He found a modicum of success at Sun Records and found his way into Elvis Presley's social circle, once going to pick up a date for Presley in his purple Cadillac. Orbison sold "Claudette", a song he wrote about Frady, whom he married in 1957, to The Everly Brothers and it appeared on the B-side of their smash hit "All I Have to Do Is Dream". The first and perhaps only royalties Orbison earned from Sun Records enabled him to make a down-payment on his own Cadillac. However, frustrated at Sun, Orbison gradually stopped recording, toured music circuits around Texas to make a living, and for seven months in 1958 quit performing completely. His car repossessed and in dire financial straits, he often depended on family and friends for funds.
For a brief period in the late 1950s Orbison made his living at Acuff-Rose, a songwriting firm concentrating mainly on country music. After spending an entire day writing a song, he would make several demo tapes at a time and send them to Wesley Rose, who would try to find the musical acts to record them. Orbison attempted to sell to RCA Victor songs he recorded that were written by other writers as well, working with and being completely in awe of Chet Atkins, who had played guitar with Presley. Orbison tried one song penned by Boudleaux Bryant called "Seems to Me". Bryant's impression of Orbison was of "a timid, shy kid who seemed to be rather befuddled by the whole music scene. I remember the way he sang then—softly, prettily but almost bashfully, as if someone might be disturbed by his efforts and reprimand him."
Playing shows late into the night, and living with his wife and young child in his tiny apartment, Orbison often sought refuge by taking his guitar to his car and writing songs there. Songwriter Joe Melson, an acquaintance of Orbison's, tapped on his car window one day in Texas in 1958 and the two decided to try to write some songs together. During three recording sessions in 1958 and 1959, Orbison and Melson recorded seven songs at RCA Nashville, with Atkins producing, but only two songs were judged worthy of release by RCA; Wesley Rose maneuvered Orbison into the sights of producer Fred Foster at Monument Records.
Go! Go! Go!
Roy Orbison & Teen Kings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You ain't got the style
I'm gonna get some real gone love
That'll drive a cool cat wild
We gotta move, roll and run on down
Gonna get me a gal, then I go out on the town
I'm gonna get me a gal, that make some time
She can't be square, she can't be slow
And when she starts struttin', gotta go, go, go
Well, I'm gonna show you ain't so hot
I'm gonna get what you ain't got
She'll be sweet, won't do me wrong
She'll be cool and twice as gone
We're gonna roll, move and run on down
I'm gonna get me a gal, make some time
Well, I wanna move on down the line
I'm gonna get me a gal, that make some time
She can't be square, she can't be slow
'Cause when she starts struttin', gotta go, go, go
Well, I wanna move on down the line
I'm gonna get me a gal, that make some time
She can't be square, she can't be slow
'Cause when she starts struttin', gotta go, go, go
In Roy Orbison's song "Go Go Go," the singer is telling his current love interest that they don't have the style he is looking for. He is searching for a woman who is not "square" or "slow," and who can "strut" and make him feel alive. He wants someone who is "real gone," which in the context of the song means someone who is exciting and fun-loving. The singer is determined to find this kind of love and move on from his current relationship.
The lyrics of "Go Go Go" embody the spirit of the rockabilly genre, with its fast-paced beat and energetic tone. The repetition of the phrase "gotta go, go, go" throughout the song reinforces the idea of fast movement and the desire for excitement. The singer's determination to find this type of love is palpable, and the song leaves the listener with a sense of urgency and anticipation.
One interesting fact about "Go Go Go" is that it was originally written by Sid King, a rockabilly musician from Texas. Orbison's version of the song was released in 1956 and became one of his first hits. Another interesting fact is that the song was covered by several other artists, including Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. Additionally, the song was featured in several films and TV shows, including the 1986 movie "Blue Velvet."
Chords:
Verse 1:
G D G
C G D
G D G
C G D
Chorus:
G D G
C G D
G D G
C G D
Verse 2:
G D G
C G D
G D G
C G D
Chorus:
G D G
C G D
G D G
C G D
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you can't be my lovin' baby
I'm sorry, but you don't have the qualities I'm looking for in a romantic partner.
You ain't got the style
You don't have the right attitude or demeanor to be my lover.
I'm gonna get some real gone love
I'm looking for a passionate, exciting relationship that will satisfy me.
That'll drive a cool cat wild
I want a lover who is so thrilling that even the most laid-back person would be unable to resist.
We gotta move, roll and run on down
Let's get going and find some fun! We need to be active and adventurous.
Gonna get me a gal, then I go out on the town
I plan to find a woman to spend time with and then go out and have a good time together.
Well, I'll move on down the line
If this relationship doesn't work out, I'll keep searching until I find someone who is right for me.
I'm gonna get me a gal, that make some time
I'm looking for a woman who is interested in spending time with me and having fun together.
She can't be square, she can't be slow
My ideal woman needs to be fun-loving and energetic, not boring or sluggish.
And when she starts struttin', gotta go, go, go
When my girlfriend starts dancing or showing off her moves, I'm going to feel compelled to join in and have a good time with her.
Well, I'm gonna show you ain't so hot
I'm going to prove that there are other women out there who are better suited for me than you are.
I'm gonna get what you ain't got
I'm going to find a woman who has the qualities that you lack and will be a better match for me.
She'll be sweet, won't do me wrong
My next girlfriend will be kind and loyal, unlike you.
She'll be cool and twice as gone
My next girlfriend will be even more exciting and wild than you are.
We're gonna roll, move and run on down
When I'm with my new girlfriend, we'll be constantly on the go, having fun and being adventurous.
I'm gonna get me a gal, make some time
I want to find a woman who is interested in spending time with me and making memories together.
Well, I wanna move on down the line
If this relationship doesn't work out, I'll keep searching until I find someone who is right for me.
She can't be square, she can't be slow
My ideal woman needs to be fun-loving and energetic, not boring or sluggish.
'Cause when she starts struttin', gotta go, go, go
I'll feel compelled to join in and have a good time with my girlfriend when she starts dancing or showing off her moves.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROY ORBISON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@broken666machine
This version of this Song is my all time favourite Rockabilly song.
Everytime I listen to this evergreen juwel I feel alright.
Thank You very much Master for this song and Rest in Peace.
@sunny_days2489
I've never seen Roy without his glasses! <3 Such a talented man
@richardsleep5242
I bought this Sun 45 rpm record in 1956. Roy vocal and hotshot lead guitar and the masterful rock'n'roll drumming of J.M. Van Eaton make this song driving and blisteringly hot!
@gabrieldix64
Perfect! Roy Orbison was really good. Thanks for sharing.
@PhillipCreeper
Great job Roy! Thanks for sharing.
@fordroad
The greatest of all the man Big O there is no one close his voice " Lord have Mercy" words fail me RIP Roy. Thanks many thanks for your time with us.
@edwiles5258
grew up playing these songs....there were thousands of them....3 cord progression in e or a and one lead would fill in on all of them. Love to go back and revisit these great songs. You can see that there were thousands of original artists in almost every large town in America who did versions of rock a billy, although in those days we did not call it rock a billy but it was ROCK and ROLL! It will live until the last stone is turned over on this earth. TG
@billcunningham9256
it was called rock a billy pretty early though. Proof? Guy Mitchell single called Rock-A-Billy in 1957
https://youtu.be/Ptrt7sTwUcE
i didn't like it but i remember it.. anyway Mitchell was more a regular pop singer than rock n roll..
this was less than a year after Roy's Ooby-Dooby (loved that one)
@leeetchells609
@Bill Cunningham Johnny burnette recorded " rock Billy boogie in 56. Still a classic with rockabilly fans.
@markusronfeldt5350
Roy Orbison! R.I.P.! Thank you very much for your wonderful Rockabilly Music!! ;) :)