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.
Museum Of Stupidity
Graham Parker Lyrics
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Where we can hang ourselves and throw away the key
Along with the attitudes of the pmrc
And this bullshit drug war full of hypocrisy
The banning of 2 live crew
They'll probably put 2 live crew in there, too
A museum of stupidity, oh yeah
We'll fill it up with exhibits of idiocy
We'll throw in religion and what it really means
A way to hammer nails through the back of your brains
The japanese trawlermen
Who kill everything that moves and call it zen
Museum of stupidity, oh yeah
Look at the walls of the museum of stupidity
You're bound to find there every advert on american tv
And every page of the british gutter press
We got it for nothing, it was going for less
And we'll hang it from roof to floor
And throw away the key after locking the door
The museum of stupidity
The museum of stupidity
The museum of stupidity, oh yeah
Oh yeah
Graham Parker's song "Museum Of Stupidity" speaks about a creative and thought-provoking concept, a museum dedicated entirely to stupidity. Parker envisions a place where the world's most ridiculous, senseless, and hypocritical things reside. The lyrics mention the attitudes of the PMRC, a group of American parents who advocated for parental advisory labels on albums they deemed controversial; the futility of the so-called "War on Drugs"; the banning of 2 Live Crew, a Miami-based hip-hop group in the late '80s and early '90s; and the cruelty and absurdity of Japanese trawlermen.
Moreover, Parker's vision extends beyond these specific instances, including religion as a subject, along with every advertisement found on American television and every page of the British gutter press. The concept of such a museum highlights the fallibility of human nature and actions that have resulted in exacerbating issues. The museum would serve as a cautionary tale to those who dare to tread in the path of stupidity.
In conclusion, the "Museum Of Stupidity" is an insightful contemplation that highlights the failure of human intelligence and decisions. Graham Parker's use of wit and sarcasm in the lyrics makes it an enjoyable listen. Through his lyrics, he presents a crucial message that ignorance and thoughtlessness only lead to the creation and preservation of unnecessary problems.
Line by Line Meaning
One day there'll be a museum of stupidity
Someday there will exist a place dedicated to foolishness
Where we can hang ourselves and throw away the key
A place where people can acknowledge their own foolishness and move on from it
Along with the attitudes of the pmrc
Bad attitudes will be on display, including those of the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center)
And this bullshit drug war full of hypocrisy
The hypocrisy of the war on drugs
The banning of 2 live crew
Even the censorship of music by groups like 2 Live Crew will be included
They'll probably put 2 live crew in there, too
2 Live Crew will likely end up in the museum as well
A museum of stupidity, oh yeah
All of this will reside in a museum dedicated to stupidity
We'll fill it up with exhibits of idiocy
The museum will be full of examples of stupidity
We'll throw in religion and what it really means
Religion and the true meaning behind it will also be included
A way to hammer nails through the back of your brains
The stupidity of blindly following religion and the damage it can cause
The japanese trawlermen
Examples of unacceptable behavior, such as the Japanese trawlermen who kill indiscriminately
Who kill everything that moves and call it zen
Their actions are not part of Zen teachings, despite their claim
Look at the walls of the museum of stupidity
Just by looking at the walls, visitors will see stupidity all around them
You're bound to find there every advert on american tv
Every advertisement that appears on American television will be in the museum
And every page of the british gutter press
All the pages of sensationalist publications like the British 'gutter press' will be there for inspection
We got it for nothing, it was going for less
This foolishness can be easily obtained at no cost to us
And we'll hang it from roof to floor
The stupidity will be everywhere -- even from the ceiling to the floor
And throw away the key after locking the door
The contents of the museum will be sealed away forever
The museum of stupidity
This is the intended title of the creation
Oh yeah
This phrase underscores the artist's belief in the museum's importance
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind