Tag: Andy Cox

I always heard of this band but didn’t know much about them in real time. When I heard this recently, I was caught unaware of how good it was. It’s a pop gem out of the 1980s, which you don’t hear me say a lot.

Dave Wakeling, the band’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, wrote this song when he was still a teenager, and that teen confusion seeps through every line. It’s a song about growing up, about wanting to hold on to innocence while the world says no, you are going to grow up.

By 1982, The English Beat (also known as The Beat at home) had established a presence in the British ska and new wave scenes. But this song, from their third and final album Special Beat Service, was something else entirely,  a melodic farewell that bridged ska and pop.  This one was more reflective, a coming-of-age song packaged in jangly guitars and on-target harmonies.

Behind the scenes, the song nearly didn’t make it. Wakeling and guitarist Andy Cox had trouble convincing their bandmates that this softer, more melodic song fit the band’s style. But they pushed it through, and it became one of the band’s most remembered tracks. After Special Beat Service, The Beat split up, with Wakeling and Ranking Roger forming General Public and Cox and bassist David Steele launching Fine Young Cannibals.

Pete Townshend loved it so much that he recorded his own version, and it’s shown up in films like Clueless and Kingpin, giving it a second life with new generations. The song peaked at #47 in the UK and #6 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under 100 Singles Charts in 1982. It was written by Wakeling but credited to the entire band…Roger Charlery, Andy Cox, Everett Morton, David Steele, and Dave Wakeling.

Here is Dave Wakeling talking about Pete Townsend calling him up asking about the special tuning to the song. Love his humor in this.

Save It For Later

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 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 and rotten through
But what can you do?
I don’t know how I’m meant to act with all you lot
Sometimes I don’t try
I just na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, now
Na, na, na, na, na, na
Na, na, na, na, 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’ll get found out
Save it for later
Don’t run away and let me down, you let me down
You run away, run away, 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’ll get found out
Save it for later
Don’t run away 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

Da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, run away, run

Run away, run away
Run away, run away
Run away, run away
Run away and let me down

…