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.
Ghost In My House
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The ghost of your memories
The ghost of the love you took from me
Well, our love used to be
Only shadows from the past I see
Time can't seem to erase
The vision of your smiling face
I can't get over you
There's a ghost in my house
I can't hide (ghost in my house)
From the ghost of your love that's inside (ghost in my house)
It keeps on haunting me (ghost in my house)
Just keeps on recalling me (ghost in my house)
In my mind I know you're gone
But my heart keeps holding on
To the memories of those happy times
To the love that once was mine
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
There's a ghost in my house
I can't hide (ghost in my house)
From the ghost of your love that's inside (ghost in my house)
You're still such a part of me (ghost in my house)
Still so deep in the heart of me (ghost in my house)
I just keep hearing your footsteps on the stairs
When I know there's no-one there
Every day I love you more
So much more than the day before
Sittin' in my easy chair
I feel your fingers running through my hair
Lookin' down in my coffee cup
I think I see your face lookin' up
All alone without you
You voice that goes through
There's a ghost in my house
And I can't hide (ghost in my house)
From the ghost of your love that's inside (ghost in my house)
It keeps on haunting me (ghost in my house)
Just keeps on reminding me (ghost in my house)
I just keep hearing your footsteps on the stairs
When I know there's no-one there
You're still such a part of me (ghost in my house)
Still so deep in the heart of me (ghost in my house)
I can't hide (ghost in my house)
From the ghost of your love that's inside (ghost in my house)
The lyrics of Graham Parker's "Ghost In My House" depict the singer's inability to let go of the memories of his past love. It's as if the ghost of his ex-lover's memories has taken over his house and he's haunted by their love. He sings of how time has failed to erase the vision of her smiling face and the love they once shared still lingers in his heart. He knows that she's gone but his heart still holds on to the memories of their happy times together. He hears her footsteps everywhere, and her voice is still present, reminding him of their relationship. He has accepted that he can't escape the ghost of her love that's inside him.
The song is a poignant tale of lost love and the haunting memories that are left behind. The lyrics are emotive, tender, and vulnerable, striking a chord with anyone who has experienced heartbreak. The melody of the song is soulful, with Parker's gritty voice lending a sense of rawness and authenticity to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a ghost in my house
The memories of our lost love feel so present that it feels like a ghost inhabits my home.
The ghost of your memories
The pain of missing you that I feel all around me every day.
The ghost of the love you took from me
The empty, lonely feeling resulting from the love that once filled my life with you, and is now gone.
Well, our love used to be
The love that we shared, despite having ended, is still so palpable and real to me.
Only shadows from the past I see
Though time has passed, the memories linger like shadows, never able to escape the corners of my mind.
Time can't seem to erase
Though days and weeks continue to pass, the pain of missing you still feels just as fresh and raw as the first day we parted.
The vision of your smiling face
The gentle and beautiful image of your face, and the way it deeply affected me, still remains with me after all this time.
Though you found someone new
Even though you might have moved on, and found someone else to love, the memory of the love we shared is still a constant presence in my life and heart.
I can't get over you
Despite my best efforts, I just can't seem to move on, even though it's clear that we can never be together again.
It keeps on haunting me (ghost in my house)
The pain of missing you keeps coming back over and over again.
Just keeps on recalling me (ghost in my house)
The memories of our shared love keep on flooding my mind and heart, even when I try to push them away.
In my mind I know you're gone
Though the pain of missing you is still so present, I know that you're no longer a part of my life.
But my heart keeps holding on
Even knowing it's time to move on, my heart still clings to the sweet memories of our love, and can't seem to let go.
To the memories of those happy times
The laughter, shared memories, and deep bond we shared still resonate with me, and remain vivid in my mind.
To the love that once was mine
The love that we shared was so strong and beautiful, and it's hard to let go of the idea of it, and the happiness it brought me.
Though we're far apart
Though we might be physically separated, the memory and presence of you still feels so present in my life.
You're always in my heart
The depth of our love and connection still resonates with me deeply, and will always stay in my heart.
I just keep hearing your footsteps on the stairs
Sometimes, the memories of you are so real and vivid that I can almost hear the sound of your footsteps walking up the stairs, even when no one is there.
When I know there's no-one there
Despite knowing that there's no logical reason for you to be there, the power of memory still makes me feel like you're just out of reach, and always will be.
Every day I love you more
The passage of time doesn't diminish the depth of my love for you - in fact, it only seems to grow stronger with each passing day.
So much more than the day before
Each day my love for you grows so much stronger than the day before, despite the pain of knowing I can never be with you again.
Sittin' in my easy chair
Even in the most mundane moments of my daily routine, memories of our love and our time together flood back to me, and I can't help but be consumed by them.
I feel your fingers running through my hair
The tactile sensations of our love remain so present and vivid to me that I can almost feel your gentle touch, and it's a bittersweet reminder of what I've lost.
Lookin' down in my coffee cup
Even the simplest things in life can trigger incredible remembrances of our time together, like looking into my morning coffee and being reminded of your eyes and your smile.
I think I see your face lookin' up
Even when my rational mind knows that you're gone, sometimes it's like I can almost see a glimpse of you in the world around me, and it's a powerful reminder of the pain of your absence.
And I can't hide (ghost in my house)
No matter how hard I try, I can't escape the feeling of my love for you being a constant presence in my life.
From the ghost of your love that's inside (ghost in my house)
The deep pain of missing you is like a ghost that haunts every corner of my life and being.
You're still such a part of me (ghost in my house)
Despite the distance and the pain, the memories of our love are an inseparable part of my heart and soul.
Still so deep in the heart of me (ghost in my house)
Despite everything, my love for you remains powerful and deep, a constant presence in my life that I don't know if I'll ever fully escape.
Contributed by Sebastian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Scotty Robins
Stick to hold back the night mate!
Scotty Robins
Why?