The group was part of the "Brooklyn sound" of the early 1970s, formed from three players of the group King Davis House Rockers. The House Rockers were a local dance band who had released a couple of obscure singles (1967's "We All Make Mistakes Sometimes" on Verve Records, 1972's "Rum Punch") The three players (guitarist Richard Thompson, tenor sax player Bill Risbrook, and alto sax player Carlos Ward) formed Madison Street Express along with bassist Louis Risbrook (later Muslim-monickered Jamal Rasool), percussionist Dennis Rowe, drummer Terrell Wood, and vocalist Barbara Wood. They along with producer Jeff Lane signed with production company Roadshow Records to record writer Billy Nichols "Do It ('Til You're Satisfied)." The record was shopped around to major labels until it was accepted at Scepter Records. Scepter suggested the group change its name from Madison Street Express, hence the Brooklyn Transit Express. The single was released in August 1974, and reached the top 10. Lane took the group back into the studios at that point to record a second single and pitch a full album to the label. Scepter agreed to the LP and to Roadshow Records having its own label within Scepter Records.
The first two singles were hits, both number 1 R&B releases and both Top 5 pop singles in the US. The album hit number 1 on the R&B album chart and number 5 on the Pop album chart of the US. These recordings were also hits in the spreading disco culture, "Do It" peaking on club playlists before Billboard started a separate disco chart, but the follow-up single sat for five weeks at number 1. They were certified gold releases.
BT Express released an album per year through 1978. With the third album, Leslie Ming was brought in as drummer and keyboardist Michael Jones was added as keyboardist. Jamal, who had converted to the Muslim faith, gave Jones the name Kashif Saleem, which he used after departing the group, in 1979, to pursue producing ("Mighty M Productions" with Morrie Brown and Paul Laurence Jones) and solo recording ventures. That year songwriter Billy Nichols and drummer Leslie Ming also departed the group. In 1976 Scepter records was experiencing business difficulties that soon ended the company, and BT Express was given a distribution deal with Columbia Records, which, though it gave them greater exposure, resulted in less attention being paid to their production, since they had so many acts to concentrate on. The group did not achieve the level of radio or sales success on Columbia that they had on the more nurturing but by-then defunct Scepter. They stayed with Columbia for five years, with Lane producing through 1978, then Nichols producing their fifth album before he departed for solo work, and Morrie Brown producing the sixth LP and several follow-up tracks. The group switched labels to Coast To Coast Records for the 1982 LP, to Earthtone Records for a later 1982 single, and to manager King Davis' own label in 1985.
Let Yourself Go
B.T. Express Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let’s go to the beach
Ocean breeze
Palm trees
Girl, let’s go to the beach
Let’s go...
Let’s go to the beach
You and me
Girl, let’s go to the beach
It's Saturday morning and I’m rollin' one up
Calling up the guys, inviting the girls
Name a place to meet up
I’m thinking over by the pier don’t tell a person but us
So we can keep it low key, you know the spot by the truck
Then we’ll hop on the boat
Float around the coast
Toward the sandbar where the party explodes
Always the type to push the button
What’ll happen who knows
But if I’m only living once
Then fuck it I want to know
So I keep rocking the boat
I guess it’s all that I know
I just hop on it start flowing
Until it’s time that I go...
Always feel the most at home
When I’ve got sand on my toes
A joint between my fingers
Kids they wanna be us
Girlfriend drives a Prius
Yeah we’re about the environment
I just wanna go
Really want to live
If I keep it honest
Do you think you could you handle it?
Yeah I know we’re flying
But I’m thinking about landing it
Cause' I don’t know what else to do
Feels like we're stuck in sand again
New day
Get up to kill it again
Always chillin, always rockin’
It’s just me and my friends
Smoking weed with soccer moms
They’re on vacation from kids
Damn the water feels good
Go ahead and jump in
She’s in her polka dot bikini
Women want to be her
Her confidence will really feel a room
Just like some reverb
As soon as you start holding on
You can’t keep her
She roams free with the birds
You can’t leave her
That’s what she wanted after all
She’s not the type to call
Though we might meet up later on
At the end of the day...
I know she’s playing my songs with only good thoughts
And we just had to go our own way and find a new spark
I just wanna go
Really want to live
If I keep it honest
Do you think you could you handle it?
Yeah I know we’re flying
But I’m thinking about landing it
Cause' I don’t know what else to do
Feels like we're stuck in sand again
Let’s go...
Let’s go to the beach
Ocean breeze
Palm trees
Girl, let’s go to the beach
Let’s go...
Let’s go to the beach
You and me
All I need
Girl, let’s go to the beach
The lyrics to B.T. Express's "Let Yourself Go" are about living life to the fullest, taking risks, and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. The song's chorus describes the beauty and relaxation of spending time at the beach, with the ocean breeze and palm trees creating a sense of calm and tranquility. The song's verses describe the singer's desire to live life to the fullest, taking risks by smoking weed with soccer moms and "pushing the button" on life to see what happens.
The lyrics portray a carefree attitude towards life and relationships, with the singer not worrying about commitment or settling down. Instead, the singer focuses on having fun and living in the moment, even if it means leaving someone behind or not knowing what the future holds. The song encourages listeners to let go of their fears and inhibitions and take risks to fully experience life.
Line by Line Meaning
Let’s go...
Let's start the day with a positive attitude
Let’s go to the beach
Let's spend the day at the beach to enjoy the ocean and the warm weather
Ocean breeze
The soothing wind from the sea
Palm trees
The tall tropical trees that provide shade and relaxation
Girl, let’s go to the beach
Addressing a female to join in for the trip to the beach
You and me
Both of us together
All I need
Everything I require to have a good time
It's Saturday morning and I’m rollin' one up
The artist is rolling a joint on a relaxed Saturday morning
Calling up the guys, inviting the girls
He's calling his male friends and inviting female friends for a beach trip
Name a place to meet up
Asking for suggestions to finalize a meeting place
I’m thinking over by the pier don’t tell a person but us
The suggested place is near a pier, which the singer wants to keep secret from outsiders
So we can keep it low key, you know the spot by the truck
Keeping the beach trip a secret to avoid unwanted attention and the reference to 'spot by the truck' further confirms this
Then we’ll hop on the boat
Group will get on a boat for a sea adventure
Float around the coast
The boat will be driven around the coastline to have a good view of the beach
Toward the sandbar where the party explodes
A popular location where people party and have a good time
Always the type to push the button
The artist is adventurous and likes to explore new things
What’ll happen who knows
Uncertainty of what will happen makes it more exciting
But if I’m only living once
Narrator wants to seize the moment and enjoy life to the fullest
Then fuck it I want to know
Narrator has a carefree attitude and wants to enjoy the moment
So I keep rocking the boat
The artist continues to have fun and enjoy the moment despite facing uncertainty
I guess it’s all that I know
Living life to the fullest is what narrator believes in
I just hop on it start flowing
The artist is carefree and goes with the flow
Until it’s time that I go...
He will continue to party until it ends
Always feel the most at home
Being on the sand and partying with close ones feels like home to the artist
When I’ve got sand on my toes
The singer loves the feeling of sand on his toes
A joint between my fingers
Narrator enjoys smoking joints
Kids they wanna be us
Kids want to be like the people partying on the beach
Girlfriend drives a Prius
The artist respects the environment and has a girlfriend who drives a fuel-efficient car
Yeah we’re about the environment
The artist emphasizes the importance of protecting the environment
Really want to live
The singer wants to live life to the fullest and not miss out on anything
If I keep it honest
The singer wants to be truthful with himself and others about his desires
Do you think you could you handle it?
The artist is asking if others can handle his way of living and enjoying life
Yeah I know we’re flying
Things are going well and the artist is enjoying his time
But I’m thinking about landing it
Despite having a good time, the artist is starting to plan the end of the party
Cause' I don’t know what else to do
The singer is unsure of what to do next after having a good time
Feels like we're stuck in sand again
The artist feels like he's in the same place in life after having a good time
New day
Every day brings new opportunities
Get up to kill it again
Get up with the motivation to make the best out of the day
Always chillin, always rockin’
The singer is always relaxed but enjoys himself to the fullest
It’s just me and my friends
The artist has a close group of friends to share experiences with
Smoking weed with soccer moms
The artist enjoys smoking weed with unexpected individuals, such as middle-aged mothers on vacation
They’re on vacation from kids
The mothers are taking a break from their children and letting loose
Damn the water feels good
The singer is enjoying the feeling of the cool water on a warm day
Go ahead and jump in
The artist is inviting others to enjoy the water as well
She’s in her polka dot bikini
A woman is described wearing a swimsuit with polka dots
Women want to be her
Other women admire her confidence and beauty
Her confidence will really feel a room
The woman's confidence is contagious and influences others in the room
Just like some reverb
The confidence echoes throughout the room like a musical reverb effect
As soon as you start holding on
When someone tries to control her, she will leave and not stay in the relationship
You can’t keep her
She will leave if someone tries to control or possess her
She roams free with the birds
She is free and unrestricted like a bird
You can’t leave her
If someone tries to leave her, she will have already left
That’s what she wanted after all
She desired to be free and unrestricted and that is what she achieved
She’s not the type to call
She's independent and does not rely on others to contact her
Though we might meet up later on
The singer and the woman might meet up again later on
At the end of the day...
At the end of the day, the things mentioned in the song will be memorable and enjoyable
I know she’s playing my songs with only good thoughts
The woman mentioned earlier is listening to the artist's music and has positive thoughts about him
And we just had to go our own way and find a new spark
The artist and the woman parted ways and had to find their own path to happiness
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Nicholas Bunn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind