Let's Go

Album: Candy-O (1979)
Charted: 51 14
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The Cars scored on the charts yet again, this time with a single about a beautiful, free-spirited girl who likes the night life. The singer tries to get a date with her, but she turns him down every time. It was the first single from the group's second album, Candy-O, and like their first album, was produced by Roy Thomas Baker, who did a lot of work with Queen. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Mike - Santa Barbara, CA
  • Cars guitarist Ric Ocasek wrote this song, but their bass player Benjamin Orr sang lead. When he wrote, Ocasek usually took on different personalities, this one a guy who gets let around by the nose by a wild woman. These personas were usually based on character traits he observed from the people around him - rarely were they personal.

Comments: 6

  • Randy from Battle Creek, MiI heard that Roy Thomas Baker recorded this entire album through car stereo speakers to ensure that The Cars would sound good in cars.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn June 24th 1979, "Let's Go" by the Cars entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #80; and on September 2nd, 1979 it peaked at #14 (for 2 weeks) and spent 15 weeks on the Top 100...
    It reached #5 in Canada and #6 in Australia...
    Between 1978 and 1988 the Boston-based quintet had eighteen Top 100 records; four made the Top 10 with "Drive" being their biggest hit, it peaked at #3 on September 23rd, 1984, was at #3 for 3 weeks.
  • Pat from St. Paul, MnThe girl "likes the night life, BABY!"
  • Bob from Kingwood, TxThe clapping riff heard in the chorus is a musical nod to a 1962 instrumental by the Routers, also titled, "Let's Go."
  • Don from B G, KyThe Cars performed this song on the tv show THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL in 1979. The CANDY-O albumn had 3 Billboard hit songs.
  • Mick from Echuca, AustraliaI love the vid for this - Ben Orr is such a cue-tay and the drummer is a hottie too. They are/were a great band, as they were then.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Justin Hayward of The Moody Blues

Justin Hayward of The Moody BluesSongwriter Interviews

Justin wrote the classic "Nights In White Satin," but his fondest musical memories are from a different decade.

Gene Simmons of Kiss

Gene Simmons of KissSongwriter Interviews

The Kiss rocker covers a lot of ground in this interview, including why there are no Kiss collaborations, and why the Rock Hall has "become a sham."

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Gentle Giant

Gentle GiantSongwriter Interviews

An interview with Ray and Derek Shulman of the progressive rock band Gentle Giant to discuss counterpoint, polyrhythms, and... Bon Jovi.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Band Names

Band NamesFact or Fiction

Was "Pearl" Eddie Vedder's grandmother, and did she really make a hallucinogenic jam? Did Journey have a contest to name the group? And what does KISS stand for anyway?