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.
Save it for Later
The Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Must be a sucker for it
Cry cry but I don't need my mother
Just hold my hand while I come to a decision on it
Sooner or later
Your legs give way, you hit the ground
Save it for later
Sooner or later
You hit the deck, you get found out
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down
You let me down
Black air and seven seas are rotten through
But what can you do?
I don't know how I'm meant to act with all of you lot
Sometimes you don't try
Just now now now now now now now now now now now
Now now now now now now now now now now now
Sooner or later
Your legs give way, you hit the ground
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down
Sooner or later
You hit the deck, you get found out
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down
You let me down
You runaway, runaway and let me down
Two dozen other stupid reasons
Why we should suffer for this
Don't bother trying to explain them
Just hold my hand while I come to a decision on it
Sooner or later
Your legs give way, you hit the ground
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down
Sooner or later
You hit the deck, you get found out
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down
You let me down
You run away run away
Runaway runaway runaway, runaway, and let me down
The song "Save It for Later" by The Beat is a commentary on the complexities and frustrations of relationships. The beginning of the song suggests that there are many other people involved, as it references "two dozen other dirty lovers" and feeling like a "sucker for it." The singer is in a state of indecision over whether to stay in the relationship or not, but implores their partner not to run away and let them down. The chorus repeats the phrase "sooner or later your legs give way, you hit the ground" which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the inevitability of the relationship coming to an end.
The second verse seems to take on a more cynical tone, as the singer describes the world as a bleak place full of conflict and decay ("black air and seven seas are rotten through"). The line "I don't know how I'm meant to act with all of you lot" suggests that the singer is struggling to find their place among other people, perhaps due to the complexities of their relationship. The chorus repeats again, asserting the urgency of the situation and the fear of being let down by their partner.
Overall, "Save It for Later" is a poignant and honest evaluation of the difficulties of relationships, with a catchy and upbeat melody. It presents a relatable situation and asks important questions about what it means to be in a partnership and how we navigate the ups and downs of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Two dozen other dirty lovers
I know there are many other people you could be with, but you choose me.
Must be a sucker for it
I'm guessing you like me and what we have, despite it not being perfect.
Cry cry but I don't need my mother
I may feel the need to cry, but I'm strong enough to handle it on my own.
Just hold my hand while I come to a decision on it
I may be unsure about our relationship, but I still want your support as I figure things out.
Sooner or later
Eventually, something is going to happen.
Your legs give way, you hit the ground
Something shocking or unexpected is going to happen that will knock you off your feet.
Save it for later
Don't react now, wait until you have more information or have had time to process everything.
Don't run away and let me down
Don't leave me hanging or abandon me in this situation.
You hit the deck, you get found out
The situation is going to expose something about you or bring something to light.
You let me down
If you leave me or abandon me, you'll break my heart and disappoint me.
Black air and seven seas are rotten through
The world can be dark and corrupt, and there may not be much we can do about it.
But what can you do?
Even though things may feel overwhelming, we still have to try to make the most of the situation.
I don't know how I'm meant to act with all of you lot
I'm not sure how to behave around everyone who is involved in this situation.
Sometimes you don't try
Sometimes it feels like people aren't making an effort to understand each other or work things out.
Just now now now now now now now now now now now
Things are happening very quickly and it's hard to keep up or make sense of it all.
Two dozen other stupid reasons
There may be many different reasons why we shouldn't be together or why this situation is bad for us.
Why we should suffer for this
It may seem like we're going through unnecessary pain or hardship because of our relationship.
Don't bother trying to explain them
There's no point in trying to rationalize or justify why we're going through this.
You runaway runaway
If you choose to leave me, you're running away from our problems and abandoning me.
Runaway runaway runaway, runaway, and let me down
Leaving will only make things worse and hurt me more in the long run.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andy Cox, Dave Wakeling, David Steele, David Frederick Wakeling, Everett Morton, Roger Charlery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joeblack1847
Two dozen other dirty lovers
Must be a sucker for it
Cry, cry but I don't need my mother
Just hold my hand while I come to a decision on it
Sooner or later
Your legs give way, you hit the ground
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down
Sooner or later
You'll hit the deck, you'll get found out
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down, you let me down
Black air and seven seas all rotten through
But what can you do?
I don't know how I'm meant to act with all of you lot
Sometimes I don't try
I just now now now now now now now now now now now
Now now now now now now now now now now now
Sooner or later
Your legs give way, you hit the ground
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down
Sooner or later
You'll hit the deck, you'll get found out
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down, you let me down
You runaway, runaway and let me down
Two dozen other stupid reasons
Why we should suffer for this
Don't bother trying to explain them
Just hold my hand while I come to a decision on it
Sooner or later
Your legs give way, you hit the ground
Save it for later
Don't run away and let me down
Sooner or later
You'll hit the deck you'll get found out
Save it for later
Don't runaway and let me down, you let me down
You run away, run away, run away, run away, run away, run away
And let me down
@jluna3725
I'm 58 and every once in a while I'll tell a young person of in their 20's that I envy you age but not your music. I was living in Orange County and 30 minutes from KROQ in Pasadena before they got eaten up by "the corporations." What great music. Only the mid 60s surpasses the diversity and creativeness of the early & mid 80s.
@crosslink1493
The late-1970s is when it started here in the Los Angeles area. Small venues with punk, ska, reggae, metal, hard rock & roll; diversity was the key. You could call it a "rebellion" against the prog rock & vocalists that had taken over the radio airwaves.
@sharonsekhon9475
Me two. We were so lucky.
@callen8908
KROQ was my go to station! What a great time for music. Solid talent looking forward to
@ellavaderknows
My daughter asked me to choose one song that most perfectly represents the sound and vibe of the 80's. This was it.
@jluna3725
And it was such a great song to dance to as well!
@pamelahaze3211
I am 60..and this guy makes me remember what it was like to be 20..
What an amazing song..and performance..
Thank you for posting!
@accountname5626
Holy shit you’re old
@MarcCardwell
Me too, man, I'm 60. This is giving me such happy memories.
@alexpastor8582
mee too I'm 58. this song makes me feel young again!