Our founding editor used to listen to this song (and others Cars’ hits) while working in the basement of then-Congressman Mark Sanford’s house back in the summer of 2002.
Ah, memories …
Released on 1979′s Candy-O album, the song hit No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in America (the band’s highest U.S. chart performance up to that time). Written by Ric Ocasek and sung by bassist Ben Orr, it derives its signature clapping rhythm from “Let’s Go (Pony)” – released in 1962 by The Routers.
THE CARS: “LET’S GO”
She’s driving away with the dim lights on
She’s making a play and she can’t go wrong
She never waits too long
She’s winding them down on her clock machine
And she won’t give up ’cause she’s seventeen
She’s a frozen fire
She’s my one desire
And I don’t want to hold her down
Don’t want to break her crown
When she says, let’s go
I like the nightlife baby
She says, let’s go
She’s laughing inside ’cause they can’t refuse
She’s so beautiful now, she doesn’t wear her shoes
She doesn’t like to choose
She’s got wonderful eyes and a risque mouth
And when I ask her before, she said she’s holding out
She’s a frozen fire
She’s my one desire
And I don’t want to hold her down
Don’t want to break her crown
When she says, let’s go
I like the nightlife baby
She says, let’s go
PREVIOUSLY …
The Afghan Whigs – “Gentleman”
All-American Rejects – “Swing, Swing”
Beastie Boys – “Sabotage”
Beck – “Loser”
The Black Crowes – “Wiser Time”
B.O.B. – “Nothing On You”
Coolio – “Fantastic Voyage”
Cypress Hill – “Rock Superstar”
The Cure – “Burn”
Death Cab For Cute – “Expo 86?
Billy Ward & The Dominoes – “Sixty Minute Man”
Elvis Costello – “Every Day I Write The Book”
Eminem (ft. Rihanna) – “Love The Way You Lie”
Filter – “One (Cover)”
Ben Folds Five – “Rockin’ The Suburbs”
Foo Fighters – “Times Like These”
Foo Fighters – “My Hero”
The Fray – “The Great Beyond (Cover)”
Ice Cube – “It Was A Good Day”
James – “Born of Frustration (Live)”
Janet Jackson – “When I Think Of You”
Joy Division – “New Dawn Fades”
Kesha- “Your Love Is My Drug”
Katie Melua - “Just Like Heaven (Cover)”
The Killers – “Shadowplay (Cover)”
The Killers – “Sweet Talk”
Lady Ga Ga/ Beyonce – “Telephone”
Led Zeppelin – “Your Time Is Gonna Come/ Black Mountain Side”
Led Zeppelin – “Misty Mountain Hop”
Led Zeppelin – “Thank You”
LL Cool J – “Mama Said Knock You Out”
Bob Marley – “One Love”
Sarah McLachlan – “Building A Mystery”
Metric – “Help I’m Alive”
M.I.A. – “Paper Planes”
Midnight Oil – “Dreamworld”
Monster Magnet – “Negasonic Teenage Warhead”
The National – “All The Wine”
Naughty By Nature – “O.P.P.”
Nena – “99 Luftballoons”
New Order – “Regret”
Nine Inch Nails – “Piggy”
Nine Inch Nails – “Hand That Feeds”
Nirvana – “Rape Me”
One Republic – “All The Right Moves”
The Outfield – “I Don’t Need Her”
Outkast – “Rosa Parks”
Outkast – “Gasoline Dreams”
Owl City – “Hot Air Balloon”
Parliament-Funkadelic – “Give Up The Funk”
Panic At The Disco! – “Karma Police” (Cover)
Paramore – “The Only Exception”
Pavement – “Range Life”
Pearl Jam – “Alive”
Tom Petty – “The Waiting”
Pretenders – “Back On The Chain Gang”
Queen – “Somebody To Love”
R.E.M. – “These Days”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Geek, U.S.A.”
Smashing Pumpkins – “Age Of Innocence”
The Smiths – “Headmaster Ritual”
Soul Asylum – “Somebody To Shove”
Soundgarden – “Outshined”
The Spin Doctors – “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues”
Sting – “Fortress Around Your Heart”
Teenage Fanclub – “Hang On”
TV Heart Attack – “AO”
Twilight Singers – “The Twilite Kid”
U2 – “Until The End Of The World”
U2 – “Where The Streets Have No Name”
The Verve – “Lucky Man”
The Waitresses – “I Know What Boys Like”
Weezer – “Put Me Back Together”
The Who – “Baba O’Riley”
Stevie Wonder – “I Believe (When I Fall In Love This Time It Will Last Forever)”
Wu-Tang Clan – “C.R.E.A.M.”
Yeasayer – “Ambling Alp”
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