have the power to take me to a place of pure ecstasy and happiness
(Heaven) when you gonna hear my prayer
I am eagerly waiting for you to fulfill my deepest desire and take me on a heavenly journey with your love
See'mon' buzz me up to heaven
Please take me to the heights of bliss and ecstasy with your love. I am yearning for it
Honey to the Bee
You are my sweet honey, and I am your devoted bee. We are perfectly matched for each other
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: CLARENCE SATCHELL, JAMES L. WILLIAMS, LEROY BONNER, MARSHALL JONES, MARVIN PIERCE, MARVIN R. PIERCE, RALPH MIDDLEBROOKS, WILLIE BECK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind