Their first ever single was Out There in the Jungle (Polydor 1976), but the height of their career came with the two Robert Jan Stips produced albums 10 Mistakes and Back to 78, both released in 1978.
They came to popularity just after the height of punk, but were regarded as more post-punk, veering more towards the mainstream pop. They were much admired for their live performances, which had great humour--even slapstick. Their biggest hit in their native Netherlands is Disco Really Made it (#11 in the Dutch Top 40 in 1978), but their most well-known song internationally is Beep Beep Love (from the album Ten Mistakes), which enjoyed some success in both U.K. and U.S.
The U.K.'s Radio & Records voted them "Top Newcomer '78". In July 2006 the Japanese girl band Puffy AmiYumi recorded a new version of Tokyo, originally recorded by Gruppo Sportivo in 1978.
Gruppo Sportivo kept recording and performing on and off until December 2013, when the group announced and performed their (initially) final show in Haarlem, The Netherlands. However, they reformed in 2018 and released a new studio album the same year, titled Great. They went on another promotional tour which ended in 2019.
In the summer of 2021 they began recording new music, with - for the first time again in over 40 years - Robert Jan Stips as the producer.
Rock 'N Roll
Gruppo Sportivo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How much did you pay for your bad Moto Guzzi?
And how much did you spend on your black leather jacket?
Is it you or your parents in this income tax bracket?
Now tickets to concerts and drinking at clubs
Sometimes for music that you haven't even heard of
And how much did you pay for your rock 'n' roll T-shirt
That proves you were there, that you heard of them first?
How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?
How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?
Oh tell me
Oh yeah alright, alright, oh yeah, alright, oh
How much did you pay for the chunk of his guitar
The one he ruthlessly smashed at the end of the show?
And how much will he pay for a brand new guitar
One which he'll ruthlessly smash at the end of another show?
And how long will the workers keep building him new ones?
As long as their soda cans are red, white and blue ones
And how long will the workers keep building him new ones?
As long
(As their soda cans are red, white and blue ones)
Oh yeah, oh
Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, alright
Oh no aging black leather and hospital bills
Tattoo removal and dozens of pills
Your liver pays dearly now for youthful magic moments
But rock on completely with some brand new components
Now how do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?
How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?
How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?
Alright, oh yeah, so good alright
Excess ain't rebellion
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
You're drinking what they're selling
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
Your self destruction doesn't hurt them
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
Your chaos won't convert them
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
They're so happy to rebuild it
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
You'll never really kill it
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
Yeah, excess ain't rebellion
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
You're drinking what they're selling
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
Excess ain't rebellion, you're drinking
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
You're drinking, you're oh yeah drinking what they're selling
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
Oh yeah alright, oh yeah alright
The song "Rock 'n Roll" by Gruppo Sportivo is a critique on the capitalist-driven industry around rock music. The lyrics sarcastically question the source of funds of the listener's trendy accessories and the rock stars' extravagant lifestyles. The song starts by questioning the price of the listener's CD collection, their motorcycle, and their leather jacket. The singer then mocks the listener's propensity to spend money on rock concerts, often for bands they haven't heard of and on merchandise to prove they were present at the show. The refrain of the song raises the question, "How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?" with the implication being that it is a luxury that is beyond the means of the majority of people.
As the song progresses, it extends its critique to the rock stars themselves. The lyrics question the amount of money they spend on destroying their expensive guitars and how the industry is complicit in the replacement of these instruments. In the final verse, the focus shifts back to the listener and the implications of their rock 'n' roll lifestyle on their health and finances. The lyrics mention the consequences of excessive drinking, tattoo removal, and health issues related to living the rock 'n' roll dream.
In essence, the song critiques the commercialism and exploitation of rock music by the entertainment industry, where the rebellious spirit of the genre has been replaced by a consumerist-driven culture.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, your CD collection looks shiny and costly
Your collection of CDs appears expensive and high-quality.
How much did you pay for your bad Moto Guzzi?
What was the cost of your defective Moto Guzzi motorcycle?
And how much did you spend on your black leather jacket?
What was the expense of your black leather jacket?
Is it you or your parents in this income tax bracket?
Are you or your parents in this specific income tax bracket?
Now tickets to concerts and drinking at clubs
The cost of tickets for concerts and drinks at clubs.
Sometimes for music that you haven't even heard of
Occasionally, this music can be unknown to you.
And how much did you pay for your rock 'n' roll T-shirt
What was the price of your rock 'n' roll T-shirt?
That proves you were there, that you heard of them first?
Did the T-shirt authorize that you knew them before anyone else?
Now how do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?
What is the source of funding for your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?
Oh tell me
Please explain
How much did you pay for the chunk of his guitar
What was the cost of the piece of his guitar?
The one he ruthlessly smashed at the end of the show?
The one he savagely broke at the conclusion of the performance?
And how much will he pay for a brand new guitar
What will be the cost of the new guitar?
One which he'll ruthlessly smash at the end of another show?
That he'll again savagely break after another performance?
And how long will the workers keep building him new ones?
How long will workers continue to make him new guitars?
As long as their soda cans are red, white and blue ones
The workers will continue to make guitars as long as they are paid by red, white and blue soda companies.
Oh no aging black leather and hospital bills
The negative consequences of aging black leather and medical expenses.
Tattoo removal and dozens of pills
Paying for the removal of tattoos and dozens of pills for health issues.
Your liver pays dearly now for youthful magic moments
Your liver now suffers consequentially from the exuberance of youth.
But rock on completely with some brand new components
Yet, continue to party uninterrupted with some new body parts.
Excess ain't rebellion
Excessiveness isn't an act of rebellion.
(How do you afford your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?)
What is the source of funding for your rock 'n' roll lifestyle?
You're drinking what they're selling
You're consuming what they (the music industry) are offering.
Your self destruction doesn't hurt them
Your self-destruction won't affect the music industry.
Your chaos won't convert them
Your disorder doesn't cause them to believe or change.
They're so happy to rebuild it
The music industry is happy to rebuild and regenerate itself.
You'll never really kill it
You'll never really put an end to the music industry.
You're drinking, you're oh yeah drinking what they're selling
You're consuming what the music industry is offering.
Oh yeah alright, oh yeah alright
Reaffirmation of the preceding ideas.
Contributed by Christopher T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Supernova66
I don't always listen to Gruppo Sportivo. But when I do, so do the neighbors!
@wegertje1
Dit is GRUPPO SPORTIVO en wat loop ik er van te genieten.
@ronaldfaber9443
Geweldig. Speelden live op een schoolfeest van de Havo/VWO Oude Hoven in Gorinchem. Net gecontracteerd voordat dit een hit werd.....scheelde veel geld. Geweldig optreden!!
@narvul
Ze deden veel optredens op scholen. Speelden zo ongeveer op iedere school in Den Haag en omgeving.
@MrLightning59
De enig echte Gruppo, met Meike en Josee!
@raymondlang
Top band back in the late 70s with this classic band line up.
@MyTubeSVp
Hoh, geweldig, wat lang geleden weer ! 👍
@chicodinamitapunkpatxaran
ENORMES!!
@vincentpele6851
C'est grand!
@5934dave
Forgive me, first post in English, the song is in English. I am from England.
The video is brilliant or brighter. thanks webportalavro.
I am loving gruppo all over again...