{{Infobox song | name = Save It for Later | cover = Save It for Later.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = the Beat | album = Special Beat Service | B-side = What's Your Best Thing? | released = {{Start date|1982|04|02|df=yes}} | recorded = | studio = Roundhouse Studios (London) | genre = * Rock<ref name= "PopMatters 2024">{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/best-alternative-songs-of-the-1980s|title=The 100 Best Alternative Songs of the 1980s|last=Gerard|first=Chris|date=15 April 2024|website=PopMatters|access-date=23 December 2024|quote=Although “Save It For Later” wasn’t a major hit upon its release, it has become something of an ’80s new wave/rock standard over the years.}}</ref> * new wave<ref name= "PopMatters 2024"/> * pop<ref name= "1001 2015">{{cite book|first= Stevie|last= Chick|editor-first= Robert |editor-last= Dimery |year= 2015 |title= 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die|chapter= The Beat - "Save It for Later|publisher= Universe|location= New York|page= 515}}</ref> * ska<ref name="AllMusic Ankeny">{{AllMusic |class=album|id=mw0000045898|title= Various Artists - ''CMJ the Year in Alternative Music 1982'' (1998) Review|last= Ankeny|first= Jason|access-date= January 26, 2025}}</ref> | length = 3:34 | label = Go-Feet | writer = The Beat | producer = Bob Sargeant | prev_title = Hit It (Auto Erotic) | prev_year = 1981 | next_title = Jeanette | next_year = 1982 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|c-7lBq0zuSM|"Save It for Later"}} }}}} "'''Save It for Later'''" is a 1982 song written and recorded by the English ska and new wave band the Beat (known in the United States and Canada as the English Beat). The song was released as a single from the band's third and final studio album, ''Special Beat Service'' (1982), finding moderate chart success in Britain.
Written by Beat guitarist Dave Wakeling before the band was founded, the song nearly went unreleased due to opposition from bassist David Steele. After pressure from Wakeling and the record company, it was ultimately recorded for the band's third studio album and has since become one of the band's most famous tracks. It has been featured in various soundtracks and compilation albums.
"Save It for Later" is also notable for its unique tuning, which was achieved accidentally. The track's lyrics highlight the suggestive double entendre of the song's title.
== Background == "Save It for Later" was written by Beat guitarist Dave Wakeling as a teenager before the founding of the band.<ref name="songfacts interview">{{cite web|last1=Wiser|first1=Carl|title=Dave Wakeling of the English Beat (Interview)|url=http://www.songfacts.com/blog/interviews/dave_wakeling_of_the_english_beat/|website=SongFacts}}</ref> The song was then attempted at band rehearsals.<ref name="avclub" /> Although Wakeling said he "always liked the song before [he] was in the group," it was initially rejected by bassist David Steele for "being too 'rock,' too 'old wave{{'"}}.<ref name="avclub">{{cite web|last1=Murray|first1=Noel|title=Dave Wakeling on the short, successful, fractious career of The English Beat|url=https://www.avclub.com/dave-wakeling-on-the-short-successful-fractious-caree-1798232527|website=The A.V. Club}}</ref>
By the time of the band's third studio album, however, Steele had been unable to provide enough material and the record company began pressuring the band to record "Save It for Later". Wakeling recalled, "It was only really when the record company insisted [on releasing the track], and I got a bit of courage and said, 'Well, look, if it’s not on our record I’d just rather go and record it myself and bring it out.{{'"}}<ref name="avclub" /> Steele continued to refuse to play on the backing track, leaving Wakeling and drummer Everett Morton to record a basic track until the rest of the band relented.<ref name="avclub" />
== Music and lyrics == "Save It for Later" features a unique DADAAD tuning that Wakeling stumbled upon; he explained, "I had tried to tune my guitar to DADGAD to play along with Jon Martyn {{sic}} tunes in late 70's before the English Beat started. I accidentally came up with DADAAD, so I made up my own chord shapes and enjoyed the hypnotic drone of the tuning on my national steel for hour after hour."<ref name="american songwriter">{{cite web|last1=Schlansky|first1=Evan|title=Exclusive: The English Beat, "Save It For Later" (Remastered Version)|url=http://americansongwriter.com/2012/07/exclusive-the-english-beat-save-it-for-later-remastered-version/|website=American Songwriter}}</ref> Due to the song's atypical tuning, Who guitarist Pete Townshend called Wakeling to ask how to play the song:
{{quote|"I got a phone call at 11 in the morning, and somebody gave me the phone and said, “It’s Pete Townshend for you.” And I said, “Of course it is, he phones about this time every Saturday doesn’t he?” [Laughs.] I thought it was somebody making a joke. I picked up very sarcastically, 'Oh, hello Pete.' And he said, 'Oh, hello Dave, this is Peter Townshend here and I’m sitting with David Gilmour [of Pink Floyd], and we're trying to work out your song 'Save It for Later,' but we can’t work out the tuning.' They presumed it was DADGAD as well, and couldn’t make it work, and so I had to explain that I’d made a mistake and it was not DADGAD, it was DADAAD. And he laughed and said, 'Oh, thank heavens for that! We've been breaking our fingers trying to get our hands around these chords.'"|Dave Wakeling<ref name="avclub" />}}
Townshend subsequently performed the song at his Deep End concerts.<ref>{{cite AV media |people= |date= |title=Pete Townshend's Deep End Live 11 1 85 Brixton Academy, London 41m Pt 2 of 2 W Mitsu Vcr |trans-title= |medium= |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61CLdA_-Iig |access-date= |format= |time=00:00:01 |location= |publisher= |id= |isbn= |oclc= |quote= }} </ref>
Wakeling described the lyrical theme of "Save It for Later" as "about turning from a teenager to someone in their 20s."<ref name="songfacts interview" /> The title of the song also served as a double entendre—Wakeling explained, "It started off as a dirty schoolboy joke. The phrase 'save it for later' is meant to be 'save it,' comma, 'fellator.'"<ref name="avclub" />
== Release and critical reception == "Save It for Later" was released on ''Special Beat Service'' in 1982. The song was also released as a single, reaching number 47 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="uk charts">{{cite web|title=Save It for Later|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/save-it-for-later/|website=Official Charts}}</ref> In the US, along with the track, "Sole Salvation", "Save It for Later" went to number 58 on the ''Billboard'' Dance/Disco Top 80 chart.<ref>{{cite book |title= Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=90}}</ref>
"Save It for Later" remains one of the Beat's most acclaimed songs. Wakeling acknowledged the song's success, saying, "[The track] actually ended up earning about a third of our catalogue's publishing money, nowadays."<ref name="avclub" /> According to Wakeling, Pete Townshend (who covered the song on multiple occasions) described the song as "one of [his] favorite songs in [his] whole life."<ref name="avclub" /> Townshend included the song as one of several covers on his 1986 live album ''Deep End Live!''.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Pete Townshend's Deep End Live! |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/pete-townshends-deep-end-live%21-mw0000650900 |website=AllMusic |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> Counting Crows' lead vocalist Adam Duritz named it his perfect summer song, saying, "There's just something about the joy of the song ... It just seems so Technicolor to me."<ref name="npr">{{cite news|title=Summer Song Favorites: 'Save It For Later'|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111495148|newspaper=NPR}}</ref> Pearl Jam regularly performs the song live in a medley with their song "Better Man."<ref name="american songwriter" />
The track has appeared in ''Kingpin'' (1996), ''Since You've Been Gone'' (1998), ''Big Daddy'' (1999), ''Funny People'' (2009), ''Hot Tub Time Machine'' (2010), ''Spider-Man: Homecoming'' (2017), and ''Like Father'' (2018). It also features in the Season 1 finale of ''Love'' and ''Once Upon a Time'' in the episode "Wake Up Call".<ref name="american songwriter" />
== Cover versions == A cover of the song by Seattle alternative rock band Harvey Danger appears in the film ''200 Cigarettes'' (1999);<ref name="american songwriter" /> a version by Canadian punk rock band Flashlight Brown appears in ''Sky High'' (2005).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/sky-high-original-soundtrack--mw0000306052 | title=Sky High [Original Soundtrack] - Original Soun... | AllMusic | website=AllMusic }}</ref> A cover of the song by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder was recorded specifically for use in the American television series ''The Bear''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32330876/soundtrack/?ref_=tt_trv_snd | title="The Bear" Legacy (TV Episode 2024) - Soundtracks - IMDb | website=IMDb }}</ref> In 2025 the band's frontman Eddie Vedder released a cover of the song as a limited edition 12" single (backed with his version of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "Room at the Top") for Record Store Day.<ref>{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |title=Eddie Vedder - Save It For Later / Room At The Top |url=https://recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/18858 |website=recordstoreday.com |access-date=12 February 2026}}</ref> {{Further|Next (The Bear)#Music|Legacy (The Bear)#Music}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{discogs master|type=single|8365}}
{{The Beat}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Save It For Later}} Category:1982 songs Category:1982 singles Category:The Beat (British band) songs Category:Song recordings produced by Bob Sargeant Category:Jangle pop songs Category:Songs written by Dave Wakeling Category:Go-Feet Records singles Category:Arista Records singles Category:Songs written by Everett Morton Category:Songs written by Andy Cox Category:Songs written by David Steele (musician) Category:Songs written by Ranking Roger Category:I.R.S. Records singles