A Defiant Cry for Freedom Wrapped in Soulful Yearning
Though never issued as a standalone single, “Go Now” found new life on David Cassidy’s second solo album, Rock Me Baby, which climbed to No. 41 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and stormed to No. 2 on the U.K. album charts in late 1972 and early 1973.
Originally penned by Larry Banks and Milton Bennett and first recorded by Bessie Banks in 1964, “Go Now” had become most famous as the Moody Blues’ 1964 breakout hit. Cassidy’s rendition, produced by Wes Farrell, reframes the song through the lens of his evolving artistry—melding bracing pop-rock energy with a nascent blue-eyed soul sensibility.
At its core, “Go Now” is a vocal manifesto of self-respect and liberation. Cassidy’s voice, here richer and more assured than in his Partridge Family heyday, alternates between a pleading entreaty and a resolute command: “Go now, walk out that door… ’cause I’m not gonna love you anymore.” This push-pull dynamic captures the emotional turbulence of a lover torn between lingering affection and the necessity of letting go.
Musically, the arrangement departs from the lush orchestration that characterized some of Cassidy’s earlier solo work. Instead, “Go Now” opens with a punchy horn riff—courtesy of seasoned session players—layered over a driving backbeat from Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon. Mike Melvoin’s understated piano chords and Louie Shelton’s rhythmic guitar strums underscore Cassidy’s vocal, while a taut string section, arranged by Melvoin and contracted by James Getzoff, swells in the choruses to amplify the song’s dramatic urgency. The production strikes a balance between studio polish and raw grit, allowing Cassidy’s emotive delivery to remain front and center.
Lyrically, the song trades in neither abstract metaphor nor arcane symbolism; its power lies in its stark simplicity. The repeated refrain “Go now” becomes an invocation of self-preservation, a mantra for anyone seeking the courage to sever toxic bonds. Cassidy’s phrasing—soft and coaxing one moment, sharp and insistent the next—invites listeners to inhabit that fraught space between vulnerability and empowerment.
In the context of Rock Me Baby, “Go Now” serves as a counterpoint to the album’s more reflective ballads. Positioned as track nine, it jolts the listener awake, reminding us that Cassidy was intent on broadening his musical range beyond the teen-idol mold. Though it never charted on its own, the song’s inclusion on an album that resonated deeply with U.K. audiences attests to its impact as a standout moment of stylistic daring.
Decades later, “Go Now” remains a compelling artifact of Cassidy’s mid-career evolution—a snapshot of an artist asserting his autonomy, both personally and creatively. It stands not merely as a cover, but as a declaration: sometimes, letting go is the only path to finding oneself.