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 Don't Know
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
G D G see
I don't know what's behind that veil I ask questions to no avail
G D G see
I don't know why there's empty shelves Empty books and silent bells
[CHORUS]
G D G see G D G see
I don't know why it's not enough To feel moments of mighty love
I can't think why I'm not fulfilled I don't know why my heart is chilled
[CHORUS]
I don't know why I'm all alone Fingers stuck to a telephone
Photographs of you and me I don't know these people I see
[CHORUS]
Balls bouncing down deserted streets Shadows boxing on empty seats
I don't know why it's not enough To feel moments of mighty love
[CHORUS]
In Graham Parker's song "I Don't Know," the singer expresses a sense of confusion and questioning, unable to find answers to the mysteries of life. He asks about what's behind a veil, why the shelves are empty, and why there are silent bells. The chorus repeats the phrase "I don't know," emphasizing his frustration and uncertainty. He also expresses confusion about why moments of love and fulfillment are not enough for him and why his heart feels chilled despite these experiences.
The second verse continues with the same theme of uncertainty, this time focusing on relationships. Parker sings about feeling alone and disconnected, with only photographs of past relationships to remind him of what he's lost. He describes the people in the photographs as strangers, as if he cannot recognize the person he used to be. This sense of disorientation is reinforced by the image of abandoned streets and empty seats where shadows are boxing - emphasizing again the emptiness the singer feels in his life.
Overall, "I Don't Know" conveys a sense of existential despair and a longing for something meaningful that cannot be articulated. The repetition of the phrase "I don't know" throughout the song emphasizes the singer's feeling of stagnation and lack of direction in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Intro G D G see
The song begins with a simple guitar melody
I don't know what's behind that veil I ask questions to no avail
The singer is unsure about what's hidden behind the unknown and his questions remain unanswered
I don't know why there's empty shelves Empty books and silent bells
The singer is confused about the lack of content in the things around him
[CHORUS] G D G see G D G see I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know
The chorus repeats the fact that the singer is completely clueless about his surroundings
I don't know why it's not enough To feel moments of mighty love
The singer is unsure about why love isn't fulfilling for him
I can't think why I'm not fulfilled I don't know why my heart is chilled
The singer doesn't understand why he's still unsatisfied, and his heart feels cold
[CHORUS] I don't know why I'm all alone Fingers stuck to a telephone Photographs of you and me I don't know these people I see
The singer is unsure about why he's alone, and even the people in his memories don't seem familiar to him
[CHORUS] Balls bouncing down deserted streets Shadows boxing on empty seats I don't know why it's not enough To feel moments of mighty love
The singer observes the emptiness of the world around him and doesn't understand why love alone can't fill the void
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANGELO F. MORRIS, BETTY WRIGHT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cindy Tatum
Nice bass line!
rickstill122
This is like Jean Paul Sartre writes bubble gum pop. Only Graham can do that.
OldRoy
"I don't know (dumb dumb da dumb dumb)." :)
Digital Assets
Mona Lisa's Sister is Parker's great Feminist Manifesto.