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.
Between You And Me
Graham Parker Lyrics
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All I saw was the flash in my head, yeah,
And that's all that's left between you and me, oh yeah,
Said that's all that's left between you and me.
Next thing I knew I was being carried out to sea
Somebody whispering, ";Hey what is wrong with me?"; yeah.
And that's all that's left between you and me, oh yeah,
Em A D Dsus4 D Dsus4
Say, did you realize when this bit came to be ?
Yeah it's always in somebody's eyes
When they really don't want to see, yeah.
All I knew was the storm crashing arou-ou-ou-ou-ound,
Nothing more than silence, not even a sound, yeah.
And that's all that's left between you and me,
Said that's all that's left between you and me
And that's all that's left between you and me, yeah yeah yeah,
Said that's all that's left between you and me, bop bop
Between you and me, bop bop, between you and me, bop bop,
Between you and me, bop bop, between you and me, bop bop,
The lyrics of "Between You And Me" by Graham Parker describe the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer is left with only memories of the past, represented by the lights in the harbour and the flash in his head. The storm crashing around him represents the emotional turmoil and confusion he is experiencing. He is being carried out to sea, both literally and metaphorically, as he tries to process what went wrong and why. He hears whispers of concern from others, but ultimately it is just him and his thoughts, left to confront the reality of the situation. The refrain of "that's all that's left between you and me" is a reminder that the relationship has ended and there is no going back, only the memories and emotions that remain.
The lyrics of "Between You And Me" are open to interpretation, but many believe they are based on Parker's personal experiences. Parker has said in interviews that the song was inspired by a failed relationship he had in his early 20s. He also said that the song reflects the feeling of being lost at sea, both literally and metaphorically, that many people experience after a breakup.
Line by Line Meaning
All I knew were the lights in the harbour,
My knowledge was limited to the bright lights in the harbour, nothing beyond that.
All I saw was the flash in my head, yeah,
All I witnessed was a momentary vision in my mind.
And that's all that's left between you and me, oh yeah,
That is the only connection left between us.
Said that's all that's left between you and me.
Reiteration of the fact that there's nothing else connecting us.
Next thing I knew I was being carried out to sea
Suddenly, I was being swept away by the sea.
Somebody whispering, ";Hey what is wrong with me?"; yeah.
Someone spoke softly wondering about their own state of mind.
Say, did you realize when this bit came to be ?
Did you realize the gravity of this situation at that moment?
Yeah it's always in somebody's eyes
It is always reflected in someone's eyes, the truth they try to hide.
When they really don't want to see, yeah.
When they don't want to face the reality.
All I knew was the storm crashing arou-ou-ou-ou-ound,
All I heard was the thundering storm surrounding me.
Nothing more than silence, not even a sound, yeah.
All that was left was a deafening silence, no other noise could be heard.
And that's all that's left between you and me,
The only thing that still remains between us.
Said that's all that's left between you and me
Emphasizing that there's nothing else remaining that connects us.
And that's all that's left between you and me, yeah yeah yeah,
Repetition of the fact that there's only one thing left.
Said that's all that's left between you and me, bop bop
Reiteration of the fact that there's nothing else left between us.
Between you and me, bop bop, between you and me, bop bop,
Continuation of stating the single thing that connects us.
Between you and me, bop bop, between you and me, bop bop,
Final repetition of the only thing left between us.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FREDDIE D III JERKINS, LASHAWN AMEEN DANIELS, RODNEY JERKINS, RODNEY ROY JERKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind