Beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Parker sang in small-time amateur English bands such as the Black Rockers and Deep Cut Three, while working in dead-end jobs at a glove factory and a petrol station. In late 1974 he placed an ad in Britain’s "Melody Maker" music mag seeking like-minded musicians and he began performing professionally. In 1975, he recorded a few demo tracks in London with Dave Robinson, who would shortly found Stiff Records and who connected Parker with his first backing band of note.
Graham Parker & the Rumour (with Brinsley Schwarz and Martin Belmont on guitar, Bob Andrews on keyboards, Andrew Bodnar on bass and Steve Goulding on drums) formed in the summer of 1975 and began doing the rounds of the British pub rock scene. Their first album, Howlin' Wind, was released to acclaim in 1976 and rapidly followed by the stylistically similar Heat Treatment. A mixture of rock, ballads, and reggae-influenced numbers, these albums reflected Parker's early influences (Motown, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan) and contained the songs which formed the core of Parker's live shows -- "White Honey", "Soul Shoes", "Lady Doctor", "Fool's Gold", and his early signature tune "Don't Ask Me Questions", which hit the top 40 in the UK. Like the pub rock scene he was loosely tied to, the singer's class-conscious lyrics and passionate vocals signaled a renewal of rock music as punk rock began to flower in Britain.
Parker preceded the other "new wave" English singer-songwriters, Elvis Costello and Joe Jackson. Early in his career his work was often compared favorably to theirs, and for decades journalists would continue to categorize them together, long after the artists' work had diverged. Characteristically, Parker would not hesitate to criticize this habit with caustic wit.
The first two albums' critical acclaim was generally not matched with LP sales. Graham Parker and the Rumour appeared on BBC television's Top of the Pops in 1976, performing their top 30 hit version of The Trammps' "Hold Back the Night".
At this point, Parker began to change his songwriting style, reflecting his desire to break into the American market. The first fruits of this new direction appeared on Stick To Me (1977). The album broke the top 20 on the UK charts but divided critical opinions.
Energized by his new label, Arista, and the presence of legendary producer Jack Nitzsche, Parker followed with Squeezing Out Sparks (1979), widely held to be the best album of his career. For this album, The Rumour's brass section, prominent on all previous albums, was jettisoned, resulting in a spare, intense rock backing for some of Parker's most brilliant songs. Of particular note was "You Can't Be Too Strong", one of rock music's rare songs to confront the topic of abortion, however ambivalently.
Squeezing out Sparks is still ranked by fans and critics alike as one of the finest rock albums ever made. Rolling Stone named it #335 [1] on their 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In an early 1987 Rolling Stone list of their top 100 albums from 1967-1987, Squeezing Out Sparks was ranked at #45, while Howlin' Wind came in at #54 [2].
Although marginally less intense than its predecessor, 1980's The Up Escalator was Parker's highest-charting album in the UK and featured glossy production by Jimmy Iovine and guest vocals from Bruce Springsteen. Nevertheless it was Parker's last album with the Rumour, although guitarist Brinsley Schwarz would join most of the singer's albums through the decade's end.
The 1980s were Parker's most commercially successful years, with well-financed recordings and radio and video play. Over the decade, the British press turned unkind to him, but he continued to tour the world with top backing bands, and his 1985 release Steady Nerves included his only US Top 40 hit, "Wake Up (Next to You)". The singer began living mostly in the United States during this time.
In early 2011, Parker reunited with all five original members of The Rumour to record a new album. The record, titled Three Chords Good, was released in November 2012.
And It Shook Me
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
G em g em
And it shook me, it shook me up, it shook me up, yeah
G see em
I remember the way you looked when we first met
G see em
There are some things in this world you can't forget
You were standing underneath the light I lost my heart, it felt all right
G see em
And it shook me, and I'm still shaking now.
I remember rainy nights I thought I'd drown
Was it london new york paris or amsterdam
I forget the details no I must admit but you were there through all of it
And it shook me, and I'm still shaking now.
Repeat chorus (then) instrumental verse (ends with em / d twice)
Will you hold on and hope our grip don't fail
Sometimes lovers hammer in their own coffin nails
I just read how universes start, continually they blow apart
And it shook me and I'm still shaking now.
Some believe in a heaven up above
With a God that forgives all with his great love
Well I forgive you if you forgive me, hey! who needs the third party anyway
And it shook me and I'm still shaking now.
Chorus (repeat and fade) /pre>
The song "And It Shook Me" by Graham Parker is a reflection on a past relationship that still haunts the singer. The song's opening line - "I remember the way you looked when we first met" - sets the stage for a trip down memory lane. The lyrics describe the various places and experiences that the couple shared, from rainy nights to traveling to different cities. Despite the passage of time, the singer is still affected by the intensity of the emotions he felt during the relationship, as the pre-chorus repeats "And it shook me, it shook me up, it shook me up, yeah."
The song's chorus speaks to the fragility of relationships and the need to hold on tightly, even when doubts and fears arise. The second verse makes a reference to the Big Bang theory, which states that the universe is continuously expanding and breaking apart; this serves as a metaphor for the idea that relationships, too, are constantly changing and evolving. The song ends with a call for forgiveness, both from the former partner and from a higher power.
Overall, the lyrics of "And It Shook Me" suggest a sense of longing and nostalgia for a past relationship, as well as an acknowledgement of the pain and uncertainty that can come with love. The repeated refrain of being "shook up" suggests a feeling of being overwhelmed by emotions and memories, even years after the relationship has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember the way you looked when we first met
I still have the image of the first time I saw you vividly etched in my memory
There are some things in this world you can't forget
Sometimes certain things happen in our lives that wretch themselves onto our conscious self, that it's hard to forget them
You were standing underneath the light I lost my heart, it felt all right
The light you were standing under was so bright that I lost myself in the moment, and it felt like it was okay to let go
And it shook me, and I'm still shaking now.
That moment was so intense that I'm still feeling its effects now
I remember rainy nights I thought I'd drown
I recollect those miserable nights where I'd thought I'll never survive those hardships
Was it london new york paris or amsterdam
I can't seem to remember which place it was, whether it was London, Paris, New York, or Amsterdam
I forget the details no I must admit but you were there through all of it
I can't seem to recall all the details, but I know for a fact you were with me all the way
Will you hold on and hope our grip don't fail
As we move forward in life, can you assure me that you'll hold on and we don't lose each other
Sometimes lovers hammer in their own coffin nails
Despite all the love and affection, sometimes lovers knowingly or unknowingly push each other towards separation
I just read how universes start, continually they blow apart
As I read about the universe, I realized that it's continuously expanding and moving away from each other. A parallel to how we also move away in life
Some believe in a heaven up above
Certain people put their faith towards an afterlife, in heaven
With a God that forgives all with his great love
In this belief system, there is a God who loves us all and forgives us for our sins
Well I forgive you if you forgive me, hey! who needs the third party anyway
Instead of relying on a third entity, we can simply forgive each other and get on with life
And it shook me and I'm still shaking now.
Even after all these years, the passion and intensity of it all still shakes me up
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pete May
Great song. "I just learned how universes start…"
Kanmani Balasubramanian
One of the few gems that came out in the 90s..
BellanGracie
Great love song.