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.
I'm Just Your Man
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A~ as 0 7 7 6 5 0
Intro: e^ / a~ / e^ / a~ / e
E a e a
I'm not a page in history not something that bold
E a g#m be
E a e a
I may not be who you wanna spend a whole life with alone
E a g#m f#m
I'm not that fascinating with features carved like stone
Bridge
F#m g#m a a be
But I'll tell you everything before you run away hey
G#m a be e a / e / a
I'll tell you what I am I'm just your man
I'm not a hero or even someone who does good
I'm not made of iron or steel or stone or gold or bronze or wood
I may not notice the little things sometimes I can't see
But I'm not the kind of fool I'm made out to be
Bridge
F#m g#m a a be
But I love you yes I love you you can understand hey
G#m a be e a
Then you'll know what I am, I'm just your man
be g#m7 c#m7
I'm just your ma a an just your man that's all
Be g#m7 c#m7 be a
And if I can't be that I'm no man at all
I'm not a burnin comet that fell out of the sky
E a g#m f#m
I know I'm just like the next clown when I get too high
Bridge
But I love you yes I love you and if you understand
Then you'll know what I am. I'm just your man
Outro: same as intro. /pre>
In Graham Parker's song "I'm Just Your Man," he starts by expressing that he is not a significant historical figure or a mystery that people have been trying to solve for ages. He also acknowledges that he may not be the ideal life partner, as he is not that captivating or stunning. Despite this, he promises to reveal everything about himself to the listener and insists that he is just their man, nothing more, nothing less. In the second verse, Parker declares that he is not a hero, nor is he made of indestructible materials like iron, stone, gold, or bronze. He admits that he might miss some of the minor details at times, but he is not foolish, as others presume.
As the song progresses, Parker repeatedly assures the listener that he loves them and that if they understand him, they will realize that he is just their man. He never claims to be anything beyond that but instead emphasizes that being "just a man" is essential. In the final lines of the song, Parker acknowledges that he might not be perfect, and he might act foolish when he is too high, but love is what drives him, and if his listeners can fathom that, then they'll understand what he means when he says, "I'm just your man."
The song's message is clear - it's not about being perfect, significant, or notorious, but about being real and loving someone despite one's shortcomings. It's about acceptance, understanding, and honesty, and these themes are conveyed in Parker's lyrics in a subtle yet powerful way.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm not a page in history not something that bold
I'm not a significant historical figure or a thrilling character
I'm not the greatest mystery that was ever told
I'm not the most intriguing mystery ever told
I may not be who you wanna spend a whole life with alone
I may not be the person you want to spend your life with exclusively
I'm not that fascinating with features carved like stone
I'm not stunningly attractive like a statue
But I'll tell you everything before you run away hey
However, I'm willing to be upfront about who I am before you leave
I'll tell you what I am I'm just your man
I'm just a normal guy who wants to be with you
I'm not a hero or even someone who does good
I'm not a heroic figure or someone who always does the right thing
I'm not made of iron or steel or stone or gold or bronze or wood
I'm not made of any precious or durable materials
I may not notice the little things sometimes I can't see
I might not pay attention to small details or miss things
But I'm not the kind of fool I'm made out to be
But I'm not as foolish as people may think
But I love you yes I love you you can understand hey
But I do love you, and I hope you can understand
Then you'll know what I am, I'm just your man
Once you understand my love, you'll see that I'm just an ordinary guy who cares for you
I'm just your ma a an just your man that's all
I'm nothing more than just your man
And if I can't be that I'm no man at all
If I can't be the man you want me to be, I'm not worthy of being called a man
I'm not a burnin comet that fell out of the sky
I'm not a spectacular event like a meteor falling from the sky
I know I'm just like the next clown when I get too high
I'm no different from any other foolish person when I'm under the influence
But I love you yes I love you and if you understand
But my love for you is real, and I hope you can see that
Then you'll know what I am. I'm just your man
When you realize the depth of my love, you'll see that I'm just a man who cares for you
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind