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.
Back in Time
Graham Parker Lyrics
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G em
You stop in the old cafe where you used to play pinball
See am
And look for the air-raid shelter but it's gone and the cafe seems so
G em
Small and all the gardens that had trees and stolen apples
Now have small businesses flourishing in cinder blocks
G em am see
Then they will call your name and hand you a gold watch
G em am see
Then they will call your name but it doesn't sound like much
G em see am
And you'll never discover why it's like an old lover
G em am see
You can't touch anymore it doesn't mean much anymore
G em em am am7 em em am am7
When you go back in time back in time
You head down to the local try to find a focal point
A scratch in the wallpaper but it's all been wallpapered over
Down at the newsagents it's all pornography
And you try to get high again but it's like time-lapse photography
Then they will call your name and hand you a medal
Or something more practical like a whistling kettle
And it'll test your metal just try to keep grinning
Knowing that this feeling is indulgence worse than sinning
Trying to go back in time
Instrumental section (chords like verse but not as many.)
G em
Photographs with a glossy finish letters lovers never finished
See am (g)
And there in a dusty drawer a necktie you once wore
G em
And a girl you tried to court made you feel about two feet short
See am
Where is she now today? what would she have to say?
G em am see
Then they will call your name and hand you a pension
G em am see
A bottle of pills that guarantee life extension
G em see am
And give you a mention in the local boy makes good section
G em am see
But all the old news is like print stains across your mind
G em em am em em am
When you go back in time
Yes all this old news is just print stains across your mind
When you go back in time, back in time (repeat and fade) /pre>
The song "Back in Time" by Graham Parker is a reflective ballad that speaks to the universal experience of returning to a place where we used to feel at home, but which has now been transformed beyond recognition. The song's lyrics paint vivid pictures of this kind of experience, as the singer attempts to find meaning in a world that has moved on without him.
The first two verses of the song describe the singer's return to the old cafe where he used to play pinball, and the local pub where he used to hang out. He notes with sadness that the air-raid shelter he used to take refuge in is now gone, and that the cafe seems small and insignificant compared to the thriving businesses that now surround it. He also reflects on the fact that the recognition he might receive for his achievements (symbolized by the gold watch and medal mentioned in the song) no longer holds much meaning for him. The chorus repeats the phrase "back in time" like a mantra, conveying the sense of nostalgia and longing that pervades the song.
The third verse of the song shifts focus to the singer's memories of past relationships and loves. He reflects on the photographs and letters that he has kept from those times, and wonders what has become of the people he used to know. He notes that even the recognition he might receive for his accomplishments is just a "print stain" on his mind compared to the richness and complexity of these memories.
Overall, "Back in Time" is a poignant and thought-provoking song that speaks to the universal experience of trying to find meaning in a world that has changed beyond recognition. Its powerful lyrics and haunting melody have made it a fan favorite, and ensured its enduring popularity.
Line by Line Meaning
You stop in the old cafe where you used to play pinball
You visit the old cafe where you used to have fun playing pinball games.
And look for the air-raid shelter but it's gone and the cafe seems so small
You search for the air-raid shelter but it's disappeared, and the cafe now appears tiny.
And all the gardens that had trees and stolen apples now have small businesses flourishing in cinder blocks
The former gardens with trees and stolen fruits are now home to small thriving businesses made of cinder blocks.
Then they will call your name and hand you a gold watch
They may call you and gift you a gold watch.
Then they will call your name but it doesn't sound like much
Even if they call your name, it may not mean as much as it once did.
And you'll never discover why it's like an old lover you can't touch anymore it doesn't mean much anymore
You won't understand why it's like an old lover who you can't be intimate with anymore, and it won't be as valuable as it once used to be.
When you go back in time back in time
When you look back in time, again and again.
You head down to the local try to find a focal point
You visit the local area to find a main point of interest.
A scratch in the wallpaper but it's all been wallpapered over
You see a scratch in the wallpaper but someone has already covered it up.
Down at the newsagents it's all pornography
The newsagent now only stocks pornography magazines.
And you try to get high again but it's like time-lapse photography
You try to get high again but it doesn't give the same effect like time-lapse photography.
Then they will call your name and hand you a medal or something more practical like a whistling kettle
They might call you and give you a medal, or something as practical as a whistling kettle.
And it'll test your metal just try to keep grinning knowing that this feeling is indulgence worse than sinning
It'll test your resilience to keep smiling while knowing that this feeling is an excessive indulgence, worse than sinning.
Photographs with a glossy finish letters lovers never finished
Photos with a shiny surface and letters that lovers never ended.
And there in a dusty drawer a necktie you once wore
You find a necktie you wore previously lying unused in a dusty drawer.
And a girl you tried to court made you feel about two feet short
There's a girl you courted who made you feel inferior.
Where is she now today? What would she have to say?
You wonder where that lady is these days and what her thoughts would be if she saw you then versus now.
Then they will call your name and hand you a pension. A bottle of pills that guarantee life extension. And give you a mention in the local boy makes good section
They'll call you and offer you a pension, some pills that guarantee life extension, or even give you a mention in the local news section for successful men.
But all the old news is like print stains across your mind
But, all the old stories remain as marks on your memory.
Yes all this old news is just print stains across your mind
Indeed, all the old news is just stains on your mind.
When you go back in time, back in time
When you travel to the past repeatedly.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind