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.
Cheap Chipped Black Nails
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You look around at everything
Well, it could be anywhere on earth
Tryin' to count your change
Inside the Asian store
But you can't figure what it's worth
On the corner of the street
And you know you can't expect her
To be subtle or discreet, no, no, no and
Her cheap chipped black nails
Scratch the surface off a future
That just left you in the past
Her cheap chipped black nails
Pick the threads out of a suture
That was holdin' your life fast
Her cheap chipped black nails
Her cheap chipped black nails
She's got the bulldog tamed
Docile and subservient
And now it doesn't make a fuss
She runs with these sparky kids
Who talk into their mobile phones
Well, there must be so much to discuss
And you remember where you came from
But you don't know where it's gone
And you cannot find a name on
The street where you came from, no, no, no and
Her cheap chipped black nails
Show a wanton skill on the game tables
The pinball and the pool
Her cheap chipped black nails
Scratch the surface off an England
That has made her hard and cruel
Her cheap chipped black nails
And you remember where you came from
But you don't recognize, don't recognize it now
And you can't expect her mercy
Well, that much she won't allow, no, no, no and
Her cheap chipped black nails
Scratch the surface off a future
That just left you, left you in the past
Her cheap chipped black nails
Pick the threads out of a suture
That was holdin' your life fast
Her cheap chipped black nails
Her cheap chipped black nails
In Graham Parker's song "Cheap Chipped Black Nails," the singer is back in town and struggling to recognize everything around him. He tries to count his change in an Asian store but can't figure out what it's worth. He sees a woman with "cheap chipped black nails" on the corner and knows he can't expect her to be discreet. Her nails scratch the surface off his future and pick the threads out of a suture that was holding his life together.
The woman with the nails represents the changes that have occurred in the town since the singer has been gone. She shows a wanton skill at game tables like pinball and pool, and scratches the surface off an England that has made her hard and cruel. The singer remembers where he came from but doesn't recognize it anymore. He can't expect any mercy from the woman with the nails.
The song speaks to the feelings of displacement and disconnection that come with returning to a familiar place after a long absence. The nails symbolize the changes that have occurred and the hardness that has developed over time. The singer is struggling to connect with the new reality and to understand his place in it.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that you're back in town
Upon your return to town
You look around at everything
Surveying your surroundings
Well, it could be anywhere on earth
Realizing your town lacks any defining characteristics
Tryin' to count your change
Attempting to add up your coins
Inside the Asian store
In a shop of foreign origin
But you can't figure what it's worth
Unable to determine the value of your currency
And she stands there like a specter
A haunting figure before you
On the corner of the street
At the crossroads of your life
And you know you can't expect her
Realizing you can't control her actions
To be subtle or discreet, no, no, no and
She won't hide her intentions
Her cheap chipped black nails
Her worn and unclean fingernails
Scratch the surface off a future
Ripping away the facade of a promising future
That just left you in the past
Leaving you with a sense of nostalgia
Pick the threads out of a suture
Removing the stitches of a wound in your life
That was holdin' your life fast
That once kept your life together
She's got the bulldog tamed
She has control over her aggressive behavior
Docile and subservient
Now calm and obedient
And now it doesn't make a fuss
With no reason to be troublesome
She runs with these sparky kids
She hangs out with lively youths
Who talk into their mobile phones
Obsessed with their cellular devices
Well, there must be so much to discuss
Assuming there is much to catch up on
And you remember where you came from
Recalling your roots
But you don't know where it's gone
Unsure of what has become of your past
And you cannot find a name on
Unable to connect with your former existence
The street where you came from, no, no, no and
Lost in your memories of the past
Show a wanton skill on the game tables
Excel at games of chance and skill
The pinball and the pool
At pinball and billiards
Scratch the surface off an England
Revealing the unflattering reality of your country
That has made her hard and cruel
That has turned her harsh and unfeeling
And you don't recognize, don't recognize it now
Feeling disconnected from your present surroundings
And you can't expect her mercy
Not anticipating any kindness from her
Well, that much she won't allow, no, no, no and
She won't show any sympathy
That just left you, left you in the past
Leading to your longing for the good times
Pick the threads out of a suture
Unpicking the stitches of a healing wound
That was holdin' your life fast
Which once kept your life stable
Her cheap chipped black nails
Her dirty, tattered fingernails
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind