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.
Hit It
The Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
six thousand million million times a pushing
it's a crisis point that comes then goes
but who care, who cares
i'm so quick that i can't tell the difference
autoerotic
well you could not be in better hands
you please yourself
autoerotic
people laugh
so hard to understand
learn to expect that
that only you see
you don't need them either
no defense no self control
ten thousand days and it's not brave
it still remains so empty
no desire to feel at home
it's no help
stand back, just relax and hand it to yourself
you'll either take to heart what peple say
or toss it all away
aaaaaah!
make yourself dance
aaaaaah!
make yourself dance
aaaaaah!
make yourself dance
aaaaaah!
round and round and round it goes
six thousand million million times for nothing
it's a crisis point too hard to hold
but who care, who cares
nobody's there so no one know the difference
just jump and prance until you dance
and i will hold you in my charms
cos i'm the man in the bowler hat
and i can be your acrobat
now c'mon baby just like that
you've got it right
it's just like that
now clap your hands
flap your feet
you're gonna rock it and shock it right through the street
hey
get down get down get down get down get down
get down get down get down get down get down
autoerotic
well you could not be in better hands
try to accept that when it comes down to love
you please yourself
autoerotic
people laugh
so hard to understand
that only you see
you don't need them either
dream are so much nicer than real things
when it comes down to love you please yourself
people laugh
so hard to understand
that only you see
you don't need them either
autoerotic
autoerotic
autoerotic
autoerotic
hit it!
The song "Hit It" by The Beat is a commentary on the vanity and self-centeredness of modern society. The lyrics describe a senseless and repetitive cycle, as if the world is constantly spinning in circles without any point or direction. The singer seems to be detached from this meaningless routine, finding it dull and unfulfilling. The phrase "autoerotic" in the lyrics is used metaphorically to describe the self-indulgence and lack of concern for others that characterizes this lifestyle. The singer also expresses a sense of loneliness and isolation, as if trapped in their own little world.
The chorus of the song encourages the listener to "make yourself dance," suggesting that there is still joy and excitement to be found in life despite its apparent emptiness. However, this message is tempered by the realization that ultimately, we are alone and must rely on ourselves to find happiness. The final line "hit it!" seems to suggest a call to action, urging the listener to take control of their life and make the most of it.
Line by Line Meaning
senseless up and down we go
We engage in meaningless actions that have no clear direction.
six thousand million million times a pushing
We repeat the same meaningless actions countless times.
it's a crisis point that comes then goes
We experience moments of crisis, but they come and go.
but who care, who cares
We do not care about the consequences of our actions.
i'm so quick that i can't tell the difference
We move so quickly that we cannot discern the meaning or value of our actions.
autoerotic
We are self-pleasuring beings, focused on fulfilling our own desires.
well you could not be in better hands
You are in good control of your own pleasures.
try to accept when it comes down to love
We should embrace our own pleasures when it comes to love.
you please yourself
We should focus on pleasing ourselves in life.
people laugh
People mock or make fun of us.
so hard to understand
They cannot comprehend our way of thinking or living.
learn to expect that
We should anticipate ridicule from others.
that only you see
We are alone in our own way of thinking or living.
you don't need them either
We do not need validation or approval from others.
no defense no self control
We have no defenses or control over our lives.
ten thousand days and it's not brave
We go through life without courage or bravery.
it still remains so empty
Our life lacks meaning or purpose.
no desire to feel at home
We do not have a longing for a sense of belonging or connection.
it's no help
Our life and actions offer no assistance or value.
stand back, just relax and hand it to yourself
We should step back, relax, and allow ourselves to take control.
you'll either take to heart what peple say
We either allow people's critiques to affect us or ignore them completely.
or toss it all away
We discard other's opinions and do not place importance on their thoughts.
aaaaaah!
An expression of emotion or feeling that is not easily expressed.
make yourself dance
We should dance and move to music to express our emotions.
round and round and round it goes
We are stuck in a cycle of meaningless actions.
six thousand million million times for nothing
Our actions repeat endlessly without purpose or meaning.
it's a crisis point too hard to hold
Our moments of crisis are difficult to manage or contain.
nobody's there so no one know the difference
No one is present to notice or care about the impact of our actions.
just jump and prance until you dance
We should leap or sway until we feel the rhythm of the music and dance from our hearts.
and i will hold you in my charms
I will charm or enchant you with my presence.
cos i'm the man in the bowler hat
I am the one in control of the situation.
and i can be your acrobat
I can perform impressive feats to entertain you.
now c'mon baby just like that
We should move and dance without hesitation or inhibition.
you've got it right
We are performing perfectly, without flaws or mistakes.
now clap your hands
We should express our joy and rhythm through clapping our hands.
flap your feet
We should move our feet to the rhythm of the music.
you're gonna rock it and shock it right through the street
We are going to dance so well that it will amaze and impress everyone that sees us.
hey
A casual way of greeting or signaling to others.
get down get down get down get down get down
A phrase to encourage others to dance and move with the music.
autoerotic
Our life revolves around fulfilling our own selfish desires.
dream are so much nicer than real things
We often fantasize about an idealized version of our lives.
hit it!
A call to start the music or begin an activity.
Contributed by Elijah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@johnjolinson9003
I’ll never understand why this wasn’t a big hit. Top 5 all day long. 🎶
@paulf8111
the single was supposedly withdrawn from circulation due to a problem with the master tape.
@gogoyubari366
That bass!
@mikekennedy9817
Saxa coming out of the Coffin! Awesome!
@TomMegginson
The puns. Oh, the puns.
@wbertie2604
Given the lyrics, not a natural match for Tiswas on a Saturday morning, you'd have thought...