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.

Two Swords
The Beat Lyrics

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I've never been one for the punch-ups
But, look, I really hate them Nazis
A certain something starts to wind me up
How could I hate them so violently?

When two swords slashing at each other
Only sharpen one another
And in the long run even he's your brother

Said, even though that kid's a Nazi

Always attack those things in someone else
Reflections that you can't face in yourself
To make precious fascistic feeling gone
It makes you turn into a bigger one

two swords slashing at each other
Only sharpen one another
And in the long run even he's your brother
Said, even though that kid's a Nazi

Are you fighting the front or just fronting a fight?
Sometimes it's hard to see the left from the right
Are we angry, are we looking for peace
Or just tryin' to win the war
By killing all the enemy off?
Just to kill all the enemy off (enemy off)
Just to kill all the enemy off (enemy off)
Just to kill all the enemy off (enemy off)

I've never been one for the punch-ups
But look I really hate them Nazis
A certain something starts to wind me up
How could I hate them of so violently?

When two swords slashing at each other
Only sharpen one another
And in the long run even he's your brother
Said, even though that kid's a Nazi

Even though that kid's a Nazi
Even though that kid's a Nazi

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Beat's song Two Swords speak about the conflict between two opposing sides, in this case, the singer and a Nazi. The singer denies being violent, but his hate for the Nazi is so strong that it starts to wind him up. He questions how he could hate someone so forcefully. The chorus of the song talks about how two swords, when slashing at each other, can only sharpen each other. It means that when two opposing forces fight, they are strengthening each other, and there is no clear winner. The line, "Even though that kid's a Nazi," is a reminder that despite the hatred and differences, the person on the opposite side is still a human being.

The lyrics are a commentary on the futility of violence and how it only leads to more conflict. It also speaks about how people tend to judge others for their own reflection rather than looking inward. The song questions whether people are fighting for peace or trying to win a war by eliminating the enemy side.

Line by Line Meaning

I've never been one for the punch-ups
I'm not usually one to engage in fights.

But, look, I really hate them Nazis
However, I have a strong dislike for Nazis.

A certain something starts to wind me up
Something about them really bothers me.

How could I hate them so violently?
I'm surprised by the intensity of my feelings towards them.

When two swords slashing at each other
When two opposing forces fight.

Only sharpen one another
Only make each other stronger.

And in the long run even he's your brother
We're all human and connected in some way.

Said, even though that kid's a Nazi
Even if that person is a Nazi.

Always attack those things in someone else
We tend to criticize others for things we don't like about ourselves.

Reflections that you can't face in yourself
The things we see in others are often things we're unwilling to acknowledge in ourselves.

To make precious fascistic feeling gone
We need to confront and overcome our own tendencies towards fascist thinking.

It makes you turn into a bigger one
Otherwise, we risk becoming even more like the thing we hate.

Are you fighting the front or just fronting a fight?
Are we really fighting for what's right or just putting up a façade?

Sometimes it's hard to see the left from the right
We can easily lose sight of our goals or principles.

Are we angry, are we looking for peace
Are our actions driven by anger or a desire for peace?

Or just tryin' to win the war
Or are we just focused on winning at all costs?

By killing all the enemy off?
Even if that means killing all of our enemies?

Just to kill all the enemy off (enemy off)
Just to eradicate our enemies.

Just to kill all the enemy off (enemy off)
Just to eliminate those we see as threats.

Just to kill all the enemy off (enemy off)
Just to get rid of those we hate.

Even though that kid's a Nazi
Even if that person is a Nazi.

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

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