It was successful in the disco scene during the late s and a top hit in Belgium, Ireland and the UK. The song's title is attributed to the 19th-century quote " Go West, young man " commonly attributed to the American newspaper editor Horace Greeley , a rallying cry for the settlement and colonization of the American West , but also an invitation to pursue one's own dreams and individuality. Billboard said that "Having turned tongue-in-cheek plugs for the YMCA and the Navy into top three singles, pop's top jinglesmiths here wax enthusiastic about the wide open spaces of the West.
Though singer Neil Tennant was unable to remember the lyrics during that performance, the two decided to record it as a single. The original recording of "Go West", intended for release in as a non-album single, was never used. Instead, a different version was released on September 6, , as the second single from Very , featuring the B-side "Shameless".
The inch mix of the version, and its intended B-side "Forever in Love", were released in on Very: Further Listening — The new version enhances the basis of the original's chord progression in Pachelbel's Canon , bringing the theme to the forefront at the opening of the song.
There where the air is free we'll be what we want to be Now if we make a stand we'll find our promised land [ 20 ]. Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic felt the song is a "bizarrely moving" cover.
Covered with thick layers of pillowy synths, the track swaps the male-bonding vibe of the original with a wistful demeanor that's lined with a pensive subtext of loss". A reviewer from Lennox Herald declared it as a "90s update" of the disco anthem, and an "outside bet for the top spot". Blue helmets replace the Indian head dress and stetson, worn by the original singers of the song, the Village People.
