One of the more popular and enduring groups of a short-lived trend, The Beat released three albums: "I Just Can't Stop It" (1980), "Wha'ppen" (1981) and "Special Beat Service" (1982), and a string of excellent singles including "Mirror in the Bathroom", the politically-charged "Stand Down Margaret" (which refers to controversial British PM Margaret Thatcher), "Save It For Later" and "I Confess".
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.
Official Website: www.davewakeling.com
Doors Of Your Heart
The English Beat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This one says
I lose my head
As the feeling starts to grow you know?
I can feel love thumping at the doors of my heart
Feel love thump as it tears me apart
Feel love pump as the worrying starts
At the doors of my heart again
I can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
Everybody needs someone
They can cling to now and then
No more defense, no more pretense
No reasons for explaining
You can feel love thumping at the doors of your heart
Feel love thump as it tears you apart
Feel blood pump as the worrying starts
And you can feel love thumping at the doors of your heart again
At the doors of your heart again
You can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
This one your unity rocker, lord
Stick him in your living room and turn off the light eh
Bet you wouldn't know if he was black or white
Boy, say what's the use in fighting?
Man say, I say you shouldn't really fight
Tek him to a discotheque
Tek him to a pub eh
Tek him to a blues and then
You play him rub a dub eh
Say you shouldn't really fight, man say
Say you shouldn't really fight
Each and every day I walk through the streets
And I see man and man war and kill each other
Because you are black or you are white
So what's the use in fighting?
War alright
Because it's strictly love and unity
We a deal in today
And that we will never throw away
We will never throw away, war alright
I say just because you're brown
You no fe g'wan like a clown
Just because you're white
You no fe broke a likkle fight eh
Say what's the use in fighting, boy
I say, you shouldn't really fight
Every time it happens, seem to act a little touched
In this at least, you're just like me
I think we think too much
Why can't we just
Feel love thumping at the doors of our heart
Feel love thump as it tears us apart
Feel blood pump as the worrying starts
I can feel love thumping at the doors of my heart again
At the doors of my heart again
I can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
I can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
At the doors of my heart again
At the doors of my heart again
I say, I can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
The lyrics to The English Beat's song "Doors Of Your Heart" are centered around the idea of love and the power it has over a person. The opening lines express the idea that every story has to have something to be about, but the story the singer wants to tell is about the feeling of love that overtakes them. They describe feeling their love knocking at the doors of their heart, tearing them apart, and causing them worry. The singer invites the listener to also feel love thumping at the doors of their heart, tearing them apart, and causing them to worry.
The song then takes a turn towards unity and the idea that everyone needs someone to cling to now and then. The lyrics highlight the futility of fighting and violence, regardless of skin color or race. The singer calls for love and unity, saying that everyone should stop fighting and focus on the power of love instead. The positive message of the song is reinforced by the repetitive chorus, encouraging listeners to feel love thumping at the doors of their hearts.
Line by Line Meaning
Every story has to be about something I suppose
This one says
I lose my head
As the feeling starts to grow you know?
Every story has a purpose, and this one is about how love takes over despite our efforts to control it.
I can feel love thumping at the doors of my heart
Feel love thump as it tears me apart
Feel love pump as the worrying starts
I can feel love thumping at the doors of my heart again
At the doors of my heart again
I can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
Love is a force that can't be ignored or controlled, and it can be both thrilling and scary to experience it.
Everybody needs someone
They can cling to now and then
No more defense, no more pretense
No reasons for explaining
We all need someone to rely on, someone who understands and supports us without judgment or explanation.
This one your unity rocker, lord
Stick him in your living room and turn off the light eh
Bet you wouldn't know if he was black or white
Boy, say what's the use in fighting?
Man say, I say you shouldn't really fight
Tek him to a discotheque
Tek him to a pub eh
Tek him to a blues and then
You play him rub a dub eh
Say you shouldn't really fight, man say
Say you shouldn't really fight
Each and every day I walk through the streets
And I see man and man war and kill each other
Because you are black or you are white
So what's the use in fighting?
War alright
Because it's strictly love and unity
We a deal in today
And that we will never throw away
We will never throw away, war alright
I say just because you're brown
You no fe g'wan like a clown
Just because you're white
You no fe broke a likkle fight eh
Say what's the use in fighting, boy
I say, you shouldn't really fight
The song speaks out against racism and violence, promoting unity and love as the only way to bridge divides and make the world a better place.
Every time it happens, seem to act a little touched
In this at least, you're just like me
I think we think too much
Why can't we just
We tend to overthink things, but we all crave the same things at the core. Why can't we just focus on those commonalities and let love in?
Feel love thumping at the doors of our heart
Feel love thump as it tears us apart
Feel blood pump as the worrying starts
I can feel love thumping at the doors of my heart again
At the doors of my heart again
I can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
I can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
At the doors of my heart again
At the doors of my heart again
I say, I can feel love thump
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
Bom-bom, be bom-bom
Once again, the song emphasizes that love is a powerful force that can both lift us up and bring us down. But ultimately, it's worth taking the risk and letting love in.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Andy Cox, David Steele, David Wakeling, Everett Morton, Roger Charlery
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind