The Cars · 1979 · Behind the Songs
“Let’s Go” (1979) comes from Candy-O, the Cars’ second album, and it kept the band’s momentum going after their debut.
“Let’s Go” (1979) comes from Candy-O, the Cars’ second album, and it kept the band’s momentum going after their debut. Written by Ric Ocasek and sung by Ocasek, the song is driven by a bright synthesizer hook and a steady rock beat, giving it a lighter, more danceable feel than the debut’s hardest guitar tracks.
The recording shows how the band was refining its sound. Hawkes’s keyboards move to the front, Easton’s guitar adds sharp punctuation, and the rhythm section keeps the track moving without crowding it. Ocasek’s vocal is relaxed and teasing, matching the song’s invitation to move. The result is a track that feels both polished and playful, a balance the Cars would return to often.
In the band’s career, “Let’s Go” confirmed that Candy-O was not a difficult second album but a confident next step. It showed that the Cars could lead with keyboards as well as guitar, and that their songwriting could stay concise and hook-driven while the production became more colorful.