Time does something to art. For some works, they make their mark early and achieve a kind of iconic status. Other works are slow burners that become more beloved over time. Such is the case for the song “Save It For Later” by The English Beat (or, as they were known in the UK, The Beat). Released in 1982 as part of the new wave in music by a band known more for their ska sound, “Save It For Later” was not entirely supported by the band. Penned by lead singer Dave Wakeling when he was a teen, the song is noted for a couple of things: one is, in his words, a “dirty schoolboy joke” that plays on the words “for later” to mean “fellator.” Wakeling said that in the UK, they didn’t use the term cocksucker as a put down. So, if you take the literal meaning of the song as “Oh, just leave it alone” and then add your favorite expletive, you have the initial meaning of the song. The other things that’s unique is the guitar turning of the song. Not to get too much in the weeds about guitar tunings, but if you strum a guitar turned in standard tuning, the six strings starting from the top (closest to your face) have the notes of EADGBE that start low get higher and higher until you reach the “high E” string. Many songs are in standard tuning, but some guitarists started messing with the tuning to see what other sounds they could coax out of their instruments. As a teenager, Wakeling wanted to play songs by British guitarist (and singer) John Martyn, so he attempted to tune his guitar to what he thought Martyn did in some of his recordings — but he messed up. Instead of tuning the guitar to DADGAD, he tuned his to DADAAD. The accident made for a unique sound that even confounded Pete Townshend and David Gilmour in the mid-’80s as the two of them were struggling to get the tuning right so Townshend could cover the song. Fortunately, Wakeling told the guys how to turn their guitars and, well, a unique cover version of the song was born.
The English Beat’s version of the song didn’t do much in terms of chart action in the UK and the US in 1982. It peaked at #47 on the UK’s singles chart and #58 on a chart I didn’t even know existed in the US: the Billboard Dance/Disco Top 80. “Save It For Later” was a dance/disco song? Okay. I guess you can dance to it, but at a disco club? Huh. Well, from my memory, “Save It For Later” was on MTV a lot, and that’s how I came to not only be exposed to it, but also it becoming a favorite song from the era.
Despite its jaunty feel, the lyric aren’t all that upbeat. According to Wakeling, “Save It For Later” is “… about being lost, about not really knowing your role in the world, trying to find your place in the world.” Maybe that’s why Townshend decided to cover it. Often his solo work and some Who songs do center on being lost, alienated, or not really sure where your place in the world is. To me, Townshend’s version really conveys the lyrical intention of the song. It has a forlorn quality that is quite effective in that boo-hoo-is-me vibe. Truth be told, I tend to listen to Townshend’s version of “Save It For Later” more than The English Beat’s. While I do love The English Beat’s version, there’s something that Townshend is able to communicate better with his more acoustic (and slower version). Maybe that’s why Eddie Vedder (a good friend of Townshend’s and huge Who fanatic) decided, after years of playing this song live in Pearl Jam sets, went to the studio to lay down a fairly faithful cover of a cover. Oh, and it helps that Eddie’s version was featured in the FX series The Bear — which is in its third season. Vedder’s single was released on June 27th, 2024 and has garnered an impressive number of streams after the series creator used Vedder’s single, an instrumental version, and The English Beat’s version in various episodes. TV, it seems, is the new radio when it comes song placements. People hear a song used to great effect on a television show and then Shazam it or search for it online so they can stream it to their heart’s content. There’s nothing new about this kind of song placement, but it’s become a very effective way for artists to get their music out there — and get paid for it.
What to make of Vedder’s version. To be brief, I think it’s quite good. It’s clear that Townshend is his inspiration for covering it. Eddie may, like many older Gen X’ers, like The English Beat’s version, but considering what I wrote earlier (Eddie is a massive Who/Townshend fan and friend of Pete) it’s not difficult to see why he would cover the song in a way that’s very close to Townshend’s cover. And it does the job of making sure the viewer understands that the characters in the TV show The Bear are in a precarious place in their lives. Having staked a lot of time, money, and sweat equity into a building a high-end restaurant from a low-end sandwich shop while fighting off imposter syndrome, money troubles, family battles, and a feeling like it’s all going to implode is why I think the series creators used this song so much in this season. The characters are trying to figure out their place in the world, and they are kind of adrift in the chaos of the lead character’s vision of where he wants to go with this venture.
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
If you want to listen to the various versions that are out there, you can get the list here. But here are the ones referenced in this post: