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.
Over The Border
Graham Parker Lyrics
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I'm ridin' on a road that stretches Over the border to America
Over the border to America
I got nothin' but lonesome time A backyard and a religious shrine
There must be something better over there
Over the border to America
One for them and baby one for you
One for the rich one for the poverty stricken
One for the healthy and one for the sick and
One for the tortured and one for the slave
One they tell you when they put you in your grave
One for the businessman with someone else's money
One for the beggar with nothing in his belly
We got one room to live in wife, child and man
Not much bigger than an ice cream van
Sometimes we walk a mile and stand and stare
Over the border to America
I stood and watched as the wall came down
Heard the freedom bell begin to sound
Watched the hammer as it hit the ground
Saw the sickle spinning round and round
Now don't make us out to be peons or fools
We're into Zeppelin and Paula Abdul
Now we're all gonna live in that cultural mecca
Order everyone a triple decker
We're gonna buy a thousand pair of nylons
Come and live on Staten Island
Oh Liberty let me walk in there
Where law and justice are always fair
There's only one place to get your share
Over the border to America
Over the border to America
The lyrics of "Over The Border to America" by Graham Parker reflect the experiences and aspirations of a group of people who feel trapped in their current living conditions and believe life would be better "over the border" in America. The opening verse reveals the stark realities of daily life for the characters in the song – a man smokes, a woman works, and a kid complains. The singer is riding on a road that stretches over the border to America, with the hope that life will be better there. The chorus repeats the same phrase to emphasize the overarching theme of the song.
The second verse suggests that the characters in the song don't have much to live for, with the singer having nothing but lonesome time and a backyard religious shrine. However, the hope of something better "over the border" keeps them going. The middle section of the song talks about the different versions of truth that exist in the world, with lies and half-truths being fed to different groups of people according to their social status, economic status, and health. The final verse describes the cramped, cramped living conditions for the characters and the fact that they have to walk miles just to gaze over the border to America.
Overall, "Over The Border to America" is a poignant song that speaks to the hope that people have for a better life, the disillusionment they face with their own reality, and the lies and half-truths that are being fed to them about the society they live in.
Line by Line Meaning
A man smokes and a dog stretches
There are people and pets going about their daily routines.
A woman works and a kid kvetches
A woman is working while a child complains.
I'm ridin' on a road that stretches
The singer is traveling on a long road.
Over the border to America
The road leads to America.
I got nothin' but lonesome time
The artist is alone and has nothing to do.
A backyard and a religious shrine
The singer's surroundings consist of a backyard and a place of worship.
There must be something better over there
The singer believes that there is something better in America.
There's a lot of versions of the honest truth
There are many opinions about what is true.
One for them and baby one for you
There are different truths for different people.
One for the rich one for the poverty stricken
The truth can vary based on someone's wealth or poverty.
One for the healthy and one for the sick and
The truth can change depending on someone's health.
One for the tortured and one for the slave
The truth can differ for someone who is tortured or enslaved.
One they tell you when they put you in your grave
The truth can even change after someone has died.
One for the businessman with someone else's money
People with different financial situations are often told different truths.
One for the beggar with nothing in his belly
Even someone's hunger can change the truth they are told.
We got one room to live in wife, child and man
The artist and their family live in a small room together.
Not much bigger than an ice cream van
The room is very small.
Sometimes we walk a mile and stand and stare
The singer and their family sometimes go for walks and look at things.
I stood and watched as the wall came down
The singer witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Heard the freedom bell begin to sound
The artist heard a bell that symbolizes freedom.
Watched the hammer as it hit the ground
The artist saw a hammer that was used to tear down the wall.
Saw the sickle spinning round and round
The artist saw a sickle, a symbol often associated with communism.
Now don't make us out to be peons or fools
The singer doesn't want to be seen as powerless or stupid.
We're into Zeppelin and Paula Abdul
The artist and their peers enjoy a variety of music.
Now we're all gonna live in that cultural mecca
Everyone will now be able to live in a place with a diverse culture.
Order everyone a triple decker
They will buy a sandwich for everyone.
We're gonna buy a thousand pair of nylons
They will buy a lot of stockings.
Come and live on Staten Island
They will live on Staten Island, a borough of New York City.
Oh Liberty let me walk in there
The artist wants to experience freedom.
Where law and justice are always fair
They want to live in a place with fair laws and justice.
There's only one place to get your share
The only place to find what you need is in America.
Over the border to America
The road leads to America.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind