Let's Go (The Cars song)

"Let's Go" is a 1979 song by the Cars, written by Ric Ocasek for the band's second studio album Candy-O. A new wave rock song, the song's hook was inspired by the Routers. The song's vocals are performed by bassist Benjamin Orr.

"Let's Go"
Picture sleeve (France)
Single by the Cars
from the album Candy-O
B-side
  • "That's It"
  • "Candy-O" (France, Brazil)
ReleasedJune 12, 1979 (1979-06-12)
Recorded1979
GenreRock, new wave
Length3:32
LabelElektra 46063
Songwriter(s)Ric Ocasek
Producer(s)Roy Thomas Baker
The Cars singles chronology
"Good Times Roll"
(1979)		 "Let's Go"
(1979)		 "It's All I Can Do"
(1979)
Candy-O track listing
11 tracks
Side one
  1. "Let's Go"
  2. "Since I Held You"
  3. "It's All I Can Do"
  4. "Double Life"
  5. "Shoo Be Doo"
  6. "Candy-O"
Side two
  1. "Night Spots"
  2. "You Can't Hold on Too Long"
  3. "Lust for Kicks"
  4. "Got a Lot on My Head"
  5. "Dangerous Type"
Audio sample
"Let's Go"
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"Let's Go" was released in 1979 as the debut single from Candy-O on Elektra Records. The single was a chart success, reaching number 14 in the United States and charting in multiple other countries. It has since appeared on several compilation albums and has seen critical acclaim.

Composition

"Let's Go" was described by Brett Milano as "another double-edged anthem" in the liner notes for Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology.[1] AllMusic critic Donald Guarisco called the track "a tight new wave rocker that married the sardonic humor and new wave quirkiness of their previous singles to an easily accessible pop melody."[2]

The song's signature hook is a series of claps followed by a shouted "Let's go!", which is derived from the 1962 song "Let's Go (Pony)" by the Routers,[3] as well as a simple synth melody played by Greg Hawkes, using the Sync II lead preset (or a slight variation of it) from a Prophet-5 synthesizer. The song tells the story of a 17-year-old girl and her budding interest in "the nightlife".

Release

"Let's Go" was released as the debut single from Candy-O in June 1979. The song's B-side is a non-album track titled "That's It" that features Benjamin Orr on lead vocals. The single peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the US,[4] making it the first song by The Cars to reach the Billboard top 20. The song was an even bigger success elsewhere, hitting the top 10 in multiple countries. In Canada, the track reached #5, and remains the Cars' highest ever charting single in that country. Similarly, "Let's Go" peaked at #6 in Australia, where it remains The Cars' highest charted hit.

Two follow-up singles from Candy-O, "It's All I Can Do" and "Double Life", were released after "Let's Go". Although "It's All I Can Do" was a minor hit, "Double Life" failed to chart.

Reception

Rolling Stone critic Tom Carson described "Let's Go" as "the best cut on Candy-O, while the Billboard review of Candy-O listed the song as one of the "best cuts".[5] Billboard described the song as a "catchy midtempo number" with a guitar-driven "sassy rock sound."[6] William Ruhlmann, author of The All-Music Guide to Rock, said, "'Let's Go' (the Cars' biggest hit so far) became one of the summer songs of the year," and Hamish Champ, writer of The 100 Best-Selling Albums of the 70s, said the track (as well as its follow-up, "It's All I Can Do"), "give ample evidence of the band's range".[5] AllMusic reviewer said the track "proves to be the best track [on Candy-O]", while Donald Guarisco, also of AllMusic, said "its streamlined pop style paved the way for future Cars hits like 'Shake It Up' and 'Magic'."[7]

Covers

Chart performance

References
  1. Milano, Brett. Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology. Rhino.
  2. Guarisco, Donald. "Let's Go". AllMusic.
  3. McMahon, James. "The Cars' 10 Best Songs". New Musical Express. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  4. Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 108.
  5. "Candy-O album reviews". www.superseventies.com.
  6. "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. June 23, 1979. p. 69. Retrieved 2020-07-08.
  7. Prato, Greg. "Candy-O". allmusic.com.
  8. "Australian Chart Book". Austchartbook.com.au. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  9. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  10. "Song artist 401 - The Cars". Tsort.info. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  11. "The Cars - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles". AllMusic (Rovi Corporation). Retrieved 2009-11-04.
  12. "Cash Box Top 100 9/08/79". Tropicalglen.com. 1979-09-08. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  13. Steffen Hung. "Forum - Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts - 1970s (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-06. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  14. "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
  15. "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1979". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved April 12, 2016. 96
  16. Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
Sources
  • Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research.
  • Synthmania.com - Prophet-5 Classic polyphonic ana
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