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.
Screaming
The Go-Go's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just fans to serve your needs
Make money - they adore you
On subservience your ego's fed
Grey matter
Under grey face
You're so witty
Grey matter
Under grey face
You're so witty
We're so base
They're screaming for you, for you
They don't know what's true
What's real
Who cares
Kill this scene with your power
Get your contract - distort the facts
You can use and abuse us
We're so mindless we won't react
Grey matter
Under grey face
You're so witty
We're so base
Grey matter
Under grey face
You're so witty
We're so base
Why bother with morals
When you can rest on your laurels
Why bother with morals
When you can rest on your laurels
Why bother with morals
When you can rest on your laurels
Why bother with morals
When you can rest on your laurels
They're screaming for you, for you
They don't know what's true
What's real
Who cares
The Go-Go's song "Screaming" is a scathing commentary on the culture of celebrity idolization and the power dynamics at play between famous individuals and their fans. The lyrics depict a protagonist who has no interest in making genuine connections with other people and only seeks the adoration and subservience of their fans. The line "No friends - don't want them / Just fans to serve your needs" sums up this attitude succinctly.
The chorus of the song ("They're screaming for you, for you / They don't know what's true / What's real / Who cares") plays with the idea that fans of celebrities often project their own desires and fantasies onto the object of their obsession, without really knowing much about the person behind the public persona. The singer of the song seems to revel in this dynamic, using their fame to manipulate and exploit their fans for personal gain.
The repeated line "Grey matter / Under grey face / You're so witty / We're so base" is a powerful indictment of this kind of power dynamic. The use of the word "grey" suggests a lack of color or vitality, while the juxtaposition of "witty" with "base" implies a stark contrast between the intelligence and sophistication of the celebrity and the blind, mindless adoration of the fans. The line "Kill this scene with your power / Get your contract - distort the facts" further highlights the ways in which celebrities can use their fame to manipulate the public perception of events to their advantage.
Overall, "Screaming" is a biting critique of the way in which fame and celebrity can warp people's relationships with one another, and the dangerous power dynamics that can arise when one person is idolized and put on a pedestal above the rest.
Line by Line Meaning
No friends - don't want them
I don't need friends, just fans to fulfill my needs
Just fans to serve your needs
Fans are only useful to serve my needs
Make money - they adore you
Fans love you because you make them money
On subservience your ego's fed
My ego is fed by the subservience of others
Grey matter
My brain is just like anyone else's
Under grey face
Beneath my exterior, I'm just like everyone else
You're so witty
You have a clever mind
We're so base
We are simple and unrefined
They're screaming for you, for you
Fans are screaming and cheering for you
They don't know what's true
Fans don't know the truth about me or my motives
What's real
Reality doesn't matter as much as perception
Who cares
What does it matter if anyone cares or not?
Kill this scene with your power
Use your influence to crush the competition
Get your contract - distort the facts
Fudge the details to get the best deal for yourself
You can use and abuse us
You have the power to take advantage of us
We're so mindless we won't react
We are too naive to know any better
Why bother with morals
What's the point of having morals?
When you can rest on your laurels
I can do whatever I want because I'm successful
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidbradley2294
There's never been a band with such different sounds on stage vs on record. They're SO underrated.
@waynej2608
Awesome, early punk from the Go-Go's. This is for all those, who thought the band was solely pop. Ty for the upload. And ty to Wiedlin and Caffey for a thrashing tune. 😎👍 wink to u, Jane! 😍
@EvenStevenDrumz
I was there!
@ChrisClash1
Really ? That's great ! Do you have recollections of that show ?
@EvenStevenDrumz
@@ChrisClash1 I'd never heard of the GoGos at the time but attended on the recommendation of a friend who also introduced me to an upcoming singer that night named Eddie Money who was in line with us on the sidewalk in front of The Mab. The GoGos set is kind of a blur now, it was so long ago.
@ChrisClash1
@@EvenStevenDrumz NP, thanks for sharing ! :)
@abneryokum
I was there too. Funny thing is when the GoGos hit it big as a pop band I first didn't make the connection that the were the same band I had seen live at the Mab.
@DominiqueLeslie
Was at this show
@johnnythekid4601
Dominique thats awesome. Did you meet the band after the show? If you did what was Margot like in those days?
@AlabardaSpazialeANoi
thanx for posting! great stuff!