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.
Can't Waste a Minute
Graham Parker Lyrics
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Intro: the notes are e c# be c# c# be (3 times) over an a
Bass first and then a d bass, so the chords would probably be
Xx0220
A dmaj9 a dmaj9 a e (notes over e go be c# d e)
A d
I was playing with words no-one could understand a thing
They'd never get the drift of it
A d
Waste my time on the absurd static that just seems to cling
E
I just got rid of it, now
Chorus
G d dm see
I can't waste a minute can't send a minute
G d d see e
Can't waste a minute of your timeless love
Verse (as above)
I'm all fingers and thumbs fumbling the things to do
To make life better for you
Don't get a thing when it comes but everything's a lot less blue
Since I met you
Chorus then e
Bridge
F#m e
If I had a million years I wouldn't spend it in tears
F#m e
But I haven't got that much time and what I've got isn't mine
D a d a d a d e
Anymore anymore anymore anymore anymore anymore
I woke up in the night and realised I hadn't slept
I'd just been dreaming
Someone pushed for a fight but somehow I'd already left
I woke up screaming
Chorus
G d dm see
I can't waste a minute can't send a minute
G d
Can't waste a minute of your time
G d
Can't waste a minute of your time
G d see
Can't waste a minute of your timeless love
D see d
Your timeless love your timeless love your timeless love
See
Your timeless love (continue with these chords)
Your love your timeless love oohh yeah
Fades /pre>
The song "Can't Waste a Minute" by Graham Parker is a love ballad about not wanting to waste a single minute of his time with his loved one. The lyrics start with the singer describing how he used to play with words that no one understood, but now that he's with his love, he won't waste a single moment on such absurdities. The chorus reiterates that sentiment, stating that he can't and won't waste a minute of their love.
The verse then discusses his clumsiness in doing things for his love, but since he's met her, everything is a lot less "blue," meaning he's happier. The bridge of the song tells us that if he had all the time in the world, he wouldn't waste it on tears, but since he doesn't, he won't waste it on anything else but love. Lastly, the song ends with the singer waking up from a dream and realizing that he was just dreaming- he had not slept at all.
Overall, the song is a sweet love song about how he now values and cherishes every moment with his love, knowing that time is a fleeting construct.
Line by Line Meaning
I was playing with words no-one could understand a thing
I was saying things that were lost in translation and alluded everyone.
They'd never get the drift of it
They would never understand or comprehend the meaning of what I was trying to say.
Waste my time on the absurd static that just seems to cling
I spent my time on pointless and trivial matters, that seem to persist.
I just got rid of it, now
I finally let go of the pointless matters and moved on.
I'm all fingers and thumbs fumbling the things to do
I was struggling and making mistakes trying to do the things I need to do.
To make life better for you
I was trying to improve your life and well-being by doing these things.
Don't get a thing when it comes but everything's a lot less blue
I don't really understand what's happening, but since I met you, my situation is better.
Since I met you
My life has gotten better since I've been with you.
If I had a million years I wouldn't spend it in tears
Even if I had a million years, I wouldn't want to waste time being sad.
But I haven't got that much time and what I've got isn't mine
Since I don't have that long to live, and the time I have isn't really mine, I want to make the most of it.
I woke up in the night and realised I hadn't slept
I woke up from my sleep and realized I didn't actually get any rest.
I'd just been dreaming
I found out that I had only been dreaming the whole time.
Someone pushed for a fight but somehow I'd already left
Someone was trying to start a fight, but I had already left before it happened.
I woke up screaming
I woke up from my sleep screaming, probably from a bad dream.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind