“Way Too Much”: This 1979 Track by The Cars Was More Sarcastic Than Most People Realized

People have been misunderstanding the lyrical meaning of popular songs since time immemorial, and The Cars’ 1979 single “Good Times Roll” is no exception. Thanks to the catchy refrain, “Let the good times roll,” that dominates the song, countless listeners have lumped this in with other feel-good, party-time tracks, despite the songwriter intending the opposite.

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“That was my song about what the good times in rock ‘n’ roll really mean, instead of what they’re supposed to be,” Ric Ocasek revealed to Rolling Stone in 2019. “It was kind of a parody of good times, really. It was kinda like not about good times at all.”

Other lyrics misinterpreted as being positive in “Good Times Roll” include the bit about “brushing your rock ‘n’ roll hair.” When asked by Vanity Fair if that was a “throwaway” line, Ocasek said, “Not in my opinion. It’s like, ‘Let them do whatever they want to do.’”

Sarcastic or Not, The World Fell in Love With The Cars’ “Good Times Roll”

The rest of the world might not have caught on to the fact that Ric Ocasek was complaining, not celebrating, in “Good Times Roll”. But if anything, that just helped make the song as popular as it was. “Good Times Roll” wasn’t necessarily a chart success, peaking at No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100. Still, it became one of The Cars’ most beloved hits among their fans.

Not everyone in the band was convinced at first, though. Studio engineer Roy Thomas Baker recalled recording the layered harmonies to the song’s refrain and thinking it was “way, way too much. But you know, it grew on me later, and it sounded so smooth.”

The subversive nature of “Good Times Roll” put this Cars track among other misinterpreted songs, like how “Born In The U.S.A.” isn’t all that patriotic and “Every Breath You Take” isn’t all that romantic. Who needs to know what’s going on in the verses if the choruses are so catchy?

As for his opaque style of writing, Ocasek admitted to Vanity Fair that he’s “probably written some crap lyrics.” He also added, “Everything is totally sincere. But there’s a lot of sarcasm and some comedy in the lyrics. I’ve always been a fan of poetry. I grew up with Lawrence Ferlinghetti. The Beat poets. I really followed that stuff for a while. I just love the way people threw words around like they were painting.”

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