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.
Release Me
Graham Parker Lyrics
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I can still feel your teethmarks in my neck your footprints on my back
And the gris gris you sprinkled in my bed is starting to make me crack
I can still hear your twang ringing in my ears, your perfume I still smell
You bought it way down below the mason dixon line
Like your mother you're a southern belle
I said release me, but please don't let me know
I said release me, but please don't let me go
Ah my blood's still boiling, like a snake you come coiling
Ready to strike
When the night comes down I get a big black fear,
Like the clouds hanging up above
I don't want you to possess me, but that's how it is
I ain't nothin' but your slave of love.
I said release me, but please don't let me know
Release me, but please don't let me oh oh oh
Release me, but please don't let me know
Release me, but please don't let me go
Release me release me baby, release me release me yeah
The lyrics of Graham Parker's song "Release Me" express the struggle of a person who is trapped in a toxic relationship and tries to break free from it. The first verse portrays the physical marks of violence that the singer still bears, which exemplifies how the torment lingers in his body. The reference to Gris Gris, a voodoo amulet used in black magic, emphasizes the pain the singer has endured in the relationship, and how this pain is starting to take a toll on him. The second verse describes how the singer still senses the presence and impact of his lover, even though she is physically absent. The southern belle image conveys the idea of a woman that is charming and manipulative, which captures the hold this woman has on the singer.
The chorus, "I said release me, but please don't let me go," expresses the singer's ambivalence about letting go of the relationship. While he knows that he needs to be released from the situation and move on, he struggles with the fear of being alone and the hold the relationship has on him. The metaphor of a snake coiling and ready to strike conveys the danger the singer faces if he stays in the relationship, further emphasizing the importance of release.
The third verse describes the singer's fear and anxiety, with the clouds symbolizing the looming threat that the relationship poses. He acknowledges that he does not want to be controlled by his lover, but despite this, he finds himself being a slave to the love that he feels for her. The repetition of the phrase "release me" in the chorus emphasizes the desire to be free from the situation and the pain that the singer is experiencing.
Line by Line Meaning
I can still feel your teethmarks in my neck your footprints on my back
I am still haunted by your touch and your presence, even though you are gone
And the gris gris you sprinkled in my bed is starting to make me crack
The spiritual talisman you left behind is causing me distress and confusion
I can still hear your twang ringing in my ears, your perfume I still smell
Your Southern charm and scent still linger, reminding me of what we had
You bought it way down below the mason dixon line, like your mother you're a southern belle
You come from a Southern background, and your upbringing has had a strong influence on your personality and behavior
I said release me, but please don't let me know
I want to be free from you, but I also fear what will happen without you in my life
Ah my blood's still boiling, like a snake you come coiling, ready to strike
You have a seductive and dangerous energy, like a snake that can strike at any moment
When the night comes down I get a big black fear, like the clouds hanging up above
At night, I feel a sense of dread and darkness, like a storm cloud looming over me
I don't want you to possess me, but that's how it is, I ain't nothin' but your slave of love
I hate the idea of being controlled by you, but I can't help feeling like I am under your spell
Release me, but please don't let me oh oh oh
I am begging you to let me go, but at the same time, I am scared of what will happen when you do
Release me release me baby, release me release me yeah
I am begging you to release me from your hold on me and let me go free
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind