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.
Love Is A Burning Question
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Making good use of weaknesses, horoscopes, rumors and facts
Inspired by the needles and pins and the pains in the heart
With no control over the chemistry that brings us then tears us apart
Now we're as hard, as hard as nails
Laugh at the butterfly that's just been impaled
We're always running and don't know what we're running from
The only time the world makes sense to us is when we come
Love is a burning, love is a burning, love is a burning question
On the tip of your tongue, baby baby
I'll endlessly make you and endlessly become remade
I'll endlessly search for your heart with a carnal switchblade,
As we thrash in the heat in an effort to beat up the world
Then we loose our identities replace them with diamonds and pearls
Don't be as hard as hard as nails
You might be born to win and then your heart fails
Get on my wavelength understand my driving force
It's sin and sin alone
I wouldn't lie to you unless I had to of course
Love is a burning, love is a burning, love is a burning question
Don't answer no
Don't make me take a look just let me off the hook
I've seen the future of rock and it sucks, yeah, it sucks
I've used you you're bleeding I know but don't be afraid
It's only a wound only a wound from a carnal switchblade
We're always running and don't know what we're running from
We're always so convinced
But the more we run the more it just slips through our fingertips
Love is a burning, love is a burning, love is a burning question
On our lips baby baby
The lyrics of "Love Is a Burning Question" by Graham Parker & The Small Clubs depict a complex and tumultuous relationship between two people who are passionate yet destructive. The lyrics suggest that they go through a series of rituals to cover their tracks, using rumors and weaknesses to their advantage. The pain they inflict on each other hurts them both, yet they cannot seem to control the chemistry that keeps them together.
The second verse represents a more intense portrayal of the argumentative nature of their relationship, with the lines "I'll endlessly make you and endlessly become remade / I'll endlessly search for your heart with a carnal switchblade." The lines suggest that both parties are willing to inflict emotional pain on each other without hesitation. They both "thrash in the heat" of their emotions in an effort to "beat up the world" but, in the end, only manage to replace their individual identities with superficial trappings like "diamonds and pearls."
Despite their destructive tendencies, the song features a plea for understanding and compassion. The chorus's repetition of "Love is a burning question / On the tip of your tongue, baby baby" suggests that the feelings they share are genuine and deeply felt, even if they are expressed through hurtful exchanges. The song's conclusion is more pensive, suggesting that even though they are always running, they cannot escape their love's grasp. The last stanza reads, "We're always so convinced / But the more we run, the more it just slips through our fingertips." In the end, the song's message is clear – love can be a destructive force, but it is also one of the strongest bonds between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
We work through the rituals and cover our poisonous tracks
We follow routines and try to hide our malicious intentions
Making good use of weaknesses, horoscopes, rumors and facts
Exploiting vulnerabilities, superstitions, gossip, and truth for our advantage
Inspired by the needles and pins and the pains in the heart
Motivated by the hurts and traumas we've experienced and inflicted
With no control over the chemistry that brings us then tears us apart
Unable to manage the intense emotions that bond and separate us
Now we're as hard, as hard as nails
We've become emotionally tough and callous
Laugh at the butterfly that's just been impaled
Take pleasure in causing harm to the innocent and vulnerable
We're always running and don't know what we're running from
We're constantly trying to escape our past, present, and future
We're always sweating bricks
We're always anxious and fearful
The only time the world makes sense to us is when we come
The only time we feel truly alive and understood is during sex
Love is a burning, love is a burning love is a burning question
The nature of love and relationships is a constant source of confusion and pain
On the tip of your tongue, baby baby
You're hesitant to express your true thoughts and feelings about love
I'll endlessly make you and endlessly become remade
I'll keep trying to mold and change you into the perfect partner
I'll endlessly search for your heart with a carnal switchblade
I'll keep pursuing you with passion and violence
As we thrash in the heat in an effort to beat up the world
As we struggle and fight to assert our power and control over others
Then we loose our identities replace them with diamonds and pearls
Then we lose our true selves and try to compensate with material possessions
Don't be as hard as hard as nails
Don't become emotionally hardened and insensitive like me
You might be born to win and then your heart fails
You might have all the advantages in life but still suffer heartbreak
Get on my wavelength understand my driving force
Try to empathize with my motives and desires
It's sin and sin alone
It's all about indulging in pleasure and defying morality
I wouldn't lie to you unless I had to of course
I'll deceive you if I have no other choice to get what I want
Don't answer no
Don't reject me outright, leave me some hope
Don't make me take a look just let me off the hook
Don't make me face the consequences of my actions, give me a break
I've seen the future of rock and it sucks, yeah, it sucks
I've lost faith in the music industry and the world in general
I've used you you're bleeding I know but don't be afraid
I've exploited and hurt you, but I promise not to harm you further
It's only a wound only a wound from a carnal switchblade
It's just a minor injury caused by our intense and reckless love
But the more we run the more it just slips through our fingertips
The harder we try to hold on to love, the more it eludes us
On our lips baby baby
We keep talking about love but don't really understand it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Graham Thomas Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ben7778
"I have seen the future of rock..and it sucks" - Graham the prophet
shawn carey
Awesome live
LYNNSTER1971
"I wouldn't lie to you...unless I had to, of course"
Pat Meepecker
"yeah!
it sucks!"