“I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” is an American single released by Hall & Oates in 1981. While many believe the song sounds like a love song, Hall has dismissed these allegations.
Fun Facts:
- The band is made up of Daryl Hall on lead vocals and John Oates on electric guitar and background vocals.
- Hall & Oates came up with the melody one evening. The following day, Sara Allen and the two worked on the lyrics producing the entire melody.
- Unlike many bands today, Hall & Oates write their songs themselves.
- Hall has mentioned severally in the past that the song’s lyrics speak about the music business and not about love. They intended for artists to stand up to managers, record labels, and agents against being pushed around.
- The song features Charles DeChant on the saxophone; he is closely associated with Hall & Oates melodies.
- The song debuted at number 59 on the Hot 100 during the week of November 14th, 1981.
- Although “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” is not a love song, airplay by urban contemporary pushed the song to the top of the US R&B chart.
- Hall recounts that during the We are the World recording, Michael Jackson told him that he lifted the ‘Billie Jean’ bass line from I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).
- Hall & Oates was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.
- Some of their most popular songs include “Sara Smile,” “You Make My Dreams,” “Say It Isn’t So,” and “She’s Gone.”
- Six of the pair’s albums have been certified gold, and seven more hit platinum.
Lyrics
Easy, ready, willing, overtime
Where does it stop, where do you dare me to draw the line?
You got the body, now you want my soul
Don’t even think about it, say no go
Yeah I, I’ll do anything that you want me to
Yeah, I’ll do almost anything that you want me to
Yeah, but I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that, can’t go for that
Can’t go for that, can’t go for that
I can go for being twice as nice
I can go for just repeating the same old lines
Use the body, now you want my soul
Ooh, forget about it, now say no go
Yeah I, I’ll do anything that you want me to
Yeah, I’ll do almost anything that you want me to
Yeah, but I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that, can’t go for that
Can’t go for that, can’t go for that, yeah
Yeah I, I’ll do anything that you want me to
Yeah, I’ll do almost anything that you want me to
Yeah, but I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that
No (no), no can do
I can’t go for that, can’t go for that
Can’t go for that, can’t go for that, yeah
No, I can’t go (I can’t go for that, no, no, no, no, no) no
I can’t go for that, no (I can’t go for that) no, no (no can do)
I can’t go (I can’t go for that, no, no)
I can’t go (No, no, no)
No, I can’t go for that, no (I can’t go for that)
No can do (No can do)
Forget about it, no
(No, no, no) Forget about it, no go (no, no, no) no go, no go
(I can’t go for that) Can’t go for that, yeah (No can do)
Forget about it, no (I can’t go for that, no, no)
Forget about it, no go, no go no go (I can’t go for that)
No can do, no can do
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no can do (I can’t go for that)
Can’t go for that, yeah, no can do
No no no no, no no no, no no no, no can do (I can’t go for that)
Can’t go for that, yeah, no can do
(I can’t go for that) I can’t go, no can’t go, no can’t go, go for that, yeah
No can do, no can do (I can’t go for that)
I can’t go, I can’t go, I can’t go go for that yeah
No can do, no can do
No no no no, no no no, no no no, no no no, no no no
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