Category Archives: party songs

The best all-time party songs about partying and parties. These songs are wild and fun. Relive your party days!

#326 Come On Let’s Go- Ritchie Valens

Come on, let’s go, little darlin’/
Let’s go, let’s go again once more.

“Come On Let’s Go” is a great uptempo song by Ritchie Valens. Amazingly, he recorded for one year before his untimely death and this is already his second song on this list. This song was written in the 50s and it still holds up well. There are very few songs that make me bop my head along to the rhythm but this one always gets me. I would imagine someone more agile would probably want to get up and dance. That is about as close as I get, but it is a good feeling.

Come On Let's Go Meaning
Ritchie Valens

Outwardly “Come on Let’s Go” seems to be about dancing, but it does have sexual overtones that are surprising for the time. I wasn’t around then, but I would imagine it would have caused a bit of a stir amongst conservative types at the time. The song is simple, but notice it is a classically structured rock n roll song that accomplishes a lot in two minutes. It has a memorable verse and chorus, a bridge that works well within the song and even a guitar solo. These would all become staples of rock, but at the time, people like Valens and Holly (and others) were creating this genre and its characteristics.

Come On Let’s Go Lyrics

Well, Jessie, doll, darlin’, I love you so
Oh, I will never never never let you go
Come darlin’, let’s go on by by by

Take my by the hand once again, darlin’
Tell me that you love me and you’ll never never leave me
That’s the way I wanna do, ooo-ee, ooo-ee

Let’s go down to the park once again
There we’ll love each other again and again
Tell me that you’ll always love me so

I’ll give you once, kiss you again
And darlin’ I’ll hold your hand
And I’ll never never let you go
Come on baby, won’t you love me so?

Oh, now let’s go by, by again
Come on little baby, go back in
And I’ll never never let your love go, let’s go

Well, now you tell me that you love me so
And you’ll never let me go
I’ll love you, baby, until then
Until death do us part

So come on down, let’s go by back again
Come on little baby, go back in
And I’ll never never let your love go, let’s go

Songwriters: Richard Valenzuela

#282 La Bamba- Ritchie Valens

Soy Capitan!

How many songs do you know that are in another language? One? Every American knows Ritchie Valens’ La Bamba and that is saying something considering we are so averse to music in other languages. This song has managed to transcend cultural and linguistic barriers in a way to other song in rock and roll history has.

It really is quite amazing, when you consider all the years of music in other languages and nothing else has broken through into the American consciousness. (Does Despecito count?…let’s say ‘good songs’). There is actually a lot of great world music out there that is not on our radar because it isn’t English. That shows how transcendent this song really is.

La Bamba Meaning
Richie Valens

Why though? I think it has a solid beat and it is about dancing so it is pretty innocuous: fun for the whole family and every generation. It is just solid fun and a great party song. If any song were to ever get me to dance this would probably have the greatest chance. That’s saying something. Ritchie Valens was an amazing singer-songwriter.

La Bamba Lyrics

Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba
Se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa(ra) mi pa(ra) ti

Arriba y arriba
Y arriba y arriba, por ti sere
Por ti sere
Por ti sere

Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitan
Soy capitan
Soy capitan

Ba-ba-bamba
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba

Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba
Se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa(ra) mi pa(ra) ti
Arriba, arriba

R-r-r-r-r, haha!
Para bailar la bamba
Para bailar la bamba
Se necesita una poca de gracia
Una poca de gracia pa(ra) mi pa(ra) ti
Arriba y arriba
Y arriba y arriba, por ti sere
Por ti sere
Por ti sere
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba-ba-bamba
Ba-ba-bamba

written by Richie Valens

#251 Bennie and the Jets- Elton John

Where we fight our parents out in the streets/
To find who’s right and who’s wrong.

“Bennie and the Jets” is a crazy party song by Elton John. Does it have a deeper meaning underneath? No. It is mostly a fun song about a wild band that loves to party. They add sounds to make it sound live, so it sounds people are going crazy listening to Elton John sing about Bennie for the first time. The production really makes the song. The lyrics aren’t bad either. Bennie comes off as quite a character.

She wears mohair suits and electric boots? Sounds like something Elton would do. (Visualizing Bennie’s outfit is fun—I imagine a young Gwen Stephani is the real Bennie). I like the crazy falsetto Elton busts out too. For the best effect…sing this song at karaoke night.

Bennie and the Jets Meaning
Elton

Elton’s casual riffs and solos in “Bennie and the Jets” help capture the casual mood of the song and you really can’t tell that it isn’t a live recording. It just sounds like a jam. Kind of like the Beach boys Barbara Ann. Taupin brings a whole cast of characters to life: Candy and Ronnie, Bennie, the kids, the parents, the fatted calf. Everyone is wonderful and really keen! (I think this means DTF…I am going to have to start using that phrase).


Bennie and the Jets Lyrics

Hey kids, shake it loose together
The spotlight’s hitting something
That’s been known to change the weather
We’ll kill the fatted calf tonight
So stick around
You’re gonna hear electric music
Solid walls of sound

Say, Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
Uh but they’re so spaced out, B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Hey kids, plug into the faithless
Maybe they’re blinded
But Bennie makes them ageless
We shall survive, let us take ourselves along
Where we fight our parents out in the streets
To find who’s right and who’s wrong

Oh Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
Oh but they’re so spaced out, Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine, oh
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Oh Candy and Ronnie, have you seen them yet
Oh but they’re so spaced out, Bennie and the Jets
Oh but they’re weird and they’re wonderful
Oh Bennie she’s really keen
She’s got electric boots a mohair suit
You know I read it in a magazine, oh
B-B-B-Bennie and the Jets

Songwriters: Olubowale Victor Akintimehin / Miguel Jontel Pimentel / Elton John / Bernie Taupin