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 Want You Back
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't want you around
Those pretty faces always made you
Stand out in a crowd
But someone picked you from the bunch
One glance was all it took
Now it's much too late for me
To take second look
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
But now since I see you in his arms
I want you back
Yes I do now
I want you back
Ooh ooh baby
Yeah yeah, naw
Trying to live without your love
Is one long sleepless night
Let me show you girl
That I know wrong from right
Every street you walk on
I leave tear stains on the ground
Following the girl
I didn't even want around
Oh baby give me one more chance
To show you that I love you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Abuh buh buh buh
All I want!
Abuh buh buh buh
All I need!
Abuh buh buh buh
The song "I Want You Back" by Graham Parker is a classic tale of lost love and the realization of its importance. The lyrics first highlight the fact that when the singer had his love interest to himself, he didn't appreciate her enough and was blind to her value. But now, he sees that someone else has "picked her from the bunch" and is holding her tight. The singer admits that he was wrong to let her go and wants her back, pleading for "just one more chance" to show her that he loves her. He acknowledges that trying to live without her love is like "one long sleepless night," illustrating the depth of his emotions.
The lyrics continue by stating that the singer follows his love interest everywhere she goes, leaving "tear stains on the ground." This highlights the depth of his love, and the fact that he is willing to do anything to win her back. He implores her once again to give him just one more chance to win back her heart, insisting that he knows the difference between right and wrong and can be a better partner now.
Overall, the lyrics capture the essence of the pain and regret one feels after losing someone they love, and the desperate need to reconcile and be with that person once again. It is a relatable theme for many and is conveyed through the soulful, emotive vocals and lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
When I had you to myself
Back when we were together and exclusive
I didn't want you around
I took you for granted and didn't appreciate you as much as I should have
Those pretty faces always made you
You were attractive and caught people's attention
Stand out in a crowd
You were noticeable and distinguished among others
But someone picked you from the bunch
Someone else saw your value and chose you
One glance was all it took
They didn't need much convincing to realize how great you are
Now it's much too late for me
Unfortunately, I missed my chance with you
To take second look
I wish I could go back and re-evaluate how I felt about you
Oh baby give me one more chance
Please let me prove to you how much I care
To show you that I love you
I want to demonstrate my affection for you
Won't you please send me back in your heart
Let me back into your life and allow me to love you again
Oh darlin' I was blind to let you go
I was ignorant to give up on our relationship
But now since I see you in his arms
Seeing you with someone else has made me realize how much I want you back
I want you back
I want to be with you again
Yes I do now
I am sure of my feelings
Ooh ooh baby
Expressing excitement and affection
Trying to live without your love
Life is difficult without you in it
Is one long sleepless night
I am suffering without you here with me
Let me show you girl
I want to prove to you
That I know wrong from right
I am capable of making the right decisions now
Every street you walk on
Everywhere you go
I leave tear stains on the ground
I am heartbroken over losing you
Following the girl
I am pursuing you
I didn't even want around
Even though I didn't value you then, I do now
Abuh buh buh buh
Jibberish sounds indicating strong desire and emotion
All I want!
You are all I want
All I need!
You are all I need
Abuh buh buh buh
Continuing to express passionate longing
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: ALPHONSO MIZELL, ALPHONSO J MIZELL, BERRY GORDY JR, BERRY, JR GORDY, DEKE RICHARDS, DENNIS LUSSIER, FREDDIE PERREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Johnny Thunder
I cover this version with my band. Goes over really well.
Adi Sloane
Another version of a great song! Graham makes it his own which is a great tribute to the songwriter.
John Sapienza
I saw them live don't remember what year in Boston and I remember them covering the song and I loved it and never forgot how well it was done thank you graham
Robert Schuckit
1978 at club on Comm Ave
Dill T Dog
Another excellent interpretation from GP.
John Werner
I saw them in a small and lovely venue in 1977 and they closed with an encore of this song. It rocked and left me stunned.
KnuckleballAlley
It was always a thing whenever a STIFF artist covered a song, it became a requisite to make it better (or as they said to "cut" the original). Why bother playing someone else's music? In this case, GP and the Rumor are on fire. It becomes what so many GP songs are, a soul-searing slab of r & b that percolates to operatic intensity. Very well done!
wont do
Remember the Stiff Records motto?? If it ain`t stiff, it ain`t worth a fuck.
navim49
Amazing cover. Love GP
Barbie Blue
Looooove this. Rock it Graham