Their best known tunes include "Our Lips Our Sealed", "Vacation", and "We Got The Beat" among others. Their trend-setting debut album, 'Beauty and the Beat', didn't just reach #1 after its 1981 release but is also considered one of the cornerstone albums of American new wave. In the beginning, they played primarily what was known as 'pop punk', and they then made their sound more sunny and romantic, having later associated themselves with the distinct sound of 80s pop rock. The Go-Go's had five Top 40 hits in their heyday.
Website: http://www.gogos.com/
In addition, there was a group from Newcastle in the U.K. known as "The Go-Go's" in the 60s. That artist is known for their 1964 novelty Christmas single, titled "I'm Gonna Spend My Christmas With A Dalek", which referenced the budding 'Doctor Who' craze. Like the later U.S. band of the same name, the group's name was a reference to go-go dancing.
Beatnik Beach
The Go-Go's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's gonna be just you and me
We'll groove on that groovy beat
It'll be boss keen neat yeah
The gang they'll all be there
Join the fun and don't be a square
We'll lipsync a go-go
Beatnik Beach
It's really neat
Limbo down
Hit the ground
Put on your paisleys
Put on your black beret too
Join all us beatniks
Nothing better could happen to you yeah
Beatnik Beach
It's really neat
Limbo down
Hit the ground
In "Beatnik Beach," The Go-Go's sing about a trendy beach hangout spot that's a popular spot for beatniks. The first verse describes what sounds like a dance party, with the singer inviting someone to dance to the poetry. The second verse is more specific about the scene at Beatnik Beach, with the singer urging us to join a group of beatniks by donning paisleys and black berets, and to have some fun limbo dancing.
The song captures a moment in time where the beatnik subculture was very apparent and visible, particularly on the California coast of the 1950s and 1960s. The beatniks were associated with rejecting mainstream values and artistic experimentation. "Beatnik Beach" seems to be an ode to that free spirit and the sense of community that emerged from it.
The lyrics are upbeat and fun, reflecting the energy and freedom of the beatnik movement, quickly becoming one of the Go-Go's fan favorites. It was a part of their debut album "Beauty and the Beat" which was released on July 8, 1981, which also contained the hit singles "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got the Beat."
Line by Line Meaning
Dance to the poetry
Let's dance to the beat and rhythm of the music
It's gonna be just you and me
We will be the only ones dancing together
We'll groove on that groovy beat
We'll dance to the cool, funky beat of the music
It'll be boss keen neat yeah
It's going to be amazingly cool and fun
The gang they'll all be there
Our friends will be there too
Join the fun and don't be a square
Let's have fun and enjoy ourselves without worrying about fitting in
We'll lipsync a go-go
We'll sing along to the music and lip sync like on the TV show Lloyd Thaxton
Just like the Lloyd Thaxton show yeah
We'll dance and sing like they do on the TV show Lloyd Thaxton
Beatnik Beach
Let's go to a cool beach hangout
It's really neat
This beach hangout is really cool
Limbo down
We'll play the limbo game and try to limbo under the bar without touching it
Hit the ground
We'll dance and groove to the music on the sandy ground
Put on your paisleys
Wear your colorful, floral-patterned clothes
Put on your black beret too
Wear your black beret hat to complete the cool, beatnik look
Join all us beatniks
Come hang out with us and be part of the cool beatnik crowd
Nothing better could happen to you yeah
You will have a great time and nothing could be better than that
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BELINDA CARLISLE, CHARLOTTE CAFFEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind