In total, the duo had 34 singles chart hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, seven RIAA platinum albums, and six RIAA gold albums. Because of that chart success, Billboard Magazine named them the most successful duo of the rock era, surpassing even The Everly Brothers. In 2003, they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. They were also placed #15 on the Billboard Magazine list of the 100 greatest artists of all time and the #1 duo, while VH1 placed the duo as #99 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.
From their first hit in 1974 onwards, Daryl Hall and John Oates' smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them commercial successโ including six number one singles and six platinum albums as referred to before. Hall & Oates' music was well-constructed and produced; at their best, their songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of arena rock and new wave.
Daryl Hall, born on October 11, 1946, began performing professionally while he was a student at Temple University. In 1966, he recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos; the group featured Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who would all become the architects of Philly soul. During this time, Hall frequently appeared on sessions for Gamble and Huff. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple University student. Oates was leading his own soul band at the time. The two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing together in an array of R&B and doo wop groups. By 1968, the duo had parted ways, as Oates transferred schools and Hall formed the soft rock band Gulliver; the group released one album on Elektra in the late '60s before disbanding.
After Gulliver's breakup, Hall concentrated on session work again, appearing as a backup vocalist for The Stylistics, The Delfonics, and The Intruders, among others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began writing folk-oriented songs and performing together. Eventually they came to the attention of Tommy Mottola, who quickly became their manager, securing the duo a contract with Atlantic Records. On their first records โ Whole Oates (1972), Abandoned Luncheonette (1973), War Babies (1974) โ the duo were establishing their sound, working with producers like Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren and removing much of their folk influences. At the beginning of 1974, the duo relocated from Philadelphia to New York. During this period, they only managed one hit โ the number 60 "She's Gone" in the spring of 1974.
After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with "Sara Smile." The success of "Sara Smile" prompted the re-release of "She's Gone," which rocketed into the Top Ten as well. Released in the summer of 1976, Bigger than the Both of Us was only moderately successful upon its release. The record took off in early 1977, when "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single.
Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980, the albums Hall & Oates released at the end of the decade were not as successful as their mid-'70s records. Nevertheless, they were more adventurous, incorporating more rock elements into their blue-eyed soul. The combination would finally pay off in late 1980, when the duo released the self-produced Voices, the album that marked the beginning of Hall & Oates' greatest commercial and artistic success. The first single from Voices, a cover of Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," reached number 12, yet it was the second single, "Kiss on My List" that confirmed their commercial potential by becoming the duo's second number one single; its follow-up, "You Make My Dreams" hit number five. They quickly released Private Eyes in the summer of 1981; the record featured two number one hits, "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," as well as the Top Ten hit "Did It in a Minute." "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" also spent a week at the top of the R&B charts โ a rare accomplishment for a white act. H20 followed in 1982 and it proved more successful than their two previous albums, selling over two million copies and launching their biggest hit single, "Maneater," as well as the Top Ten hits "One on One" and "Family Man." The following year, the duo released a greatest-hits compilation, Rock 'N Soul, Pt. 1, that featured two new Top Ten hits โ the number two "Say It Isn't So" and "Adult Education."
In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Hall & Oates had surpassed Everly Brothers as the most successful duo in rock history, earning a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. Released in October of 1984, Big Bam Boom expanded their number of gold and platinum awards, selling over two million copies and launching four Top 40 singles, including the number one "Out of Touch." Following their contract-fulfilling gold album Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick, Hall & Oates went on hiatus. After the lukewarm reception for Daryl Hall's 1986 solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, the duo regrouped to release 1988's Ooh Yeah!, their first record for Arista. The first single, "Everything Your Heart Desires," went to number three and helped propel the album to platinum status.
However, none of the album's other singles broke the Top 20, indicating that the era of chart dominance had ended. Change of Season, released in 1990, confirmed that fact. Although the record went gold, it only featured one Top 40 hit โ the number 11 single, "So Close." The duo mounted a comeback in 1997 with Marigold Sky, but it was only partially successful; far better was 2003's Do It for Love and the following year soul covers record Our Kind of Soul.
I Can't Go For That
Hall & Oates Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where does it stop
Where do you dare me
To draw the line
You've got the body
Now you want my soul
Don't even think about it
Say no go
I, I 'll do anything
That you want me to do
And I'll do almost anything
That you want me to, ooh
But I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
No, I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
I can go for being twice as nice
I can go for just repeating
The same old lines
Use the body
Now you want my soul
Ooh, forget about it
Now say no go
I, I'll do anything
That you want me to do
I'll do almost anything
That you want me to
But I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
Yeah, I, I'll do anything
That you want me to do
And I'll do almost anything
That you want me to
But I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
I can't go for that
No I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
I can't go for that, no no, no can do
I can't go for that, (no no no no) no I can't go for that
I can't go for that (no can do)
No can't do
I can't go for that (no no no no can't do)
I can't go for that
I can't go for that, yeah (no can do)
No, no, no, no, no, no
The lyrics to Hall & Oates's "I Can't Go for That" seem to revolve around the idea of being unwilling to be manipulated or taken advantage of by someone else. The opening lines of "Easy, ready, willing, overtime / Where does it stop / Where do you dare me / To draw the line" set the stage for a negotiation of sorts; the singer is seemingly willing to compromise or do certain things, but there are limits to what they're willing to do. The lines "You've got the body / Now you want my soul / Don't even think about it / Say no go" suggest that someone is trying to take advantage of the singer in some way, and they're trying to put a stop to it.
The chorus, which is repeated multiple times throughout the song, emphasizes the idea that there are certain things the singer simply cannot tolerate or go along with, despite any pressure or persuasion. Lines like "I, I'll do anything / That you want me to do / But I can't go for that, no (no) no can do" and "I'll do almost anything / That you want me to / But I can't go for that, no (no) no can do" reinforce the idea that the singer is willing to compromise or please others to a certain extent, but not at the expense of their own autonomy or self-respect.
Overall, the lyrics to "I Can't Go for That" convey a sense of assertiveness and self-advocacy, as the singer asserts their boundaries and refuses to be pushed or coerced beyond them.
Line by Line Meaning
Easy, ready, willing, overtime
It seems easy, I'm ready and willing to put in overtime, but where is the limit?
Where does it stop
Where is the limit? Where should I draw the line?
Where do you dare me
Put a limit and I'll try to cross it.
To draw the line
To establish the limit beyond which I can't go.
You've got the body
You have physical attractiveness and appeal.
Now you want my soul
Now you want to manipulate and control me, not just physically but emotionally.
Don't even think about it
I won't allow it.
Say no go
Say no to any attempt to manipulate or control me.
I, I 'll do anything
I'm willing to do anything for you.
That you want me to do
That aligns with my values and principles and does not undermine my autonomy and sense of self.
And I'll do almost anything
I'm open to new experiences and challenges, but I have my limits.
But I can't go for that, no (no) no can do
But I can't agree to anything that sacrifices my integrity, impairs my freedom, or compromises my values.
Can't go for that
I won't agree to anything that undermines my well-being or sense of self.
Can't go for that
I won't do anything that generates negative consequences or violates my principles.
Can't go for that
I won't accept disrespect, abuse, harm or manipulation.
Can't go for that
I won't conform to societal pressure, stereotypes or expectations that contradict my identity.
Lyrics ยฉ BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sara Allen, John Oates, Daryl Hall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bobby Bob
Easy, ready, willing, overtime
Where does it stop
Where do you dare me
To draw the line
You've got the body
Now you want my soul
Don't even think about it
Say no go
Yeah, I 'll do anything
That you want me to do
And I'll do almost anything
That you want me too, ooh
Yeah but I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
I can go for being twice as nice
I can go for just repeating
The same old lines
Use the body
Now you want my soul
Ooh, forget about it
Now say no go
Yeah I, I'll do anything
That you want me to do
Yeah I'll do almost anything
That you want me to do
Yeah but I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that yeah
Yeah I'll do anything
That you want me to do
Yeah I'll do almost anything
That you want me to do
Yeah but I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that no (no can do)
I can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that
Can't go for that yeah
No, I can't go for that (no can do)
I can't go for that
I can't go, I can't go
No, I can't go for that no
No can do (no can do)
Forget about it
Forget about it no go
No go no go
I can't go for that yeah (no can do)
Forget about it no
Forget about it no go
No go no go
No can do (no can do)
No no no no no
No no no no no no can do
Can't go for that yeah (no can do)
No no no no no
No no no no no no can do
Can't go for that yeah (no can do)
I can't go
No can't go
No can't go
Go for that, yeah
No can do (no can do)
I can't go
No can't go
I can't go
Go for that, yeah
No can do (no can do)
No no no no no
No no no no no no can do
Written by Melissa A. Elliott, Daryl Hall, Sara Allen, John William Oates, Brycyn Jamari Malykke Evans, Roosevelt Iii Harrell โข Copyright ยฉ Warner/Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group
Sean Warren
Now, some of you might be wondering what he can't go for...
You see, he was with his lady and she asked him for the new Hall and Oates EP, but he thought she had said DP, and here we are with this modern masterpiece of audio engineering, and the rest they say, is history.
The more you know...
๐โจ๐
๐ ;๐
The Realist
This song came to my head for some reason, what a classic.
Javonta Weathersby
One of my favorite songs of all time
DAVID SMITH
2022 and still kicking it..๐
Adinocc
Still kickin ass after all a these yrs!
Ricardo Renan
Clรกssico dos clรกssicos
Tracy Lands
Thank you for bringing QUALITY to a CLASSIC tune! โค๏ธ๐
Dave Micklon
H&O's best song EVER, and don't you forget it.
Ddarke11
I can go for that
Ice Slipped
Engraved on my mind.
AHBguru
Lots of people enjoy "She's Gone", but this song made pop music history. It also holds a number of RIAA awards, and remains the most covered/sampled song of the pop Era.