Come On Girl

Album: Departure (2008)
Charted: 5
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This became Cruz's biggest hit in the UK to date, his two previous hits "'I Just Wanna Know" and "Moving On," failed to break into the Top 20.
  • Cruz, who was born in Britain to a Nigerian father and Brazilian mother, had written this a few years prior to recording it. He told Pop Justice: "I've had it for quite a while now, but when I first played it to the people at my record label I just got a load of weird looks because nobody thought it was good enough to be a single. Maybe they thought people wouldn't get it and that it was a bit too weird, but I am happy people would think it was weird. I want people to look at me and not totally understand what I am or what I'm doing - in the same way that people look at Seal. He doesn't make the music you might expect. That's where I want to be."
  • This features singer/rapper Luciana, who is best known for providing vocals on "Yeah Yeah" by Bodyrox, which made #2 in the UK in 2006. Cruz told Pop Justice why he involved Luciana on the song. "When I heard her on the Bodyrox single I thought she was cool and her vocal sound was just so British. She's like a UK Fergie or Gwen Stefani. I really wanted her on the track, especially since 'Come On Girl' has that electro/rave thing going on. She rocked it and we kept her on there, she's got a great singing voice too. Not like Mariah Carey, but she sure can sing."
  • The video features a car being driven slowly during a car chase. Cruz explained why to Pop Matters: "The guy that owns the car I was driving treated that car like his baby. As soon as it was driven over 40 miles an hour he would completely lose it. We wanted to make it look really fast but it just wasn't possible with the owner on set."
  • Cruz spoke to The Daily Telegraph about his approach to music: "Sometimes I hear Pharrell (Williams) talking about, 'We're gonna go in the studio and we're gonna carve away at oblivion and try and pull a song out of the ether and transcend it through time and space.' I'm like, 'Let's just make a good song.' In any industry there are formulas to work with. I don't always look for the greatest lyrical content, just get to the point, express the feeling in a way the audience can understand. The melody is like the good looks of the person and the lyrics are the personality. The first time you hear it you get the melody and you're not really listening to what they are saying."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

00s Music Quiz 1

00s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

Do you know the girl singer on Eminem's "Stan"? If so, this quiz is for you.

Pam Tillis

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)

Donnie Iris (Ah! Leah!, The Rapper)Songwriter Interviews

Before "Rap" was a form of music, it was something guys did to pick up girls in nightclubs. Donnie talks about "The Rapper" and reveals the identity of Leah.

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & PalmerSongwriter Interviews

Greg talks about writing songs of "universal truth" for King Crimson and ELP, and tells us about his most memorable stage moment (it involves fireworks).

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal Tap

The 10 Bands Most Like Spinal TapSong Writing

Based on criteria like girlfriend tension, stage mishaps and drummer turnover, these are the 10 bands most like Spinal Tap.