Lettin’ Go!

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“Lettin' Go!” serves as the first full song on Monáe’s debut album. Its instrumentation and structure are reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”.… Read More

Jan. 1, 20031 viewer

Lettin’ Go! Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Ooh, I got a call today from my job up the block
It was my boss to say, "You know we like you a lot
But we don't need you J, you daydream too much"
Well man, I'm glad ya'll let me go

[Pre-Chorus]
Cause with no 9 to 5, it's a brand new day
My rent's due but I'ma party anyway
I feel so alive
Stress just faded away
It's time to live my own life

[Chorus]
So I'ma let it go
Gonna leave my worries behind
Gotta take control
I just came to have a good time
I'ma let it go
No time for stress on my mind
I'm lettin' go

[Verse 2]
That's right, left right
I'm losing it to music, cameras, bright lights
I'm staying out all night
Don't shove, don't fight
Well make a million memories--all incredible

[Pre-Chorus]
Cause with no 9 to 5 it's a brand new day
Got bills due, but I'ma party anyway
I feel so alive
Stress just faded away
It's time I live my own life

[Chorus]
So I'ma let it go
Gonna leave my worries behind
Gotta take control
I just came to have a good time
I'ma let it go
No time for stress on my mind
I'm lettin' go

[Bridge]
(Dance away your rainy days)
Oh! Come on and dance with me right now
(Just for a little while)
Hey! Just, for a, just for a little while
(I know it's hot but we gon keep it cool)
I know it's hot ya'll, aye, but wait a minute, we gon keep it cool!
(One last chance, come on and dance)
Come on and dance with me
I'ma let it go

[Chorus]
So I'ma let it go
Gonna leave my worries behind
Gotta take control
I just came to have a good time
I'ma let it go
No time for stress on my mind
I'm lettin' go

[Breakdown]
Oh, yeah, alright everybody
Now, I see ya'll jammin' out there
But I want ya'll to do one more thing for me, one more thing
Now, when I say L-E-T-T-I-N G-O!
I want everybody to repeat after me
On the count of 1-2-3! Unh!
(L-E-T-T-I-N G-O!)

Yeah! Come on we gotta let go!
(L-E-T-T-I-N G-O!)
Awww I see ya!
Now we gon break this down--
Like this!
(L-E-T-T-I-N G-O!)
Clap ya hands! Unh!
(L-E-T-T-I-N G-O!)

If you wanna dance, I'ma make you dance
If you wanna groove, I'ma make you move

[Outro]
Congratulations to you
Just had to let it go
You finally let it go
I'm glad you let it go [x2]

Just keep dreamin'
Don't let your dreams die
You know?
Life is not a rehearsal
You gotta live it out
You gotta do it baby
You gotta do what you wanna do
Come on, somebody's gotta hear me

About

“Lettin' Go!” serves as the first full song on Monáe’s debut album. Its instrumentation and structure are reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”.

“Don’t Stop” was Jackson’s opener to Off the Wall, an album which re-introduced himself as a solo pop artist with creativity and style that went beyond his Motown past.

Monáe has named Jackson as an influence on her craft. In fact she spoke about a Jackson concert in an interview with Vibe:

According to my Aunt Gloria, it was apparent that making music was my dream after she took me to Michael Jackson’s “Bad” concert in my hometown Kansas City. The next morning I went to church and started beating on the back of a pew, tapping and singing Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” extremely loud during my pastor’s sermon! The whole church chuckled, and I believe I was escorted out. That moment gave me great joy and extra confidence.

By using this track as part of her own introduction, Monáe is invoking the past and looking forward with her own unique style, which is particularly highlighted by the outro. The outro’s use of the choir to create a dream-like mood, Monáe’s vocalizations and riffing, and the song’s shift from narrative towards musings on broader themes all became common in her later work.