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.
Obsessed With Aretha
Graham Parker Lyrics
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Em d see am twice
(am) em d see am
You get a lot of girl singers obsessed with aretha
(am) em d see am
You get a lot of little swingers wishin' they could be her
Em d
See am
All god's children gotta little bit of soul
Em d see am
But not that much no no no not that much
You get a lot of fat christians you want to throw to the lions
Put em in a barrel, roll em off the top of mount zion
Ignorant acceptance is their only aim
With jesus your life'll be better they claim
But not that much no no no not that much
Instrumental verse
D see
Yeah but when you hear aretha singing on some adver tise ment
D see
Or with a big fussy band on some rock'n'roll museum concert
Em d
She's still got the lungs and the dress and the stole
See am
You might even say the girl's still got soul
Em d see am
But not that much no no no not that much
You get a lot of little monkeys swingin' from the treetops
You get a lot of little flunkeys singin' on top of the pops
Some of them appear in the gutter press tellin' you their lives are a mess
But not that much no no no not that much
You get a lot of little stringers pullin' out their penknives
Cuttin' up history jugglin' with lives
Bein' a reporter is a glamorous trade
You don't even have to tell the truth to get paid
Well not that much no no no not that much
Yeah but when you hear aretha singing on some adver tise ment
Or with a big fussy band on some hall of fame concert
She's still got the lungs and the dress and the mink stole
You might even say the girl's still got soul
But not that much no no no not that much
Outro: hey ay ay ay etc
Em d see am twice then fade) /pre>
In Graham Parker's "Obsessed With Aretha," he explores the theme of idolization of pop culture icons and how this often falls short of their true talent. He specifically mentions the famous singer Aretha Franklin, pointing out how many female singers aspire to be like her but only some truly have the talent to back it up. Parker also refers to other groups who fall short of their iconic status, such as Christians who blindly follow their religion without sincere devotion or monkeys and flunkies who mimic pop culture without any true talent.
The song's chorus repeats the idea that all these groups have some degree of their respective identities or talents, but never quite to the extent that their icons represent. Parker's lyrics imply a frustration with the idolization of flawed icons and the ongoing cycle of trying to be like someone else instead of emphasizing what is unique about oneself.
The verses make some additional pointed references like "ignorant acceptance is their only aim" and "you don't even have to tell the truth to get paid." Parker is clearly satirizing certain aspects of pop culture and society in general, while also recognizing the value of true talent.
Line by Line Meaning
You get a lot of girl singers obsessed with aretha
Many female singers idolize Aretha Franklin
You get a lot of little swingers wishin' they could be her
Many young musicians aspire to be like Aretha Franklin
Some of those sisters can rock and roll
Some of these female musicians are quite talented
All god's children gotta little bit of soul
All people have some soul, but some have more than others
But not that much no no no not that much
But they don't have as much soul as Aretha Franklin
You get a lot of fat christians you want to throw to the lions
There are many Christians who are hypocritical and deserve punishment
Put em in a barrel, roll em off the top of mount zion
These Christians should be punished in a brutal way
Ignorant acceptance is their only aim
These Christians are only concerned with blindly following their faith
With jesus your life'll be better they claim
They believe that following Jesus will make their lives better
Yeah but when you hear aretha singing on some adver tise ment
But when you hear Aretha sing on a commercial
Or with a big fussy band on some rock'n'roll museum concert
Or see her perform with a flashy band at a museum concert
She's still got the lungs and the dress and the stole
Aretha is still a talented singer with an impressive wardrobe
You might even say the girl's still got soul
Some may argue that Aretha retains her soulful spirit
You get a lot of little monkeys swingin' from the treetops
There are many foolish and insignificant people who strive for attention
You get a lot of little flunkeys singin' on top of the pops
Many untalented musicians become famous
Some of them appear in the gutter press tellin' you their lives are a mess
Some of these famous people end up in tabloids, complaining about their personal struggles
You get a lot of little stringers pullin' out their penknives
Many journalists misuse their power and fabricate stories
Cuttin' up history jugglin' with lives
These journalists manipulate facts and disregard the impact of their work
Bein' a reporter is a glamorous trade
Journalism is often seen as an exciting and sophisticated profession
You don't even have to tell the truth to get paid
However, sometimes journalistic integrity is sacrificed for profit
Then fade)
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind