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.
Hey Lord Don't Ask Me Questions
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bm g bm g
Crimson autograph is what we leave behind, everywhere man set foot.
Em bm f#m bm
War mongers laughing loud behind a painted face
Em bm f#m bm
Throwing titbits to the crowd then blowing up the place.
Chorus
Bm g
Hey lord don't ask me questions, hey lord don't ask me questions
Bm f#m
Hey lord don't ask me questions please!
Bm g
Hey lord don't ask me questions, hey lord don't ask me questions
Bm f#m bm
Hey lord ain't no answer in me. (solo)
Well I stand up for liberty but can't liberate
Pent up agony I see you take first place.
Well who does this treachery I shout with bleeding hand
Is it you or is it me well I never will understand.
Chorus then solo
Well I see the thousands screaming rushing for the cliffs
Just like lemmings into the sea, well well well
Who waves his mighty hand and breaks the precious rules?
Well the same one must understand who wasted all these fools.
Chorus
Ain't no answer in me no, ain't no answer in me
Fade on uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh uh /pre>
Graham Parker's song Don't Ask Me Questions is a commentary on the state of modern society, particularly in relation to war and politics. The opening lines, "Crimson autograph is what we leave behind, everywhere man set foot" speaks to the bloodshed and destruction that seems to be ubiquitous. The war mongers who hide behind painted faces and throw scraps to the masses before destroying everything, represent the manipulative leaders who exploit people's emotions for their own gain.
The chorus "Hey lord don't ask me questions, hey lord don't ask me questions, hey lord ain't no answer in me" is a plea for helplessness and powerlessness. It shows that there is a sense of absurdity and confusion around the actions of these leaders, and there seems to be no way out of it. Despite standing up for liberty and trying to take action, the agony remains pent up, and there is a sense of hopelessness.
The song is a powerful yet cynical critique of the current state of affairs, highlighting the voices of those who feel powerless in the face of government leaders' deception and manipulation. It calls for people to question the decisions made by those in power so that they will always remain accountable.
Line by Line Meaning
Crimson autograph is what we leave behind, everywhere man set foot.
We leave a trail of bloodshed and destruction everywhere we go.
War mongers laughing loud behind a painted face
People who profit from war hide behind a facade, laughing at the destruction they cause.
Throwing titbits to the crowd then blowing up the place.
They use propaganda to gain support and then cause chaos and destruction.
Well I stand up for liberty but can't liberate
The singer believes in freedom but is unable to achieve it.
Pent up agony I see you take first place.
People's pain and suffering are prioritized over freedom and justice.
Well who does this treachery I shout with bleeding hand
The singer questions who is responsible for the injustice and cruelty.
Is it you or is it me well I never will understand.
He is unsure if he is responsible or if it's the fault of society's systems and structures.
Well I see the thousands screaming rushing for the cliffs
The masses blindly follow leaders to their deaths.
Just like lemmings into the sea, well well well
People blindly follow the crowd, just like lemmings.
Who waves his mighty hand and breaks the precious rules?
Whoever is in power breaks the very laws they are meant to uphold.
Well the same one must understand who wasted all these fools.
Those in power must understand the consequences of their actions and the lives they ruin.
Ain't no answer in me no, ain't no answer in me
The singer can't provide any solutions to the problems of society.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Graham Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@johnbooth2005
… Crimson autograph
Is what we leave behind
Everywhere, where that man set foot, yeah
A warmonger's laughin' loud
Behind a painted face
Throwing titbits to the crowd then
Blowin' up the place
… Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Please
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, ain't no answer in me
… Well, I stand up for liberty
But I can't liberate, uh
And pent up agony
I see you take first place
Well, who does this treachery
I shout with bleedin' hands
Is it you or is it me, well
I never will understand
… Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Please, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, ain't no answer in me
… Who waves his mighty hands
And breaks the precious rules
Well the same one got to understand
Who wasted all these fools
… Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
Please, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, don't ask me questions
(Hey Lord) Hey Lord, ain't no answer in me, yeah
… Ain't no answer in me, no
Ain't no answer in me
Oh no, oh no
Ain't no answer, ain't no answer, no answer in me
Ain't no answer, ain't no answer, no answer in me
Ain't no answer, ain't no answer, no answer in me
@iesus68
I do believe Graham Parker is the most underrated singer and writer in rock history, he has written and sung so many incredible songs. Such a brilliant artist supported by one of the greatest bunch of musicians ever seen on a stage.
@Enigmatism415
+iesus68
I began as a big fan of Joe Jackson, moved on to Elvis Costello, and then heard that this bloke was a bit of alright. Can you recommend a few of his best albums?
@iesus68
Enigmatism415 His double live lp set called Parkerilla is one of the best live album I've ever heard, on studio side I'd suggest you Stick to Me (his early period) and Squeezing Out Sparks. There's a great triple CD anthology done by Rhino Records called "Passion Is no Ordinary Word" which is really well done too
@Daniel-dz2ie
+iesus68 I personally love his album Heat Treatment
@iesus68
Heat Treatment, another must to have
@TheGodParticle
Maybe underrated but I'm sure he made good money and don't forget the royalties
@markstenzler271
Graham is the man.
One of the greatest songs of all time.
@Tcat506
Heard this on the radio today!!!! I'd forgotten how freakin much I loved this !!!!! Still sounding epic in Nov 2020
@nickmcgivern2791
And 3years later...Go the cool 80's
@flyingfishsurf
I've seen tons of acts starting in '62 and see no end in sight. I've experienced the surf rock explosion, the English invasion, folk, psychedelia, prog rock, metal, funk, punk, reggae, new wave, indie, rap, and everything in between. My last live show was last weekend. Seeing these guys around '77 with this lineup was still one of the finest shows I've ever witnessed. Parker, Schwartz and the horn section were absolutely on fire. This video only captures half of it.