Ready to Go – Republica

Welcome to Tune Talk!

“Ready to Go” by Republica became one of those songs that you could not escape in the 90s. It became the ultimate hype anthem, and until researching more about it for this post, I didn’t realize just how much it was used! It was licensed for everything from massive car commercials to movies, and it was a staple at sporting events everywhere just to get the crowds fired up.

In our house, there is still one more specific place that this song is permanently attached to in our minds: the dark ride Reese’s Xtreme Cup Challenge at Hersheypark! While you were waiting in the queue line, the backstory of the ride would play over and over again, and a part of that backstory began with this very song. With wait times often stretching to thirty minutes or more, you would hear it at least a dozen times before you even boarded your car. It never failed to get completely stuck in your head.

Interestingly enough, it actually took two shots for this iconic track to become a hit. The song was originally released in early 1996 and did alright, but it didn’t become a huge success until it was slightly remixed and re-released in 1997. That higher-energy mix is the one that completely took over the radio—and the Hersheypark queue line!

After a great twelve-year run, Hersheypark decided to go in a new direction, closing the Xtreme Cup Challenge in 2018 in favor of a new dark ride with the same target-shooting concept called Reese’s Cupfusion. While you still get a backstory in the new line, and the new ride is a lot of fun, the original still holds the biggest place in our hearts. Standing in the queue line today without hearing “Ready to Go” blasting through the speakers just isn’t the same!

Does “Ready to Go” bring back any specific memories for you? Drop a line in the comments below and let me know what you think of this track!