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.
Too Nice to Talk To
The Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I spent the night just watchin' you
I watched you dance
I watched you move
Can't breath and still I watched you move away
Now I think quite a lot
As I stare at my shoes
That I put myself through
There's nothing to say and there's nothing to do
You're just too nice to talk to
Too nice to talk to
You're too nice to talk to
You're too nice to talk to
The right lines wouldn't come out for you
I glance but you just stared me through
Felt such a fool I felt you knew
But you might tell me to go away
Now I think quite a lot
Of my own point of view
Is that all I have that's in common with you
Your emotions so guarded
My heart is retarded
You're too nice to talk to
Too nice to talk to
You're too nice to talk to
You're too nice to talk to
This evening hasn't gone like I planned
Should I take the situation in hand
Can't go on but I can't seem to dance
You chain my feet, I stamp and stamp and stamp
Because nothing I do ever seems to be right
The same line to mind every Saturday night
Out the window you might say I'm out of of my mind
But you're too nice to talk to
Too nice to talk to
You're too nice to talk to
Too nice to talk to
You're too nice to talk to
Too nice
The song Too Nice to Talk To by The Beat is a tale of unrequited love and missed opportunities. The singer spends the night watching the person they are in love with, but can't seem to find the right words to express how they feel. They feel foolish and inadequate compared to the object of their affection who is too nice to talk to. The singer reflects on their own shortcomings and wonders if they have anything in common with this person who seems to guard their emotions so closely. They feel trapped and frustrated, unable to express themselves or even dance freely because of their overwhelming feelings for this person.
The lyrics paint a poignant picture of the pain and longing that often comes with unrequited love. The singer is consumed by their feelings, yet feels helpless to do anything about them. They find themselves tongue-tied in the presence of the object of their affection, unable to articulate what they really want to say. Their attempts at expression feel inadequate and clumsy, and they fear that if they reveal their true feelings, they will be rejected. Ultimately, the song captures the frustration and loneliness that can come with unreciprocated love, while also acknowledging the power of attraction and the deeply human need for emotional connection.
Line by Line Meaning
It's too late now, it's twenty past two
It's already late, probably early morning, and the singer has been observing the person they are interested in.
I spent the night just watchin' you
The singer has been watching the person of interest all night.
I watched you dance
The singer has been observing the person of interest dance.
I watched you move
The singer has been watching the person of interest move.
Can't breath and still I watched you move away
Despite being breathless, the singer continued to watch the person of interest move away.
Now I think quite a lot
The singer is now contemplating the situation and probably overthinking it.
As I stare at my shoes
The singer is looking at their shoes while they think.
About all these things
The singer is probably thinking about what they have done wrong and why nothing is happening.
That I put myself through
The singer had put themselves through a lot of difficult situations.
There's nothing to say and there's nothing to do
The singer is in a situation where they don't know what to do or say.
You're just too nice to talk to
The person of interest is too nice for the singer to approach.
The right lines wouldn't come out for you
The singer is having a difficult time speaking to the person of interest.
I glance but you just stared me through
The singer tried to get the person of interest's attention, but they were ignored.
Felt such a fool I felt you knew
The singer is embarrassed because they think the person of interest knows how they feel.
But you might tell me to go away
The singer is afraid that the person of interest will tell them to leave.
Of my own point of view
The singer is now thinking about their own feelings.
Is that all I have that's in common with you
The singer is wondering if they have anything in common with the person of interest.
Your emotions so guarded
The person of interest is very reserved with their emotions.
My heart is retarded
The singer's heart is slow to understand the situation.
This evening hasn't gone like I planned
The singer's plans for the night haven't gone well.
Should I take the situation in hand
The singer is wondering if they should try to take control of the situation.
Can't go on but I can't seem to dance
The singer wants to leave, but they are unable to dance or move.
You chain my feet, I stamp and stamp and stamp
The singer feels trapped and unable to move, despite wanting to leave.
Because nothing I do ever seems to be right
The singer always seems to make mistakes or do the wrong thing around the person of interest.
The same line to mind every Saturday night
The singer has been in this situation before and is thinking about it again.
Out the window you might say I'm out of my mind
The singer knows that others might think they're crazy for continuing to pursue the person of interest.
But you're too nice to talk to
The person of interest is too pleasant for the singer to approach.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ROGER CHARLERY, ANDREW COX, ANDY COX, EVERETT MORTON, DAVID STEELE, DAVID WAKELING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Cain
on Mirror in the Bathroom
good judt woks up mustck