The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
A low riding junkie girl
Rode down south to yr little world like a dream
You can do it if you want to
You can do it if you want to
You can do it if you want to be like me
I wouldn't need a hero if I wasn't such a zero
If I wasn't such a zero
Good to go
All I ever see around here is things of hers that you left lying around
It's all I ever see around here
She kicked new york like a curse
And you traced her footsteps in reverse up to queens
You can do it if you want to
You can do it if you want to
You can do it if you want to be like me
I wouldn't need a hero if I wasn't such a zero
If I wasn't such a zero
Good to go
All I ever see around here is things of hers that you left lying around
It's all I ever see around here
Some empty envelopes from some other town
It's all I ever see around here
I'm waiting for something that's not coming
Rode down south to yr little world like a dream
You can do it if you want to
You can do it if you want to
You can do it if you want to be like me
I wouldn't need a hero if I wasn't such a zero
If I wasn't such a zero
Good to go
All I ever see around here is things of hers that you left lying around
It's all I ever see around here
She kicked new york like a curse
And you traced her footsteps in reverse up to queens
You can do it if you want to
You can do it if you want to
You can do it if you want to be like me
I wouldn't need a hero if I wasn't such a zero
If I wasn't such a zero
Good to go
All I ever see around here is things of hers that you left lying around
It's all I ever see around here
Some empty envelopes from some other town
It's all I ever see around here
I'm waiting for something that's not coming
Lyrics submitted by EnjOy IncUbus
Good to Go Lyrics as written by Steven Paul Smith
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
He did say in an interview about the song Amity that 'good to go' means 'tired of living', as in ready to die (like another poster rightly stated). That said, I don't think that is what it means in this case.
I think that this is about a junkie girl who Elliott fell for. I think her drug use inspired Elliott to use drugs too. I think the line "you can do it if you want to be like me" is from the girl's perspective. She's telling Elliott he can use drugs and if he does he will be like her. He thinks she is pretty awesome, so this seems like a good thing to him. In a way she is his hero (his drug-use hero), so the line "I wouldn't need a hero if I wasn't such a zero" is him saying he wouldn't need to look up to her or do drugs because of her if he wasn't 'such a zero'. So in this case I think "good to go" means "ready to use drugs". Then she takes off and leaves him alone. He tries to find her, walking around the city to all the places she might be, but she is long gone. All he has now are memories and old letters. He realizes she's not coming back. There is a possibility that she died (overdosed maybe) but it seems more consistent with the lyrics that she simply left because she was a whirlwind - she blew into town, changed Elliott, and left just as abruptly.
The unspoken implication is that Elliott is now hooked on drugs but the reason he got hooked is long gone. This is a common addict story, not the girl part, but that you might start for one reason but after a while that reason no longer matters. You don't even really get high anymore, so it's not even about having fun. It becomes about not wanting to feel bad, about avoiding the withdrawals. This is a side note, but it is interesting to think about the girl as an allegory [is that the right term?] for any fleeting reason a person might find themselves drawn towards drug use.