1) The English two-tone ska band The Beat known as The English Beat in North America and The British Beat in Australia.
2) The American power-pop band became known as Paul Collins' Beat in Europe.
1. The Beat are a band founded in Birmingham, England, in 1978. Their music fuses ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock.
The Beat, consisting of Dave Wakeling (vocals, guitar), Ranking Roger (vocals), Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), Everett Morton (drums), and Saxa a.k.a. Lionel Augustus Martin (1930 – 2017) (saxophone), released three studio albums in the early 1980s: I Just Can't Stop It (1980), Wha'ppen? (1981) and Special Beat Service (1982), and a string of singles, including "Mirror in the Bathroom", "Too Nice to Talk To", "Can't Get Used to Losing You", "Hands Off, She's Mine" and "All Out to Get You".[3]
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.
Saxa died on 3 May 2017, Ranking Roger died on 26 March 2019.
2. The Beat (known in Europe as The Paul Collins Beat or Paul Collins' Beat), were an American rock and power pop group from Los Angeles, California that formed in the late 1970s. The Beat resurfaced in the 1990s and continues to tour and record new material as Paul Collins' Beat. Frontman Paul Collins has released several projects with his alternative country group The Paul Collins Band, who play Americana music inspired by country rock and folk rock.
Can't Get Used to Losing You
The Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guess I'll get dressed and do the town
I'll find a crowded avenue
Though it will be empty without you
I can't get used to losing you
No matter what I try to do
Gonna spend my whole life through
Called up some girl I used to know
After I heard her say, hello
Couldn't think of anything to say
Since you're gone it happens every day
I can't get used to losing you
No matter what I try to do
Gonna spend my whole life through
Loving you
I can't get used to losing you
No matter what I try to do
Gonna spend my whole life through
Loving you
I'll find somebody wait and see
Who am I kidding, only me
'Cause no one else could take your place
Guess that I am just a hopeless case
I can't get used to losing you
No matter what I try to do
Gonna spend my whole life through
Loving you
Can't get used to losing you
No matter what I try to do
Gonna spend my whole life through
Loving you
The song "Can't Get Used to Losing You" by The Beat is a heart-wrenching ballad about the difficulty of moving on after a breakup. The singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that their partner is gone, and they can't seem to find any joy in the world without them. The opening lyrics set the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer decides to try and distract themselves by going out on the town, only to find that everything seems empty without their ex by their side.
The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as the singer admits that they simply can't get used to the idea of being without their partner. They try to move on by calling up an old flame, but even that proves to be a dead end, as they find themselves tongue-tied and unable to carry on a conversation for long. The rest of the song explores the singer's sense of hopelessness and their belief that no one could ever take the place of their lost love.
Overall, "Can't Get Used to Losing You" is a testament to the enduring power of love, even in the face of heartbreak and loss. The song captures the emotional turmoil of a breakup in a way that is both honest and relatable, making it an enduring classic decades after its original release.
Line by Line Meaning
Guess there's no use in hangin' 'round
I have no reason to linger here anymore
Guess I'll get dressed and do the town
I'll dress up and go out around the city
I'll find a crowded avenue
I'll search for a busy street
Though it will be empty without you
But it will still feel empty without you by my side
Called up some girl I used to know
I reached out to an old female acquaintance
After I heard her say, hello
But after she greeted me, I suddenly couldn't think of what to say
Couldn't think of anything to say
I was unable to come up with any words
Since you're gone it happens every day
Ever since you left me, it's been a daily struggle
I'll find somebody wait and see
I might find someone else in the future
Who am I kidding, only me
But who am I fooling? It's only me
'Cause no one else could take your place
Because there's no one else who could replace you
Guess that I am just a hopeless case
I guess I am just destined to be hopeless without you
I can't get used to losing you
I can't get used to not having you in my life
No matter what I try to do
No matter what I attempt
Gonna spend my whole life through
I will spend my entire life
Loving you
Loving you
Can't get used to losing you
I simply cannot grow accustomed to losing you
No matter what I try to do
Regardless of my efforts
Gonna spend my whole life through
I am committed to devoting my entire life
Loving you
To loving you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerome Pomus, Mortimer Shuman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markgreen5153
Hugely underrated band. I remember dancing to this at a school disco in Stoke. Great days.
@christophermajor2841
Ritzy’s, maxims, Shelley’s, Hudson’s,
@garethwilliams859
@@christophermajor2841 Not Forgetting the PLACE...
@mmcc7765
Me too. I loved this song then and still do. I played it over and over again. Brilliant memories
@garethwilliams859
@@christophermajor2841 i Was in Belize when this came out..#
@paulburke9613
Going to see them tomorrow night
@gooderspitman8052
That Saxophone, the guitars, sublime, simply the best cover of this classic song ever.
@edwardhyde4861
cover or copy - there is a difference
@Tanya53123
Superb 80s Song x The best years ever ❤
@sarahtereapii5184
62 years old and reminiscing. 1980 was the year I met the love of my life. We both rocked to “THE BEAT”!