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.
Life Gets Better
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
see cmaj9, am, f (four times)
Intro oooohs
see g see f
I used to think that it all stopped happening
See cmaj9 am f
See g see f
They said there's nothing like the first love you get boy
G f
They were wrong, oh so wrong,
G f g
They hung on and hung on, to their dream, I know
Chorus
See cmaj9 am f
Oooh life gets better yeah
See cmaj9 am f
When ever I'm in her arms
See cmaj9 am f
Just to know I'm not the average fella
G f see g see
I'm the one, I'm the one for her
Well it's a shame what they do to these young kids
Just encourage them to act like clowns
And then they think that they don't have much longer
Knocked up the first time she let em get down
Put four walls around and then scream, but I know
Repeat chorus
Bridge
F g see
Life stretches before me an endless mystery
Cmaj9 f g
And nothing can bore me, when she's with me
F g see
I feel the heartbeat of the world in the hands of this girl
Cmaj9 g f g f g f am
But it takes so much time to, to finally see, see, see
D a d g
I get a thrill when I think how it really is
D dmaj9 bm g
No one can ever take that away
D a d g
They try to put rubber bands around your heart
A g a
But they're wrong, oh so wrong, they hung on
G a
And hung on, to their dream, but I know
D dmaj9 bm g
Oooh life gets better yeah
D dmaj9 bm g
When ever I'm in her arms
D dmaj9 bm g
Just to know I'm not the average fella
A g d
I'm the one, I'm the one for her
Oooh life gets better yeah, when ever I'm in her arms
Just to know I'm not the average sucker, I'm the one, I'm the one for her
Oooh life gets better yeah, oooh life gets better yeah
Oooh life gets better yeah /pre>
The lyrics of the song "Life Gets Better" by Graham Parker are about the realization that life gets better as you get older, despite the false illusions that society tries to sell us. The first verse talks about how people used to say that your first love is the best love and that life is all downhill after twenty-one, but the singer knows that they were wrong. The chorus emphasizes that life does in fact get better, especially when the singer is with his significant other, who he feels is not just an average partner, but someone special. The second verse talks about how society encourages young people to act like fools and then punishes them for being foolish. The bridge speaks to the mystery and wonder of life and how the singer feels fulfilled and content with his partner by his side. The final verse declares that no one can take away the joy and connection that the singer feels with his partner, and that he knows that life will continue to get better.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to think that it all stopped happening
The singer used to believe that life stopped being exciting at 21 years old.
By the time you reached twenty one
Life was supposed to stop being eventful by the time one reached 21 years of age.
They said there's nothing like the first love you get boy
It was believed that one's first love and experience of love was the best and most special.
They were wrong, oh so wrong, They hung on and hung on, to their dream, I know
The artist disagrees with the notion that one's first love is the best and thinks people hold onto this idea despite evidence to the contrary.
Oooh life gets better yeah
Life improves and gets better with time.
When ever I'm in her arms
Being in the arms of the person the singer loves makes life better for them.
Just to know I'm not the average fella
Being with the person the singer loves makes them feel special and unique.
I'm the one, I'm the one for her
The artist believes they are the one for the person they love.
Well it's a shame what they do to these young kids
The artist believes that young people are not treated well and are sometimes encouraged to act in a foolish manner.
Just encourage them to act like clowns
Young people are encouraged to behave in a silly and foolish way, which the artist thinks is unwise.
And then they think that they don't have much longer
Young people may believe that their time to enjoy life is short and therefore may act recklessly.
Knocked up the first time she let em get down
Young people may engage in risky behavior and become pregnant or get someone else pregnant.
Life stretches before me an endless mystery
The singer sees their life as an unknown, intriguing journey with endless possibilities.
And nothing can bore me, when she's with me
The singer is never bored when they are with the person they love.
I feel the heartbeat of the world in the hands of this girl
The singer feels the pulse of the world through their love for this person.
But it takes so much time to, to finally see, see, see
It can take a long time to find someone that you truly love and appreciate.
I get a thrill when I think how it really is
The artist feels excited when they think about their true situation in life.
No one can ever take that away
No one can take away the singer's happiness or love.
They try to put rubber bands around your heart
Others may try to control or limit the singer's feelings and emotions.
I'm the one, I'm the one for her
The artist is confident that they are the perfect partner for the person they love.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Mathie
Graham Parker is just fantastic and this is his most uplifting songs and you actually see Graham smile in this video to lol☺️
Big Guy’s 45’s
Only peaked as high as No. 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 Charts in 1983, believe it or not. Such a great little catchy song.
krazynite
Thank you ....great tune by a underated artist :)
Peter Mariner
Although 1983 was getting toward the end of the 80's purple patch, there were still a few gems like this to be found. No expense spared on this clip! :D
Nadine Steinbruckner
Absolutely can not stop tapping my feet great memories 😘
drumdust
Great song.
Tony Isaja-Formijca
this is such a happy song, one of the best of the 80s. and how funny that the macaw from the album cover is here!!!
04opocin
Released as a single in the US and the UK in July 1983.
Knut The Great
It's a corny thing to say, but this song helped me get through being dumped by my first girlfriend :-)
Steve Smith
Just to know
I’m not the average sucker
Gets me out of bed most days.