In Theory: The Infectious Syncopation of The Cars' 'Good Times Roll'

by Leila Abdul-Rauf

The Cars left behind a legacy of catchy pop hits, notably in the late 1970s to mid-1980s when the band poured out one iconic tune after another at lightning speed. In those days, "Just What I Needed," "My Best Friend's Girlfriend," "Shake It Up," and "Drive" dominated the airwaves, as did the classic "Good Times Roll." But despite its hooky synth, guitar stabs and strutting mid-tempo, songwriter Ric Ocasek tempered the sweetness with sarcasm. The lyrics, however, are a sarcastic commentary on the good times of rock and roll. "That was my song about what the good times in rock 'n' roll really mean, instead of what they're supposed to be," he said in an interview. "It was kind of a parody of good times, really. It was kinda like not about good times at all."

The song starts off with a syncopated guitar riff on a B major barre chord. Most pop music uses 4/4 time signature – four beats per measure, and a quarter note equals one beat. These four beats are also called downbeats. By definition, syncopation is a rhythm that places stress between the downbeats, otherwise known as off-beats or upbeats. In "Good Times Roll," the core rhythm is this:

1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

The numbers are the downbeats while the "ands" are the upbeats. The phrase actually begins on the 4th "and" ¬– or 4th upbeat – of the first measure, accenting all of the offbeats, and muting all of the downbeats. The stand-out moment of the riff is the F#-B dyad – two notes played together – played in a higher octave, accented on the "and" of beat two of the second measure:

The F#/B dyad appears on the upbeat of "and” after beat 2. This syncopated rhythm is constant over the verse, alternating between B and A chords before a tension-building pre-chorus of G – A – G – A ("let them brush your rock and roll hair") before cycling back to the verse. The pre-chorus returns once again before it erupts into the brief chorus, a defining moment where the vocalists sing the song title in epic three-part harmony in a different syncopation pattern matched with the guitar's rhythm:

As the song progresses, the verse and chorus begin to merge together, each halved and repeated until the end:

B – A – G – E

The repeated upbeat-downbeat-upbeat-downbeat pattern in combination with the chorus phrase is a great introduction to simple syncopation and how it can bring a song to life: the alternating rhythm between verse and chorus keeps the blood pumping, even with relatively few chord changes. Successful pop songwriting is a winning combination of innovation and memorability, and The Cars were masters at it.

Leila Abdul-Rauf is a multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Oakland, CA. A private guitar and voice teacher, Leila has also recorded and performed locally and internationally for two decades in countless music projects.

Cars promotional photo by Jeff Albertson courtesy of Elektra Records