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.
Paralyzed
Graham Parker Lyrics
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And I'll wait for my grip to fail me then I'll just let it go
She's so hard to please so I just freeze
Nailed down by whispers, looks and sighs
And I'm so paralysed, I am so paralysed
I wait for you to disown me when you leave I won't look
I wait for someone to phone me with the phone off the hook
You all the time pretending i'm
So paralysed I'm so paralysed
I'm so paralysed I'm just paralysed
I wait for mistakes to happen so I can't put them right
I wait for someone to latch on, but no-one's that bright
I say it can't be done, let's turn and run
Completely normal in my own eyes
To be so paralysed
Got the fear of falling from a great height
Can't open my parachute stiff with fright
I woke up naked in the high street
With lead boots on both feet
I was paralysed I'm so paralysed
I'm so paralysed
She's so hard to please so I just freeze
Nailed down by whispers, looks and sighs
And I'm so paralysed, I am so paralysed
Got me so paralysed, I'm so paralysed
I am so paralyse, I am so paralysed
The lyrics to "Paralyzed" by Graham Parker speak to the feeling of being stuck and unable to take action due to fear and indecision. The singer longs for someone to tell him what he already knows and fears the moment his grip on his situation will fail him. He feels trapped by the expectations of others and is "nailed down by whispers, looks, and sighs." He is so paralyzed by his fear and inability to move forward that he waits for mistakes to happen so he doesn't have to take responsibility for his inaction. The singer's fear is so great that he even dreams of waking up naked in the high street with lead boots on both feet.
At its core, this song is about the anxiety we all feel at times when we are faced with difficult decisions or uncertainty. The fear of making the wrong choice or failing can be paralyzing and keep us from taking action. The singer's fear is compounded by the pressure of others' expectations, which adds to his sense of being trapped.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll wait for someone to tell me what I already know
I'm aware of my situation but I'm waiting for someone else to acknowledge it before I take action.
And I'll wait for my grip to fail me then I'll just let it go
Instead of taking control of the situation, I wait for things to fall apart and then give up.
She's so hard to please so I just freeze
I become overwhelmed and do nothing when I feel like I can't meet someone's expectations.
Nailed down by whispers, looks and sighs
I feel trapped and weighed down by the judgment and expectations of others.
And I'm so paralysed, I am so paralysed
I am completely stuck and unable to take any action.
I wait for you to disown me when you leave I won't look
I expect to be rejected and push people away before they can do it to me.
I wait for someone to phone me with the phone off the hook
I am passive and don't take any action to reach out to others, waiting for them to come to me.
I get up to leave but I just deceive
I pretend that I'm going to take action, but end up just staying exactly where I am.
You all the time pretending i'm
I pretend to others that I am in control and happy, but really I am stuck and unhappy.
So paralysed I'm so paralysed
I am completely frozen and unable to move forward in any way.
I wait for mistakes to happen so I can't put them right
I avoid taking risks and making decisions, because I'm afraid of making mistakes that I won't be able to fix.
I wait for someone to latch on, but no-one's that bright
I don't actively seek out help or support, and expect others to intuitively know that I need it without me asking.
I say it can't be done, let's turn and run
When facing challenges or obstacles, my first instinct is to give up and run away from the situation.
Completely normal in my own eyes
I justify my lack of action and fear as being a normal and acceptable way of thinking and behaving.
To be so paralysed
Being completely frozen and incapable of taking action has become a comfortable and familiar state of being for me.
Got the fear of falling from a great height
I am afraid of taking risks and making decisions that could potentially have serious and negative consequences.
Can't open my parachute stiff with fright
Even when presented with opportunities to take action, I'm too afraid to do so and remain immobile.
I woke up naked in the high street
I feel exposed and vulnerable, like everyone can see my inability to act and my fear.
With lead boots on both feet
My fear and lack of action weigh me down, making it even harder to move forward.
I was paralysed I'm so paralysed
I am completely stuck and unable to take any action.
She's so hard to please so I just freeze
I become overwhelmed and do nothing when I feel like I can't meet someone's expectations.
Nailed down by whispers, looks and sighs
I feel trapped and weighed down by the judgment and expectations of others.
And I'm so paralysed, I am so paralysed
I am completely stuck and unable to take any action.
Got me so paralysed, I'm so paralysed
I am completely frozen and unable to move forward in any way.
I am so paralyse, I am so paralysed
I am completely stuck and unable to take any action.
Contributed by Reagan O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.