Singer Marty Cintron was discovered by German music producer Frank Farian when he played at a club in Ocean Drive, Miami. He suggested that they should do a project together. Cintron then went to Farian's studio in Germany. Farian thought the best way to go was with a group, so Cintron introduced him to twin brothers and dancers Ariel and Gabriel Hernández which he had worked with earlier. They had toured with Prince and been in some of his videos. The first song the group recorded was "Missing", which Farian had gotten permission to record after hearing the song in Ibiza.[6] Their version made it to the top 5 in Switzerland and became a big hit throughout Europe. But it was their next single, "Where Do You Go", which was released in May 1996, that became an international success. It peaked at number one in Denmark, Ireland, and Scotland, and within the top 5 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the US.
"Where Do You Go" (Ocean Drive Mix) was featured in the 1998 American comedy film A Night at the Roxbury.
AllMusic editor Leo Stanley highlighted the song in his review of No Mercy. He said that "they have enough hooks and beats to crossover to the charts and dancefloors. Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Look for this Latin male trio to continue Arista's winning streak of slam-dunking Euro-splashed dance ditties on pop radio. This time, the beats are spiked with fluttering acoustic guitar riffs and making for a jam that will have punters revisiting their fave old hustle dance steps. The icing on the cake is an immediately contagious chorus and an irresistible a cappella breakdown midway through the song. Fun, fun, fun." Matt Stopera and Brian Galindo from BuzzFeed noted, "Spanish guitar + aggressive '90s dance-music beat = perfection." Chicago Sun-Times called it a "bewitching" song. Bob Cannon from Entertainment Weekly said that "like any good dance track, its hook buries itself deep in your brain." He also added its "snazzy flamenco guitar licks and production touches". Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented, "This trio of experienced dancers/performers will find a warm reception from Top 40 programmers searching for fresh sounds to fill those Pop/Dance slots. The threesome hail from Miami and are currently breaking in Europe with this polished, uptempo production." Staten Island Advance described the song as "upbeat".
In 2017, BuzzFeed ranked the song at number 8 in their list of The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s.
where do you go
No Mercy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where do you go?
I want to know, my lovely, I want to know
Where do you go? Oh oh eh oh
I want to know, oh oh eh oh
Where do you go? Oh oh oh oh eh
Oh oh oh oh eh, oh oh oh oh eh oh
Where do you, where do you go?
Where do you, where do you go?
You leave without a word, no message, no number
And now my head is pounding like rolling thunder
You left me with a heartache deep inside
Girl you should see me cry all night, and I wonder
Everybody says, what a shame, what is wrong?
They don't like the game you play
Heard you're hanging 'round every night until dawn
Been waiting for you night and day
Where do you go, my lovely?
Where do you go?
I want to know, my lovely, I want to know
Where do you go? Oh oh eh oh
I want to know, oh oh eh oh
Where do you go? Oh oh oh oh eh
Oh oh oh oh eh, oh oh oh oh eh oh
I want to know
You gotta break the silence, don't keep me waiting
Just like a river flowing to the sea
You're running back to me
Come hear what I'm saying
Where do you go, my lovely?
I want to know
Where do you go? Oh oh eh oh
Oh oh oh oh eh, oh oh oh oh eh oh
Where do we go? Oh oh eh oh
Oh oh oh oh eh, oh oh oh oh eh oh
I want to know, oh oh eh oh
Na na na na di da, na na di da, da da da di da da, na
Na na na na di da, na na di da, da da da di da da
Where do you, where do you go?
Save me
Come back and dry the tears, I cried for you baby
You've gotta stop this heartache deep inside
You've gotta help me make it through the night safely
Come back and save me
Where do you go, my lovely?
Where do you go?
I want to know, my lovely, I want to know
Where do you go, my lovely?
Where do you go?
I want to know
Na na na na di da, na na di da, da da da di da da, na
Na na na na di da, na na di da, da da da di da da
Where do you, where do you go?
The lyrics to No Mercy's "Where Do You Go" convey the singer's desperate need to locate someone that has left without a trace. The singer pleads and asks the person where they have gone, and expresses their pain and confusion over the sudden disappearance without a word or explanation. The refrain of "Where do you go?" functions as the main plea or question the singer is asking throughout the song, and expresses their deep desire for closure and understanding.
The lyrics also express the hurt caused by the person's departure, with the singer saying that their "head is pounding like rolling thunder" and that they suffer from "heartache deep inside." They express their sadness and pain through crying all night and wondering what went wrong. The other people in the singer's life offer sympathy, but ultimately cannot provide answers as to why the person disappeared.
The end of the song sees the singer begging the person to return, to break the silence, and to dry the tears they have cried for them. They ask again where the person has gone in the refrain, and plead for them to come back and save them. The song ends on this note of desperation and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do you go, my lovely?
The singer is asking their lover where they go when they leave.
Where do you go?
The singer repeats their question, emphasizing their curiosity.
I want to know, my lovely, I want to know
The singer is expressing their desire to understand where their lover goes.
You leave without a word, no message, no number
The artist is describing how their lover leaves without any explanation or way to contact them.
And now my head is pounding like rolling thunder
The artist is feeling overwhelmed and upset by their lover's absence.
You left me with a heartache deep inside
The singer is experiencing emotional pain as a result of their lover's departure.
Girl you should see me cry all night, and I wonder
The singer is revealing that they cry and wonder about their lover's whereabouts when they leave.
Everybody says, what a shame, what is wrong?
Other people are commenting on the artist's emotional state and questioning what is going on between them and their lover.
They don't like the game you play
Others disapprove of the way the artist's lover behaves.
Heard you're hanging 'round every night until dawn
Rumors suggest that the lover is out late every night.
Been waiting for you night and day
The singer is waiting for their lover to return, regardless of the rumors they hear.
You gotta break the silence, don't keep me waiting
The artist wants their lover to communicate with them and not leave them waiting in silence.
Just like a river flowing to the sea
The singer compares their lover's return to their love flowing back to them like a river flowing to the sea.
You're running back to me
The singer anticipates that their lover will come back to them.
Come hear what I'm saying
The singer wants their lover to listen to them and understand their feelings.
Where do we go?
The artist wants to know where they and their lover will go from here.
Save me
The artist is expressing their need for their lover to come back and save them from their emotional pain.
Come back and dry the tears, I cried for you baby
The singer is asking their lover to come back and comfort them after the pain they caused.
You've gotta stop this heartache deep inside
The singer is asking their lover to help them cope with their emotional pain.
You've gotta help me make it through the night safely
The artist is asking their lover to stay with them and help them get through the night.
Where do you go?
The artist repeats their question, once again expressing their curiosity and desire to know where their lover goes.
I want to know
The artist reiterates their desire to understand where their lover goes.
Na na na na di da, na na di da, da da da di da da, na
The song ends with repeating nonsensical lyrics that do not have any specific meaning.
Where do you, where do you go?
The artist once again repeats their question, emphasizing the importance of knowing where their lover goes.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Franz Reuther, Peter Bischof-Fallenstein
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mutalix
Back in my country during the late 90s at an all men's gym I used to frequent on my summer vacations they used to play this non-stop.
My first day I'm a scrawny kid just starting to lift, looking at posters everywhere of scantily clad Arab muscle-men smiling and flexing, with statements like:
"I ❤ you Mustafa!"
Or
"I ❤ you Ali!"
That summer I learnt gym etiquette and norms can widely differ depending where you are lol.
@streetsmart1346
We don’t search for old songs…
we search for old memories.
@nostalgiahitsdifferent.
Its funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back everything is different
@jjay8319
Yup!!! All those memories of middle school dances past. Plus old crushes we missed out on.
@zulylovesdavid
Omg the most accurate and truest statement I've ever heard.
@jennilaustin
Skating rink!!!!!!!!
@samrodriguez4259
Well said on point
@nostalgiahitsdifferent.
This is not just a song, its a feeling…
the saddest part about nostalgia
is knowing you’re never going back
@firenzo_
I feel you 💔
@stevenkalur2561
Saudades!!
@cherrybloom3397
Sad but true.