It's All I Can Do
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"It's All I Can Do" is a song by the American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
the Cars The Cars were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the New wave music, new wave Subculture, scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (l ...
. It is the third track from their 1979 album ''
Candy-O ''Candy-O'' is the second studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on June 2, 1979, by Elektra Records. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album spawned two singles, " Let's Go" and " It's All I Can Do". The album outperformed ...
''. It was written by the band's leader and songwriter
Ric Ocasek Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek ( ), was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the primary vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the America ...
, and features bassist
Benjamin Orr Benjamin Orr (, September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000) was an American musician. He was best known as the bassist, co-lead vocalist, and co-founder of the band the Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their hits, including "Just What I Nee ...
on vocals.


Sound and genre

"It's All I Can Do" is a new wave influenced
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...
. According to Brett Milano, writer of the '' Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology'' album notes "'It's All I Can Do' was an affecting, straight-ahead piece of romantic pop, give or take a line like 'When I was crazy, I thought you were great.'" The track was described as "gentle" by
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
reviewer Greg Prato, while Hamish Champ, writer of ''The 100 Best-Selling Albums of the 70s'' called the song "laidback". The bass lines and the
G major G major is a major scale based on G (musical note), G, with the pitches G, A (musical note), A, B (musical note), B, C (musical note), C, D (musical note), D, E (musical note), E, and F♯ (musical note), F. Its key signature has one sharp (music ...
guitar riffs have a major rock feel, but the song is softened down with
Benjamin Orr Benjamin Orr (, September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000) was an American musician. He was best known as the bassist, co-lead vocalist, and co-founder of the band the Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their hits, including "Just What I Nee ...
's vocals and
Greg Hawkes Gregory A. Hawkes (born October 22, 1952) is an American musician who is best known as the keyboardist and founding member of the American new wave band the Cars. Hawkes is credited with helping popularize new wave and synth-pop in American popu ...
keyboard and synth lines.


Release

"It's All I Can Do" was released as the follow-up to the " Let's Go" single on September 25, 1979, backed with "Got a Lot on My Head" in the U.S. and Canada, and with "
Candy-O ''Candy-O'' is the second studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on June 2, 1979, by Elektra Records. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album spawned two singles, " Let's Go" and " It's All I Can Do". The album outperformed ...
" in Britain. Although the song did not reach the Top 20 standard of its predecessor, it reached number 41 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. A third and final single from ''
Candy-O ''Candy-O'' is the second studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on June 2, 1979, by Elektra Records. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album spawned two singles, " Let's Go" and " It's All I Can Do". The album outperformed ...
'', "
Double Life An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a different personality. Add ...
", failed to chart.


Reception

"It's All I Can Do" has generally received positive reception from critics. Prato said that It's All I Can Do' ... deserved to be a hit," while Champ said the track (as well as its predecessor, " Let's Go,") "give ample evidence of the band's range." William Ruhlmann, author of ''The All-Music Guide to Rock'', said "'It's All I Can Do' hit as well s 'Let's Go', and in the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' review of ''Candy-O'', the song was chosen as one of the "best cuts". In a negative review, Tom Carson of ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' said, "'It's All I Can Do' calculatedly recycles the '
Just What I Needed "Just What I Needed" is a song by American rock band the Cars from their self-titled debut album (1978). The song, which first achieved radio success as a demo, took inspiration from the Ohio Express and the Velvet Underground. The song was wri ...
' hook but to less-telling effect. It's simply cold." ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' felt "It's All I Can Do" was less "dynamic and catchy" than "Just What I Needed" and "Let's Go," describing it as a "rocker with a simple melody line and spare instrumentation." ''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said it is "more subdued but equally intriguing" compared with "Let's Go" and said it has "infectious rhythms" and "sparse yet effective electronics." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Emily Fagan rated it as the Cars 5th best song sung by Orr, saying that the lyrics in the verses "speak to a relationship marked by disappointment and unfulfilled desire, while the chorus reinforces a sense of helplessness in the face of unresolved emotions." ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Dave Swanson rated it as the 9th best Benjamin Orr Cars song, calling it "one of the Cars' most straightforward love songs and praising the "linear keyboard, simple drums and shiny yet gritty guitars."


B-side

The B-side of "It's All I Can Do" is "Got a Lot on My Head", another track from ''Candy-O''. In a review of ''Candy-O'', AllMusic reviewer Greg Prato says the band "rocks out on 'Got a Lot on My Head' and '
Night Spots "Night Spots" is a 1979 song by The Cars from their second studio album, ''Candy-O''. It was written by Ric Ocasek. Background "Night Spots" was a leftover from The Cars' first album, ''The Cars (album), The Cars''. The original version, recorded ...
'".


Other appearances

*"It's All I Can Do" was featured in the 1998 film ''
The Wedding Singer ''The Wedding Singer'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Coraci, written by Tim Herlihy, and produced by Robert Simonds and Jack Giarraputo. The film stars Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, and Christine Taylor, and tells th ...
'', and included on the film's second soundtrack, titled ''Wedding Singer 2''. *
Electronic rock Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...
/ new wave revival band
the Bravery The Bravery is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2003. The band consists of lead vocalist Sam Endicott, guitarist Michael Zakarin, keyboardist John Conway, bassist Mike Hindert and drummer Anthony Burulcich. They are best know ...
covered the song in 2005 as the B-side to their single " Fearless". Their cover was later included in '' Substitution Mass Confusion: A Tribute to The Cars'', a 2005 multi-artist collaborative album distributed by
Not Lame Recordings Not Lame Recordings was a Ft. Collins, Colorado based independent record label specializing in power pop music. History The label was started by Bruce Brodeen in November 1994 in music, 1994Not Lame Recordings (2010)"About us" Retrieved Novemb ...
.


Personnel

*
Benjamin Orr Benjamin Orr (, September 8, 1947 – October 3, 2000) was an American musician. He was best known as the bassist, co-lead vocalist, and co-founder of the band the Cars. He sang lead vocals on several of their hits, including "Just What I Nee ...
: Lead vocals, bass guitar *
Ric Ocasek Richard Theodore Otcasek (March 23, 1944 – September 15, 2019), known as Ric Ocasek ( ), was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was the primary vocalist, rhythm guitarist, songwriter, and frontman for the America ...
: Rhythm guitar *
Elliot Easton Elliot Easton (born Steinberg, December 18, 1953) is an American musician who is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the American new wave band the Cars. His melodic guitar solos are an integral part of the band's music. ...
: Lead guitar *
Greg Hawkes Gregory A. Hawkes (born October 22, 1952) is an American musician who is best known as the keyboardist and founding member of the American new wave band the Cars. Hawkes is credited with helping popularize new wave and synth-pop in American popu ...
: Keyboard, synthesizer *
David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...
: Drums


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:It's All I Can Do (Cars Song) 1979 singles The Cars songs Song recordings produced by Roy Thomas Baker Songs written by Ric Ocasek Elektra Records singles