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.
Dark Side Of The Bright Lights
Graham Parker Lyrics
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A f#m g a
The party may wind down the bottles are strewn and broken
D em7 a
The games are all played out like useless tokens
A f#m g a
D em7 a g
Discussing the actors as if they mattered they mattered
C#m a c#m a
And I'm not gaining any ground here
C#m a f#m
No I'm not listening you do not care
G#m7 a g#m7 a
We are not driving in the same gear
A a see a
It always feels the same on the dark side of the bright lights
D d
Getting turned off again
The night's conversation might never really end up anywhere
The big mouths just open and close on fingers
The shal-la-la-la-low laughs they turned out to be hard reminders
And we only heard them playing behind us behind us
And I'm not gaining any ground here
You are not listening you do not care
You are not whispering in the right ear
It always feels the same on the dark side of the bright lights
Getting turned off again
A see
I can't stand it I can't stand it
A see a
I can't even gain your attention I I I I
Solo over c#m a then to f#m
And I'm not gaining any ground here
No I'm not listening you do not care
We are not driving in the same gear
See a
It always feels the same on the dark side of the bright lights
On the dark side of the bright lights
On the dark side of the bright lights
Getting turned off again (x3) /pre>
The song "Dark Sides of the Bright Lights" by Graham Parker tells the story of a failed social interaction. The party has ended, the conversations are empty, and the relationships are superficial. The lyrics describe the aftermath of a social gathering where the participants are left feeling disconnected: "The party may wind down, the bottles are strewn and broken. The games are all played out like useless tokens. The videos are scattered, their messages have screened and clattered, discussing the actors as if they mattered, they mattered." The singer is not gaining any ground in his attempts to connect: "And I'm not gaining any ground here. No, I'm not listening, you do not care. We are not driving in the same gear." The singer is frustrated and disillusioned by this experience, feeling that it always feels the same on the dark side of the bright lights.
The song is about how sometimes, despite the energy and excitement of social interactions, there can be a dark side to the bright lights. The parties, the games, and the videos are all distractions from the real connection that is missing. The singer is not able to engage in meaningful conversations and is left feeling isolated and disconnected, despite being surrounded by people. This song expresses a universal feeling of loneliness and the struggle to find meaningful connections in a world that can feel superficial and disconnected.
Line by Line Meaning
The party may wind down the bottles are strewn and broken
The celebration is ending, and remnants of enjoyment are left behind as waste.
The games are all played out like useless tokens
The activities have lost their purpose, and the participants are left with meaningless tokens.
The videos are scattered their messages have screened and clattered
The messages in the videos are now incoherent and scattered, and their intended purpose is lost.
Discussing the actors as if they mattered they mattered
The participants discuss the actors in the videos as if they were important, when in reality, they are not.
And I'm not gaining any ground here
I am not making any progress or achieving anything worthwhile.
No I'm not listening you do not care
You are not paying attention to my words, and you do not even care to try.
We are not driving in the same gear
We are not on the same page or working towards the same goal.
It always feels the same on the dark side of the bright lights
Even in the midst of bright lights and excitement, there is always a dark side where things feel the same and mundane.
Getting turned off again
Again, I am losing interest and feel disconnected from the situation.
The night's conversation might never really end up anywhere
The conversation during the night may not lead to any meaningful outcome.
The big mouths just open and close on fingers
People with loud mouths talk but do not say anything of substance.
The shal-la-la-la-low laughs they turned out to be hard reminders
The unimportant laughs and noise of the night now serve as reminders of the meaningless conversation.
And we only heard them playing behind us behind us
The sounds of the night are now in the past and only heard as echoes.
I can't stand it I can't stand it
I cannot tolerate the meaningless nature of the situation.
I can't even gain your attention I I I I
You are not interested in engaging with me, and I am left feeling isolated and ignored.
On the dark side of the bright lights
The negative aspects of the situation are hidden and overshadowed by the positive ones.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind