They were orginally formed as a punk band and had roots in the L.A. punk community. During late 1979, the band recorded a 5-song demo at Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles. Go-Go’s subsequently spent half of 1980 touring England, earning a sizable following and releasing the demo version of We Got The Beat on Stiff Records. Go-Go's signed to I.R.S. Records in April 1981. Their debut album Beauty And The Beat was a surprise hit; it topped the U.S. charts for six weeks and eventually received a triple platinum certification. In 2003, the album was ranked number 413 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Our Lips Are Sealed and a new version of We Got The Beat were extremely popular singles in North America in early 1982. In this period Go-Go's became America's sweethearts and started building a fan base. In 1982 the group was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
The follow-up album Vacation received mixed reviews and sold far less than Beauty and the Beat. However, the album was certified Gold in the U.S. and spawned another top 10 US hit with the title track: Vacation. In 1984 the group returned with their third record album Talk Show. The album tracks Head Over Heels and Turn To You were both Top 40 hits in the US. Despite the favorable critiques, the album sold far less than the previous two, not reaching the top 10 and not receiving any certification.
Personality conflicts and creative differences within the group were also taking a toll, as were drug addiction problems for some band members. Jane Wiedlin announced her departure from the group in October 1984. The band sought a replacement for Wiedlin and finally selected Paula Jean Brown as their new bassist, with Valentine moving to rhythm guitar. Soon Carlisle and Caffey realized their hearts were no longer in the group and decided to disband Go-Go's in May 1985.
In 1994 the classic line-up got together again to release the 2-disc retrospective Return To The Valley Of The Go-Go's, which featured three new recordings. The single The Whole World Lost Its Head peaked at #21 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts. The band toured again to promote the release.
In 2001, the band released an album of new material: God Bless The Go-Go's. The only released single Unforgiven peaked at #22 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart. The album was well-received by critics, and peaked at number #57 in the Billboard 200 chart.
Go-Go's have toured regularly since 1999. In 2011 Go-Go's announced the Ladies Gone Wild tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the release of Beauty and the Beat.
Head Over Heels
Go-Go's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've nearly lost all track of time
In every direction
I couldn't see the warning signs
I must be losin' it
Cause my mind plays tricks on me
It looked so easy
But you know looks sometimes deceive
Right from the starting line
No more connections
I don't need any more advice
One hand's just reaching out
And one's just hangin' on
It seems my weaknesses
Just keep going strong
[Chorus]
Head over heels
Where should I go
Can't stop myself
Outta control
Head over heels
No time to think
Looks like
The whole world's out of sync
Been running so hard
When what I need is to unwind
The voice of reason
Is one I left so far behind
I waited so long
So long to play this part
And just remembered
That I'd forgotten about my heart
[Chorus]
The Go-Go's song "Head Over Heels" is about being lost, confused, and feeling out of control. The singer has been running so long that she has lost track of time and can't see the warning signs. She feels like she's losing her mind because her mind plays tricks on her, and what looked easy at first turned out to be more difficult than expected. She has been running so fast, trying to distance herself from the starting line, but she realizes she's not making any real connections and doesn't need any more advice. One hand is reaching out, and the other is hanging on for dear life, and her weaknesses seem to keep going strong.
The chorus repeats the phrase "head over heels" to emphasize the feeling of being out of control and not knowing where to go or what to do. The singer is unable to stop herself from feeling this way and can't seem to think clearly. She's caught in a cycle where she feels like the world is out of sync with her. The second verse emphasizes the importance of taking time to unwind and listen to the voice of reason. The singer longs to play a certain part but realizes she has forgotten about her heart and needs to reconnect with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Been running so long
I have been constantly on the move for a while now
I've nearly lost all track of time
I have been so busy that I have lost track of time
In every direction
I have been moving aimlessly in all directions
I couldn't see the warning signs
I was too preoccupied to notice the warning signs
I must be losin' it
I must be losing my mind
Cause my mind plays tricks on me
My mind is playing tricks on me
It looked so easy
Something appeared to be easy
But you know looks sometimes deceive
Appearances can be deceiving
Been running so fast
I have been moving extremely quickly
Right from the starting line
From the very beginning
No more connections
I do not want any more connections with anyone
I don't need any more advice
I have received enough advice and do not require more
One hand's just reaching out
One hand is trying to reach out and seize opportunities
And one's just hangin' on
While the other hand is just barely holding on
It seems my weaknesses
My weaknesses
Just keep going strong
Seem to be getting stronger
Head over heels
Completely and hopelessly in love
Where should I go
I do not know where to go
Can't stop myself
I cannot control myself
Outta control
Things are out of control
No time to think
I do not have time to think
Looks like
It appears that
The whole world's out of sync
Everything is out of sync with each other
Been running so hard
I have been working so hard
When what I need is to unwind
However, what I really need is to unwind and relax
The voice of reason
The rational part of me
Is one I left so far behind
Is something I have abandoned a long time ago
I waited so long
I have waited for so long
So long to play this part
To play the role that I have always wanted to
And just remembered
I have just remembered
That I'd forgotten about my heart
That I had forgotten about my emotions and feelings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLOTTE CAFFEY, KATHY VALENTINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@polopopolo2197
These girls rocked! I’m not gonna lie, 52-year-old black man and whenever I hear this song I dance around like a high school cheerleader!
@AdrianDeVore
As a 55 year old African American woman, I feel the same way.
@polopopolo2197
@@AdrianDeVore 😂 okay!
@vickijohnson8456
Love your honesty.
@fitzroyebanks508
Especially that bit when it's pure bass.
@bloofan06
You're awesome!
@timvandenbrink4461
I never realized how strong the drums and bass playing is in this group. I didn’t appreciate them enough back in the day. Fantastic group in a fantastic time to be a teenager!
@ByWayOfDeception
The rhythm section was excellent. These women were musicians first.
@MrZippyzipzip
Straight musicians
@jd-no7rw
I had a roommate in college that was a drummer in a death metal band. He bought the Go-Gos on a whim, basically to make fun of them, and ended up loving the disc because how good they were.