There were two bands named The Beat, both active at the same time in the la… Read Full Bio ↴There were two bands named The Beat, both active at the same time in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Both bands mutually decided to use different names while operating different parts of the world:

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.

Rock N Roll Girl
The Beat Lyrics

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I went down to check out the local disco show.
I saw the people dancing on the floor.
I wish there was an easier way
To meet the girls of today.
And if I had a chance, this is what I'd say:
I want to be with a rock and roll girl.
I want to be with a rock and roll girl.
I want to be with a rock and roll girl.

I pick up the phone and get a dial tone.
I call up the number, but nobody is home.
But I saw it on my TV.
They said they have someone for me.
I wish she would answer and give me her name.
I want to be with a rock and roll girl.
I want to be with a rock and roll girl.
I want to be with a rock and roll girl.
I see them walking one by one.
I hear them talking, then they are done.
I wish there was an easier way, hey hey!
To meet the girls of today.
I really want to talk, but what can I say?
I want to be with a rock and roll girl.

I want to be with a rock and roll girl.
I want to be with a rock and roll girl.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Beat's song Rock N Roll Girl tell the story of a young man who is on the lookout for a girl who shares his love of rock and roll music. The song begins with the singer visiting a local disco show and watching people dance on the floor, but he finds it difficult to meet girls there. He laments the lack of an easier way to meet girls and expresses his desire to be with a girl who loves rock and roll music. The song goes on to describe his efforts to find that girl, from calling a number he saw on TV to hoping to meet someone while walking down the street. The singer's frustration at not being able to find the perfect girl is palpable throughout the song.

The song's lyrics are a reflection of the rebellious spirit of the rock and roll movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Rock and roll music was seen as a symbol of youth rebellion and freedom, and the song's protagonist embodies that spirit in his pursuit of a rock and roll girl. The lyrics capture the excitement and energy of that era and convey a sense of longing for the kind of intense emotional connection that rock and roll music can inspire.

Line by Line Meaning

I went down to check out the local disco show.
I went to a discotheque to check out how people there were partying.

I saw the people dancing on the floor.
I observed people dancing, having fun on the dance floor.

I wish there was an easier way To meet the girls of today.
It's hard for me to meet girls in this generation, and I wish there was an easier way to approach them.

And if I had a chance, this is what I'd say: I want to be with a rock and roll girl.
If I got a chance to express my feelings to a girl, I would say that I want to be with a girl who loves rock and roll music.

I pick up the phone and get a dial tone. I call up the number, but nobody is home.
I tried to contact someone to know if they can introduce me to a girl, but nobody answered my call.

But I saw it on my TV. They said they have someone for me.
I saw an advertisement on TV, which said they have someone who can be my partner.

I wish she would answer and give me her name.
I hope the girl from the advertisement answers my call and tells me her name.

I see them walking one by one. I hear them talking, then they are done.
I see girls walking by, talking among themselves, and not giving me a chance to talk to them.

I wish there was an easier way, hey hey! To meet the girls of today.
I'm struggling to find an easier way to meet girls these days, and I wish it were simpler.

I really want to talk, but what can I say?
I want to talk to the girls I see, but I don't know what to start the conversation with.

I want to be with a rock and roll girl. I want to be with a rock and roll girl. I want to be with a rock and roll girl.
Overall, my desire is to be with a girl who loves rock and roll music, and I want it so badly that I need to say it thrice for emphasis.

Contributed by Savannah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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