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.
Just Like Joe Meek's Blues
Graham Parker Lyrics
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You got paint on your coat like an arrow point
I followed where it led as if pulled by a bow
Fired into the night deep and slow to where I'll never know
The hotel was dark as we made our arrivalÂ
Waiting breathlessly for the Joe Meek revival
But it didn't stand any chance of survival
Poor old Joe, poor old Joe
It takes a leap of faith,Â
To pull the trigger on the world you're accustomed to
You might as well take out the landlady too
It's only a small thing to choose
Just like Joe meek's blues, just like Joe meek's blues
It's a twisted world so let's twist again
There's a bass drum sound going round in my brain
A cat communicates with an artichoke
Lord Sutch delivers a homophobe joke
Heinz gets his nose chewed again
So you turned up in Leon with very little luggage
Started talking in a foreign language
I tied two beds together with a strap from my bag
Everyone was dressed in whiteÂ
But you were dressed in black
Dressed in black again
Pull the trigger on the world you're accustomed to
You might as well save a bullet for me tooa footnote in tomorrow's news
Just like Joe meek's blues, just like Joe meek's blues
Just like Joe meek's blues, just like Joe meek's blues
Back in London and it didn't even rain
The Joe meek revival was happening again
But the clocks went forward and the revival got choked
British summertime came like a cruel joke
You went back dressed in black
It takes a leap of faithÂ
To really go for something right out of the blue
Sure we might have torn each other's hair out by the roots
And recorded it on two track tape
Just like Joe meek's blues, just like Joe meek's blues
Just like Joe meek's blues, just like Joe meek's blues
Just like Joe meek's blues, just like Joe meek's blues
The lyrics to Graham Parker's "Just Like Joe Meek's Blues" tell a surreal and twisted story about the singer's experiences in Bangkok with a mysterious woman, and later their reunion in London. The first verse describes a hazy, drug-fueled encounter, where the woman's paint-stained coat becomes a metaphorical arrow pointing the way. The next verse brings in the titular figure of Joe Meek, a pioneering English record producer from the 1960s who was known for his experimentation with sound and electronics. Parker frames the Joe Meek revival as a chance for new beginnings and taking leaps of faith, but ultimately it fails to bring any lasting change. The final verse brings the story back to London, with a reference to the changing of the clocks and the arrival of British summertime. The singer muses on the potential for their relationship to be just another footnote in history, like Joe Meek himself.
The surreal imagery and references to pop culture throughout the song make it difficult to pin down a specific interpretation. However, the themes of taking risks, embracing the unknown, and the fleeting nature of relationships are all present. Joe Meek is a fitting figure to serve as a touchstone throughout the song, as his own life was marked by both great creativity and tragic endings.
Line by Line Meaning
My head was swimming in a Bangkok joint
I was overwhelmed and disoriented in a bar in Bangkok.
You got paint on your coat like an arrow point
Your coat has a noticeable stain on it that looks like the tip of an arrow.
I followed where it led as if pulled by a bow
I was so entranced that I followed without question, as if being pulled by a bowstring.
Fired into the night deep and slow to where I'll never know
Whatever it was that caught my attention faded into the night slowly, leaving behind more questions than answers.
The hotel was dark as we made our arrival
The hotel was dimly lit as we entered.
Waiting breathlessly for the Joe Meek revival
We were anxiously waiting for a tribute to Joe Meek's music.
But it didn't stand any chance of survival
The tribute was short-lived.
You know Joe had an American rival
Joe Meek had a competitor from America.
Poor old Joe, poor old Joe
A comment expressing sympathy for Joe Meek and regret for his early demise.
It takes a leap of faith,
It requires a great deal of trust and belief to take action.
To pull the trigger on the world you're accustomed to
To make a significant change in your life.
You might as well take out the landlady too
To go all the way and deal with all associated issues simultaneously.
It's only a small thing to choose
In the grand scheme of things, the decision may seem insignificant.
Just like Joe meek's blues, just like Joe meek's blues
As tough as it is, this is not a unique situation
It's a twisted world so let's twist again
The world is complicated, so let's navigate through it together.
There's a bass drum sound going round in my brain
A highly memorable sound is stuck in my head.
A cat communicates with an artichoke
A strange and confusing scenario in which two unrelated things interact.
Lord Sutch delivers a homophobe joke
A tasteless joke about homosexuals is told.
Heinz gets his nose chewed again
An unpleasant incident occurs to someone named Heinz.
So you turned up in Leon with very little luggage
You arrived in Leon with only a small amount of baggage.
Started talking in a foreign language
You began speaking a language that I didn't understand.
I tied two beds together with a strap from my bag
I was resourceful and managed to join two beds together using a strap from my bag.
Everyone was dressed in white
Everyone else was wearing white clothing.
But you were dressed in black
You were dressed in black attire.
Dressed in black again
You are once again wearing black clothing.
You might as well save a bullet for me too
If you're going to shoot at everything, why not shoot me as well?
A footnote in tomorrow's news
An insignificant or unimportant mention in the next day's news.
British summertime came like a cruel joke
The arrival of summer in England was unexpected and felt like a cruel trick.
It takes a leap of faith
It requires a significant amount of trust and belief.
To really go for something right out of the blue
To take a risk or pursue something without prior consideration.
Sure we might have torn each other's hair out by the roots
We could have been in conflict or disagreements.
And recorded it on two track tape
It could have been recorded for posterity.
Contributed by Gabriella H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.