Go Go Juice

Album: Man's Best Friend (2025)
Charted: 24
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Go Go Juice" is Sabrina Carpenter's ode to that ancient human tradition of pouring something amber and intoxicating into a glass and then wondering, about 40 minutes later, whether it might be wise to call an ex. It's a witty, country-inflected pop song from her Man's Best Friend album, and like so many drinking songs, it begins with heartbreak and ends with questionable judgment.
  • As Carpenter drinks, her imagination grows fuzzier and more reckless until she starts mentally spinning the Rolodex of old flames:

    Could be John or Larry, gosh, who's to say?
    Or the one that rhymes with 'Villain' if I'm feeling that way


    This is where pop music turns into a kind of parlor game. Fans immediately began mapping these names to Carpenter's real life: "Larry" is read as Barry Keoghan, "gosh" as Joshua Bassett, "John" as Shawn Mendes, and "villain" possibly as Dylan O'Brien – or if we try hard enough, villain can sound like Keoghan. This is a possibility given his villainous roles (Saltburn, The Batman) and his habit of popping up as the actual villain in her music videos.
  • The song was written by Carpenter with Amy Allen and John Ryan, and produced by Carpenter with Jack Antonoff and Ryan. This particular brain trust is responsible for much of Man's Best Friend.
  • On "Go Go Juice," Carpenter plays banjo, Amy Allen chips in percussion, and then Jack Antonoff enters like a one-man marching band: keyboards, synths, percussion, 12-string acoustic, electric guitar, drums, mellotron, mandolin, and glockenspiel. (He may not have played the kitchen sink, but one gets the sense he considered it.)

    John Ryan adds guitar, bass, percussion, and programming, while Antonoff's Bleachers band - Mikey Freedom Hart (slide guitar), Sean Hutchinson (percussion), Michael Riddleberger (percussion), Evan Smith (flute, saxophone), and Zem Audu (saxophone) - round out the lineup, joined by fiddler Bobby Hawk and trumpeter Tatum Greenblatt, the one non-Bleachers in the bunch.
  • The gang vocals on "Go Go Juice" are performed by Sabrina Carpenter, Jack Antonoff, John Ryan, Amy Allen, and Antonoff's Bleachers band. The ensemble bring a boozy communal sound to the chorus and outro, layering harmonies and group shouts reminiscent of the stage energy of Bleachers.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)

Richie Wise (Kiss producer, Dust)Songwriter Interviews

Richie talks about producing the first two Kiss albums, recording "Brother Louie," and the newfound appreciation of his rock band, Dust.

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)

Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MG's, Blues Brothers)Songwriter Interviews

Steve Cropper on the making of "In the Midnight Hour," the chicken-wire scene in The Blues Brothers, and his 2021 album, Fire It Up.

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Rock Stars of Horror

Rock Stars of HorrorMusic Quiz

Rock Stars - especially those in the metal realm - are often enlisted for horror movies. See if you know can match the rocker to the role.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."