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.
England's Latest Clown
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His cultural importance
Hasn't been determined yet
Or whether he's a candidate
To join the jet set
They locked him up in pentonville to make him fall
But he came out standing straight and tall
They were transparent you could see right through them
England's latest clown
England's latest clown
England's latest clown
Well i ask you
How long will he wear that crown
He's got a little habit man
And that can never hurt
And front teeth like a rabbit
And blood stains on his shirt
They threw him into wandsworth for a month of penance
He nearly got molested by the other tenants
But he came out looking handsome with a ton of pride
With muscles on his muscles and kate moss by his side
England's latest clown
England's latest clown
England's latest clown
We want him in the army
It'll be the scoop of scoops
Acting kinda barmy
Performing for the troops
We wanna to see him strung out we wanna see him thin
We wanna see somebody dig a hole and bury him
We wanna see him overdose we want the story grim
We wish that he was dead already and we wish we were
Him
England's latest clown
England's latest clown
England's latest clown
The song "England's Latest Clown" by Graham Parker is a commentary on the culture of fame and celebrity in England, as well as the media's obsession with tearing down famous people. The subject of the song is a man who is referred to as England's latest clown, and while it's unclear what he is famous for, it's clear that he is a public figure with a lot of attention on him. The lyrics talk about how he has been locked up in Pentonville (a famous London prison) and Wandsworth (another London prison), but has come out of both experiences looking stronger than ever. There's a sense that being in jail has only added to his notoriety and made him even more of a spectacle.
The second verse continues the theme of the media's obsession with tearing famous people down. The singer is described as having a "little habit" (presumably drug use), "front teeth like a rabbit," and "blood stains on his shirt." Despite his flaws, he is still beloved by the public, who wants to see him perform for the troops and are even rooting for him to overdose or die. This is a commentary on the way that the media and the public feed off of celebrity scandals and tragedies, often to the detriment of the person in question.
Overall, the song seems to be a critique of the way that fame is valued in modern society, and how the media and the public often participate in a toxic cycle of building up and tearing down celebrities.
Line by Line Meaning
His cultural importance
The societal value of this person is still unknown
Hasn't been determined yet
There is still no clear understanding of how important this person is
Or whether he's a candidate
It's uncertain if this person would be a good fit
To join the jet set
For membership into the group of wealthy and influential people
They locked him up in pentonville to make him fall
This person was imprisoned in Pentonville with the intention of breaking him down mentally and emotionally
But he came out standing straight and tall
Despite the challenges he faced in Pentonville, he emerged strong and resilient
They tried to steal his socks but he hung on to them
His captors tried to take his possessions, but he refused to let them have everything he owned
They were transparent you could see right through them
His socks were thin and cheap, revealing the poor quality of the items he owned
England's latest clown
This person is currently the newest figure of ridicule in England
Well i ask you
The singer is posing a question to the audience
How long will he wear that crown
The singer is wondering when this person will lose his notoriety and public scrutiny
He's got a little habit man
This person has an addiction or little problem
And that can never hurt
The singer believes that this person's issue does not have any negative impact on anyone else
And front teeth like a rabbit
This person has prominent front teeth that resemble those of a rabbit
And blood stains on his shirt
This person has stains of blood on their clothes
They threw him into wandsworth for a month of penance
This person was given a harsh punishment of one month of imprisonment in Wandsworth
He nearly got molested by the other tenants
While imprisoned, this person was almost sexually assaulted by other inmates
But he came out looking handsome with a ton of pride
Despite the trauma of imprisonment, this person emerged with a sense of dignity and confidence
With muscles on his muscles and kate moss by his side
After his imprisonment, this person gained a lot of physical strength and had Kate Moss as a companion
We want him in the army
The public would like this person to join the military
It'll be the scoop of scoops
This would be a very sensational news story
Acting kinda barmy
This person's behavior would be considered crazy or erratic
Performing for the troops
This person would be entertaining the military personnel
We wanna to see him strung out we wanna see him thin
The public would like to see this person in a state of extreme physical and mental deterioration
We wanna see somebody dig a hole and bury him
The public wants this person dead and buried
We wanna see him overdose we want the story grim
The public desires to see this person on the verge of death due to a drug overdose, and the outcome of the situation to be bleak
We wish that he was dead already and we wish we were him
People would rather this person be dead, and wish that they had his attention and notoriety
England's latest clown
This person is still considered the newest clown of England
England's latest clown
This person is currently the newest figure of ridicule in England
England's latest clown
This person is still considered the newest clown of England
Contributed by Elizabeth P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.