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.
Bubblegum Cancer
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the monkeys pulled Joe off the billboard sign Somewhere near Clapham Junction
Now all the little children had no pied piper There was no one left to follow
So they all lived together in a white bread world What a bitter pill to swallow
It was Bubblegum Cancer so sweet so rotten
Bubblegum Cancer No fruit on the bottom yeah oh yeah
Gorgonzola became his wife She was strong and green and sticky
And they lived in a house made of garlic mash On the crest of a styrofoam wave
Every weekend they'd take out the trash Jane Fonda with a tomahawk Rooting for the Braves
like
Bubble gum Cancer so pink so black
Bubblegum Cancer big stink under the shrink wrap. Yeah.
Barney Google was acting cool But his eyes gave him away
He was two dimensional and no ones fool He was flat and made of clay
And he lived in a land made of ink and pulp Between the two world wars
And his eyes puffed out Like ping pong balls. Yeah.
Bubblegum Cancer so faux so real
Bubblegum Cancer so phony you can't feel it
Bubble gum Cancer so pink so black
Bubblegum Cancer big stink under the shrink wrap. Yeah.
Bubble gum Cancer so pink so black
Bubblegum Cancer big stink under the shrink wrap. Yeah.
The song Bubblegum Cancer by Graham Parker is a satirical commentary on the commercialization and artificiality of modern society. The first verse talks about Joe Camel, a popular advertising mascot for Camel cigarettes, who is portrayed as a seductive and charming figure. However, his billboard sign is taken down, and the children who followed him are left without a leader. The line "white bread world" suggests a homogenized, sanitized society that is devoid of any real flavor or substance. The chorus then introduces the term "Bubblegum Cancer," which is both sweet and rotten, reflecting the contradictory nature of modern culture.
The second verse introduces the "Luncheon Meat Kid," who is described as fat, sweaty, and tricky. He marries Gorgonzola (a type of cheese), and they live in a house made of garlic mash and styrofoam. This bizarre imagery highlights the absurdity and superficiality of modern lifestyles. The reference to Jane Fonda and the Braves suggests a desire for escapism and entertainment in a world that lacks deeper meaning.
The final verse introduces Barney Google, a two-dimensional character made of clay who lives in a world of ink and pulp. His puffed-out eyes suggest a sense of detachment and superficiality. The chorus is repeated, emphasizing the pervasive presence of Bubblegum Cancer in modern society.
Line by Line Meaning
Joe Camel was a friend of mine
I had a friend who had a way with words like Joe Camel, the iconic mascot of Camel cigarettes.
He had a fine line in seduction
My friend was charming and persuasive.
But the monkeys pulled Joe off the billboard sign
Joe's influence was taken away by outside forces, represented by the monkeys.
Somewhere near Clapham Junction
The location of the event is not significant; it's just a detail to paint a picture.
Now all the little children had no pied piper
The children in this metaphor were following a charismatic leader like the Pied Piper, but now they are lost without him.
There was no one left to follow
The leader is gone, leaving the followers adrift and lost.
So they all lived together in a white bread world
Without a leader, the followers are homogeneous and uninteresting, living a bland existence in a 'white bread world'.
What a bitter pill to swallow
This situation is unpleasant and difficult to accept.
It was Bubblegum Cancer so sweet so rotten
This condition is like cancer in that it is harmful and destructive, but it is also like bubblegum in that it is appealing and colorful.
Bubblegum Cancer No fruit on the bottom yeah oh yeah
This condition is insidious and lacks any redeeming qualities.
The Luncheon Meat Kid had a real fine life
This character is happy and content with their life.
He was fat and sweaty and tricky
This character is not conventionally attractive, but they are cunning and resourceful.
Gorgonzola became his wife
The character had a strong and formidable partner.
She was strong and green and sticky
The character's partner was fierce and competitive.
And they lived in a house made of garlic mash
The character's life is unconventional and unconventional materials are used in building their home.
On the crest of a styrofoam wave
The character exists in a fragile and uncertain situation, represented by the 'styrofoam wave'.
Every weekend they'd take out the trash
The characters have mundane tasks and responsibilities, despite their eccentric lifestyle.
Jane Fonda with a tomahawk Rooting for the Braves
This image is absurd and nonsensical, representing the randomness and absurdity of life.
Bubble gum Cancer so pink so black
This condition is appealing and destructive at the same time, as represented by the colors pink and black.
Bubblegum Cancer big stink under the shrink wrap. Yeah.
This condition is hidden and insidious, represented by something that smells bad under shrink wrap.
Barney Google was acting cool
This character is trying to appear confident and in control, despite being vulnerable.
But his eyes gave him away
Despite his efforts to appear cool, the character is not actually confident and is giving away his true feelings.
He was two dimensional and no ones fool
The character is not complex or deep, but is also not easily fooled or manipulated.
He was flat and made of clay
The character is superficial and shallow, like a two-dimensional figure made of clay.
And he lived in a land made of ink and pulp
The character exists in a world that is not real or substantial, but is rather made of thin materia like ink and pulp.
Between the two world wars
The timeframe of the story is set between two significant historical events, but this detail is not important to the meaning of the song.
And his eyes puffed out Like ping pong balls. Yeah.
This is visual image is strange and meaningless within the context of the song, perhaps meant to reflect the absurdity and randomness of the world.
Bubblegum Cancer so faux so real
This condition is not authentic or genuine, but it has real and profound consequences.
Bubblegum Cancer so phony you can't feel it
This condition is so insidious and hidden that its effects cannot be felt or understood.
Bubblegum Cancer so pink so black
This condition is appealing and destructive at the same time, as represented by the colors pink and black.
Bubblegum Cancer big stink under the shrink wrap. Yeah.
This condition is hidden and insidious, represented by something that smells bad under shrink wrap.
Contributed by Jordyn D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.