Cher gained popularity in 1965 as one-half of the folk rock husband-wife duo Sonny & Cher after their song "I Got You Babe" peaked at number one on the US and UK charts. Together they sold 40 million records worldwide. Her solo career was established during the same time, with the top-ten singles "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)" and "You Better Sit Down Kids". She became a television personality in the 1970s with her CBS shows; first The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, watched by over 30 million viewers weekly during its three-year run, and then the namesake Cher. She emerged as a fashion trendsetter by wearing elaborate outfits on her television shows.
While working on television, Cher released the US Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves", "Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady", becoming the female artist with the most number-one singles in United States history at the time. After her divorce from Sonny Bono in 1975, she released the disco album Take Me Home (1979) and earned $300,000 a week for her 1979โ1982 concert residency in Las Vegas.
In 1982, Cher made her Broadway debut in the play Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean and starred in its film adaptation. She subsequently garnered critical acclaim for her performances in films such as Silkwood (1983), Mask (1985), The Witches of Eastwick (1987), and Moonstruck (1987), the last of which won her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She then revived her music career by recording the rock-inflected albums Cher (1987), Heart of Stone (1989), and Love Hurts (1991), all of which yielded successful singles such as "I Found Someone", "If I Could Turn Back Time", and "Love and Understanding". Cher contributed to the soundtrack for her next film, Mermaids (1990), which spawned the UK number-one single "The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)". She made her directorial debut with a segment in the abortion-themed anthology If These Walls Could Talk (1996).
Cher reached a new commercial peak in 1998 with the dance-pop album Believe, whose title track topped the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1999 and became the biggest-selling single of all time by a female artist in the UK. It features pioneering use of Auto-Tune to distort her vocals, known as the "Cher effect". Her 2002โ2005 Living Proof: The Farewell Tour became one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time, earning $250 million. In 2008, she signed a $60 million deal to headline the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas for three years. During the 2010s, she landed starring roles in the films Burlesque (2010) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018) and released studio albums Closer to the Truth (2013) and Dancing Queen (2018), both of which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.
Having sold 100 million records, Cher is one of the world's best-selling music artists. Her achievements include a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, the Billboard Icon Award, and awards from the Kennedy Center Honors and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. She is the only artist to date to have a number-one single on a Billboard chart in six consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2010s. Aside from music and acting, she is noted for her political views, social media presence, philanthropic endeavors, and social activism, including LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS prevention.
Cher Official Website: https://www.cherfanclub.com
YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/cher
The Beat Goes On
Cher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da
Charleston was once the rage, uh huh
History has turned the page, uh huh
The mini skirts, the current thing, uh huh
Teenybopper is our newborn king, uh huh
And the beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da
The grocery store's the super mart, uh huh
Little girls still break their hearts, uh huh
And men still keep on marching off to war
Electrically they keep a baseball score
And the beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da
Grandmas sit in chairs and reminisce
Boys keep chasing girls to get a kiss
The cars keep going faster all the time
Bums still cry, "Hey buddy, have you got a dime?"
And the beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da
And the beat goes on, yes, the beat goes on
And the beat goes on, and the beat goes on
The beat goes on, and the beat goes on
In this song, Cher gives a commentary on the changing world and the constant rhythm of life. The lyrics start with "the beat goes on," which is a metaphor for the rhythm of life and how it never stops, even as society changes. The drums referenced in the lyrics represent the heartbeat of society, the driving force that keeps everything moving forward. As society evolves, with the Charleston dance craze giving way to mini skirts and teenyboppers, the beat continues, with new generations creating new dances and new trends. Cher highlights the cyclical nature of life, with grandmas sitting and reminiscing while young boys chase girls and cars continue to go faster, and the homeless still ask for spare change.
The lyrics are a reminder that no matter what changes occur in society, the beat of life continues, driving everything forward. The cyclical and unchanging nature of life is what Cher finds comforting, and her words serve as a reminder that we are all a part of something bigger than ourselves, something that has been ongoing for centuries.
Line by Line Meaning
The beat goes on, the beat goes on
The cycle of life and the world continues as time passes.
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
There is a constant and insistent drive that propels people to keep going.
La de da de de, la de da de da
This line is reminiscent of carefree days and implies that life goes on no matter what.
Charleston was once the rage, uh huh
In the past, there were certain dance styles that were very popular.
History has turned the page, uh huh
As time progresses, cultural norms and values change too.
The mini skirts, the current thing, uh huh
Fashion trends come and go, reflecting the changing attitudes of society.
Teenybopper is our newborn king, uh huh
The newest generation is always the most innovative and popular.
The grocery store's the super mart, uh huh
Shopping has changed drastically over the years, with more and more people choosing to go to bigger stores.
Little girls still break their hearts, uh huh
Even though times change, heartbreak and love remain a constant.
And men still keep on marching off to war
Despite the increasing awareness of the horrors of war, armed conflicts continue to occur.
Electrically they keep a baseball score
This line indicates the increasing role of technology in our daily lives and its influence on sports.
Grandmas sit in chairs and reminisce
The older generation reflects on their past experiences and how the world has evolved since then.
Boys keep chasing girls to get a kiss
Romantic pursuits never go out of fashion.
The cars keep going faster all the time
Technological advancements in the automobile industry have allowed for faster and more efficient cars over time.
Bums still cry, 'Hey buddy, have you got a dime?'
This line highlights the persistence of poverty and homelessness, even as the world changes around them.
And the beat goes on, yes, the beat goes on
The message of the song is reiterated, that life continues to move forward.
And the beat goes on, and the beat goes on
Once again, the song emphasizes the ongoing rhythm of life.
The beat goes on, and the beat goes on
The concluding line of the song reminds us that things will continue to happen no matter what we do, and that we must move with the changing times.
Lyrics ยฉ Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SONNY BONO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@axe-addict
I can't believe the wrecking crew wrote all these great songs. Now that's talent.
@user-sx1xx5le9o
It is incredible that the beat still goes on for Cher, and she doesn't look that much different.
@Walt222
Its called cosmetic surgery
@jonathanfrazier8798
Thank you Carol kaye for this bassline!
@grumpyoldman3452
Exactly.
@anthonycoopola2884
Amen
@norwidathomas6586
ALL that needs to be said is...... I wanted to be Cher when I grew up.... ... No one can be share but share he is phenomenal thank you for all the years of your beauty charm talent thank you and sunny as well
@knickertwistcopperby6066
The Wrecking Crew in full force!
@grumpyoldman3452
Yes indeed.
@kemtitanproductions8831
Phenomenal song !! it is music genius and perfection. A historical time stamp lyrically โค