The band evolved out of "Chad Allan and the Expressions" (often shortened to The Expressions), which was a pop rock group with a British Invasion feel fronted by Chad Allan and featuring guitarist Randy Bachman. Both of them had great potential as singer-songwriters. After their cover of "Shakin' All Over" sold well as a single, their record label released the band's album with "Guess Who?" written on the cover, hoping to mislead unsuspecting buyers into thinking it was a British group. The name stuck, however, and from then on they were 'The Guess Who'. The Who musician Pete Townshend later jokingly said that he allowed the Canadian group to take both their style and name, calling himself a fan.
Singer and keyboardist Burton Cummings joined upon Allan's departure in 1966, and the band's classic line-up was born. The guys mixed some jazz-inspired sounds such as flute and electric piano playing into their sound, and they scored hits in Canada with tracks such as "These Eyes", "Undun", and "Laughing". Yet it was when they turned to psychedelic-influenced rock and rock with 'American Woman' (the third album with the Bachman/Cummings line-up) that they broke through in the U.S. The anti-war title cut (a song ironically embraced by some Americans as a patriotic anthem despite the cynical lyrics, though the band didn't complain as the record royalties came in) has received airplay on classic rock radio for years and years now. The Guess Who's success after that album came out proved to be hit and miss, however, and they would have members go in and out.
After the release of 'Share the Land', their second album of 1970, Bachman left to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive, leaving Cummings as the band's leader and main songwriter. Though Bachman and his band-mates had achieved huge commercial success, the singer-songwriter felt like he wanted to go off into a whole other muscial direction. Afterwards, the Guess Who experimented in various styles through the 70s, including blues, down-home bluegrass, jazz fusion, and Cummings's trademark piano-based rock ballads. The novelty pop single "Clap for the Wolfman", a 1974 track made for the popular DJ Wolfman Jack that the band members were fans of, ended up being the Guess Who's last chart appearance.
Various combinations of former members of the band have reunited at various times since their breakup in 1975. The Guess Who's classic songs remain radio staples, even into the new millennium. Various greatest hits and multi-artist collections featuring their music have also been released.
See Guess Who for the Romanian rapper Laurentiu Mocanu.
Let It Ride
The Guess Who Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't cry, would you let it ride
Goodbye, I lied
Don't cry, would you let it ride
You can't see the mornin', but I can see the light
(Try, try, try to let it ride)
While you've been out runnin', I've been waitin' half the night
And would you cry if I told you that I lied
And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride
And would you cry if I told you that I lied
And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride
Seems my life is not complete, I've never see you smile
(Try, try, try to let it ride)
Baby, you want the forgivin' kind and that's just not my style
(Try, try, try to let it ride)
And would you cry if I told you that I lied
And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride
And would you cry if I told you that I lied
And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride
I've been doin' things worthwhile, you've been bookin' time
(Try, try, try to let it ride)
And would you cry if I told you that I lied
And would you say goodbye, would you let it ride
And would you cry if I told you that I lied
And would you say goodbye, would you let it ride
Would you let it ride
Would you let it ride
Would you let it ride (yeah, yeah)
Would you let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Try, try, try to let it ride
Would you let it ride
Would you let it ride
Would you let it ride
Would you let it ride
The Guess Who's song "Let it Ride" is a simple, catchy song about a relationship on the brink of ending. The lyrics, "Goodbye, I lied/Don't cry, would you let it ride" set the tone for the rest of the song, which is essentially the singer asking the other person in the relationship if they would be willing to let things go and move on, rather than dwell on the past or try to fix things that may be unfixable.
The chorus poses the question, "And would you cry if I told you that I lied/And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride?" which highlights the conflict in the song - the singer has lied and potentially betrayed the other person in the relationship, but is now asking them to let it go and move forward together.
The overall message of the song seems to be that sometimes it's better to let things go than to try to fix them, especially if the end result is likely to be more pain and heartache. It's a universal message that can apply to all sorts of situations, not just romantic relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Goodbye, I lied
I am leaving and also admitting that I did not tell the truth
Don't cry, would you let it ride
Please do not be upset and try to move past this
You can't see the mornin', but I can see the light
You may be blinded by a negative situation, but I can see a positive outcome
While you've been out runnin', I've been waitin' half the night
You may have been busy, but I have been patiently waiting for you
And would you cry if I told you that I lied
If I confessed that I did not tell the truth, would you be upset?
And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride
If I admitted to not telling the truth, would you leave or try to move past it?
Seems my life is not complete, I've never see you smile
I feel like something is missing in my life because I have never seen you happy
Baby, you want the forgivin' kind and that's just not my style
You may be looking for someone who is more apologetic, which is not something that comes naturally to me
I've been doin' things worthwhile, you've been bookin' time
I have been productive while you have been busy scheduling your time
Try, try, try to let it ride
Please try to move past any negative situation and not dwell on it
Would you let it ride
Would you be willing to let go of any negative situation and move on?
Contributed by Avery P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hootie191
the harmonies are outstanding. what a great gift.
@markrush5013
how can you be more of a legend than these guys????
@bazookajoe6133
Bachman is an amazing musician. Good voice, great guitar, heart of 2 legendary rock bands. This slowed down version fit the lyrics like a glove, very cool.
@jv-ep2tc
As an American I would like to comment on the truly unbelievable awesomeness of the Canadian concert audience. I had the singular pleasure of attending an outdoor KISS concert in Quebec with about 68,999 other folks who were as cool and mellow as one could hope to find.
Crowds make me nervous usually but not that night. I'll never forget it.
@lolabean941
I have found that Canadians are very laid back, mellow, nice, and humble people😃.
@JMarkJones
I love the way they are so chill in this video.
@mikemarcott4888
This American country boy says salute to my Northern boys
@oldrockr1557
Nice version!! That being said , can't beat Fred Turners voice , iconic screams and driving bass!!!
@WFSmith
Fred Turner is awesome but this version is very good
@nothingheremoveitmoveitmov668
That is the best dang thing I have heard in many, many years!