With its instantly recognizable opening synth line, handclaps and Benjamin Orr's cool, almost detached vocal, Let's Go captured something essential about The Cars: they could make rock music feel futuristic without losing its pop appeal. Released in 1979, it became the band's first major Top 20 hit and one of the defining songs of their early career.
Written by Ric Ocasek, Let's Go was the lead single from Candy-O, The Cars' second studio album. The record was released on June 12, 1979, with the single following that same month on Elektra. Producer Roy Thomas Baker, already famous for his work with Queen, returned to work with the band after producing their successful debut album.
One of the song's most important details is that Orr, not Ocasek, sings the lead vocal. That distinction became an important part of The Cars' sound. Ocasek wrote many of the band's songs, but Orr's warmer and more melodic voice provided a striking contrast. On Let's Go, that contrast is especially effective: the music is energetic and mechanical, while Orr delivers the lyrics with remarkable coolness.
The song's famous hook was inspired by the Routers, an instrumental group whose 1962 hit Let's Go (Pony) featured the same kind of rhythmic “Let's Go!” chant. Ocasek transformed that simple idea into something completely different, surrounding it with synthesizers, guitars and a driving rhythm section.
Lyrically, the song presents a restless young woman who is always moving, partying and looking for the next thrill. The repeated references to nightlife give the record an almost cinematic quality. There is very little sentimentalism here; instead, Let's Go feels like a snapshot of late-1970s urban nightlife—fast, stylish and slightly detached.
The recording itself brought together all five members of The Cars: Ocasek and Elliot Easton on guitars, Orr on bass and lead vocals, Greg Hawkes on keyboards, and David Robinson on drums. The track was recorded at Cherokee Studios in Hollywood, with Geoff Workman as engineer.
Commercially, Let's Go represented a major step forward. It reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 on September 8, 1979, becoming The Cars' first Top 20 hit and their first Top 15 single. Rhino specifically identifies it as the band's first Top 15 success.
Outside the United States, the song performed even better in several markets. It reached No. 5 in Canada and No. 6 in Australia, making it one of the band's biggest international hits.
Candy-O itself was also a substantial success. The album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and eventually received four-times-platinum certification in the United States. Its striking cover, created by legendary pin-up artist Alberto Vargas, became almost as recognizable as the music inside it.
There is something almost paradoxical about Let's Go: the technology and production make it sound unmistakably late-1970s, yet the combination of rock guitars, synthesizers and pop songwriting points directly toward the new wave explosion that was about to reshape mainstream music.
Let's Go is a perfect example of why The Cars were so important at the end of the 1970s. They didn't abandon rock for synthesizers, nor did they simply dress conventional rock songs in electronic sounds. Instead, they found a remarkably effective middle ground—sharp guitars, futuristic keyboards, an infectious rhythm and Benjamin Orr's unforgettable voice.
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