After playing piano in Cuby + Blizzards and several other bands since 1964, Brood started his own group, Herman Brood & His Wild Romance, in 1977. The band had their first hit single, Saturday Night, in 1978. It was taken from their best known and most succesful studio album, 1978's Shpritsz. A a live band, the leather-clad Wild Romance took The Netherlands (and Germany) by storm.
But even more than his music, it was his outspoken statements in the press about sex and drug use that brought Herman Brood into the public arena in The Netherlands. In the early 1980s he was romantically involved with the German artist, Nina Hagen, with whom he appeared in the film Cha Cha. Brood relished the media attention and became the most famous hard drug user in the Netherlands. In the 1990s he took up painting and soon became more successful as a painter athan he was as a musician (for a rock musician as legendary as Herman Brood, his studio LPs after 1980 sold remarkably poorly).
Brood swore off most drugs, reducing his drug use to alcohol and a daily shot of speed. Sadly (and ironically), this healthier lifestyle turned him into a vulnerable man almost overnight. He decided to take matters into his own hands and committed suicide: on 11 July 2001 he jumped off the roof of the Amsterdam Hilton hotel, at aged of 54.
Close friend, Bart Chabot, wrote about Brood's life in a string of biographies: "Broodje gezond", "Broodje halfom", "Brood en spelen" and "Broodje springlevend". Admirer, Black Francis, recorded a studio album (Bluefinger) as a tribute to Herman Brood.
Beat
Herman Brood & His Wild Romance Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got to be for real, your a bum
beat him up and you can beat your wife,
Beat your club child
You can bet your life
You can't beat me
Go ahead and try
You can't beat me,
Go ahead and try
You can't beat me
Well, you can do what you might
You can do what you will
Lose your friends and your lovers
Shut up and live
You can lose in Louisiana
You can lose in Saint Paul
Lose your fortune
You can lose it all
But you can't lose me…..
Solo piano
Solo gitaar
You can beat the drum etc…
I'm a beatiful guy
The lyrics of Herman Brood & His Wild Romance's song "Beat in 2" are a mix of aggression, defiance, and confidence. The song begins with the assertion that you can beat the drum and be for real, but if you are a bum, you will get beaten up. The lyrics then take a dark turn as they mention beating one's wife or club child, showing an unapologetic attitude towards violence. The chorus then repeats the assertion that no one can beat the singer, no matter how hard they try.
The lyrics turn introspective in the second verse, as they talk about losing everything in life, from friends to fortune. However, the singer insists that no matter what they lose, they cannot lose him. The solo piano and guitar towards the end of the song provide a musical interlude, possibly to showcase the skill of the instrumentalists.
The song seems to be a declaration of strength and resilience, a testament to the singer's confidence in their abilities to withstand any kind of physical violence, loss, or betrayal. It is not clear whether the lyrics are autobiographical or not, but they definitely have a personal touch to them.
Line by Line Meaning
You can beat the drum
You have the power to make a noise by hitting a percussion instrument repeatedly
Got to be for real, your a bum
One must be honest and true to themselves, but if you aren't, then you aren't worth much
beat him up and you can beat your wife,
If you are violent towards others, you are likely to be abusive towards your partner
Beat your club child
Beating a young member of a club or organization is wrong and abusive behavior
You can bet your life
You can be sure that something is true or will happen
You can't beat me
You cannot defeat me or bring me down
Go ahead and try
Feel free to attempt to beat me, but it won't work
You can't beat me, try
Even if you try to beat me, you won't be able to succeed
You can't beat me,
It is impossible to bring me down or defeat me
Go ahead and try
Feel free to attempt to beat me, but it won't work
You can't beat me
You will never be able to overcome me
Well, you can do what you might
You are free to do whatever you want
You can do what you will
You are able to do whatever you choose
Lose your friends and your lovers
By behaving poorly, you may lose your relationships with those close to you
Shut up and live
Stop talking, take action, and live your life to the fullest
You can lose in Louisiana
It is possible to experience a loss or failure in a specific location or situation
You can lose in Saint Paul
It is possible to experience a loss or failure in a different location or situation
Lose your fortune
You might experience a loss or failure of wealth and possessions
You can lose it all
You may face a complete and total loss of everything you have
But you can't lose me...
No matter what happens, I won't abandon you or stop being your friend/partner
Solo piano
Musical interlude featuring a solo piano performance
Solo gitaar
Musical interlude featuring a solo guitar performance
You can beat the drum etc...
Repetitive chorus reiterating the earlier themes of beating and overcoming
I'm a beatiful guy
I am a confident, attractive man with great value and self-worth
Contributed by Joshua F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
DirtyBoulevard Assen
Goed gedaan lars!!