One of the more popular and enduring groups of a short-lived trend, The Beat released three albums: "I Just Can't Stop It" (1980), "Wha'ppen" (1981) and "Special Beat Service" (1982), and a string of excellent singles including "Mirror in the Bathroom", the politically-charged "Stand Down Margaret" (which refers to controversial British PM Margaret Thatcher), "Save It For Later" and "I Confess".
Although the group's main fan-base was in the UK, they were also popular in Australia thanks to regular exposure on the government-owned rock radio station Triple J and the nationally-broadcast TV pop show Countdown. They had a sizeable following in the U.S., and a strong presence on that country's college radio.
After the break-up of The Beat, Dave Wakeling (guitar, lead vocals) and Ranking Roger (vocals) went on to form General Public, while Andy Cox (guitar) and David Steele (bass guitar) formed Fine Young Cannibals with vocalist Roland Gift.
Members of the band often collaborated on stage with The Specials and performed together on tracks such as "Free Nelson Mandela". In the early 1990s, Roger joined members of The Specials to form the new band The Special Beat, which released two live albums.
Ranking Roger's son, Ranking Junior, has followed in his father's footsteps. In 2005, he appeared on The Ordinary Boys' single "Boys Will Be Boys". In 2003, The Beat's original line-up, minus Cox and Steele but with the addition of Junior, played a sold-out one-off gig at the Royal Festival Hall. As of 2005, The Beat has reformed, counting Roger, Blockhead and Morton of the original line-up, with Ranking Junior also on vocals. The band is said to have the blessing of Cox, Steele and Saxa (of Desmond Dekker fame).
The Beat's lead singer Dave Wakeling also continues to tour as The English Beat, as he has done for the last three decades, with an amazing all-star ska backing band playing the hits of The English Beat, General Public, and his new songs.
Official Website: www.davewakeling.com
Mirror in the Bathroom
The English Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Please talk free
The door is locked
Just you and me
Can I take you to a restaurant
That's got glass tables?
You can watch yourself
While you are eating
Mirror in the bathroom
I just can't stop it
Every Saturday you see me
Window shopping
Find no interest in the
Racks and shelves
Just a thousand reflections
Of my own sweet self, self, self, self, self
Mirror in the bathroom
You're my mirror in the bathroom
You're my mirror in the bathroom
You're my mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
Recompense
For all my crimes
Of self defense
Cures you whisper
Make no sense
Drift gently into
Mental illness
Mirror in the bathroom
Please talk free
The door is locked
Just you and me
Can I take you to a restaurant
That's got glass tables
You can watch yourself
While you are eating
Mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
"Mirror in the Bathroom" by The English Beat is a song about self-obsession, vanity and the desire to impress others through appearance. The song begins with the singer inviting someone to join him in front of the mirror, asking them to talk freely, while the door is locked. The singer's request to take the other person to a restaurant with glass tables indicates his desire to be seen and admired by others, as he can watch himself while he eats.
The second verse of the song focuses on the singer's obsession with his own reflection. He admits that he can't stop staring at himself in the mirror, whether he is window shopping or not. He finds no interest in the clothes or items on the racks and shelves, but instead is drawn to looking at his own reflection, and seeing "a thousand reflections of my own sweet self".
The final verse of the song deals with feelings of guilt and self-defense, and the idea that the mirror in the bathroom is a form of recompense for these feelings. The singer suggests that the mirror can provide a way to fix or cure oneself, despite the fact that the whispered cures "make no sense". The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, reminding listeners of the singer's obsession with mirrors and self-image.
Line by Line Meaning
Mirror in the bathroom
The presence of a mirror in the bathroom
Please talk free
Please speak your mind without hesitation
The door is locked
We are in a private space with limited access
Just you and me
We are the only ones present in this moment
Can I take you to a restaurant
That's got glass tables?
May I invite you to a restaurant that has glass tables?
You can watch yourself
While you are eating
You can observe your own reflection while you dine
I just can't stop it
Every Saturday you see me
Window shopping
I can't help myself from engaging in repetitive window shopping every Saturday
Find no interest in the
Racks and shelves
I don't have any attraction towards the products on display
Just a thousand reflections
Of my own sweet self, self, self, self, self
I am drawn towards my own multiple reflections and narcissistic self-love
Recompense
For all my crimes
Of self defense
The mirror is a compensation for my defensive behavior where I have to act tough and not express my inner self
Cures you whisper
Make no sense
Drift gently into
Mental illness
The self-help advice given to me by the mirror doesn't seem practical and it leads to my decline in mental health
Mirror in the bathroom
The presence of a mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
The presence of a mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
The presence of a mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
The presence of a mirror in the bathroom
Mirror in the bathroom
The presence of a mirror in the bathroom
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: David Frederick Wakeling, Everett Morton, David Steele, Andy Cox, Roger Charlery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind