Title Fight: "Don't Go"

Illustration from Making Puppets Come Alive by L. Engler and C. Fijan, 1973

"Don't Go" is a phrase of pleading, ripe for various interpretations. Brit-indie band Hefner went, unsurprisingly, with a mixture of lewdness, desperation, and wistfulness. The opening line, "Put on your underwear," is promising enough, but the bare arrangement of the song's first verse leaves me wondering if Darren Hayman was certain what key he was singing in. Like a lot of the songs on the We Love the City album, the arrangement takes some time to come together, but it's quite nice when it finally does, with a catchy descant on the chorus and some junkyard percussion.

On 1991's Girlfriend, Matthew Sweet revealed an unexpectedly masterful combination of high drama and pop hooks, and his "Don't Go" is an under-appreciated song from that album's second side. The way he wails the title line at the end of the chorus is great, and it serves as a perfect lead-in to an equally wailing guitar solo from former Voidoid Robert Quine. Quine's lead guitar on this song is great, although it's always bothered me that all the songs in the first half of Girlfriend feature Richard Lloyd on lead, and Quine is relegated to the album's second half. Also, it's a little creepy that Sweet appears to be addressing a dead woman - is it creepier than when he's singing to an anime character a girl who reminds him of Winona Ryder? Hard to say.

On Pleasant Dreams, my favorite Ramones album, the original bubblegum punks go totally old-school with their "Don't Go", showcasing a chorus melody that borrows heavily from late-'50s pop. It works great, evoking the naivete and sexual frustration of that generation's teens. The track's punk energy, while toned down a bit from the band's usual frenetic pace, provides a nice contrast to the throwback hook - that balance is handled well by Pleasant Dreams producer Graham Gouldman, who also had an appreciation of sock-hop music. By virtue of not having any noticeable flaws at all, I think the Ramones' "Don't Go" wins this match-up.

Winner: THE RAMONES

"Don't Go" by Hefner

"Don't Go" by Matthew Sweet

"Don't Go" by the Ramones