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.
Socks 'N' Sandals
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dunno why you care
I'm losin'my memory
I'm losin'my hair
I lost my car keys around here somewhere
I'm part of the furniture
I'm stuck to that chair
So i dunno why you love me baby
Socks'n'sandals that's what i wear
I'm livin' in the suburbs
And wearin' bad clothes
Bar-becuing hot dogs
And keepin'a clean nose
My best friend's a hillbilly
With a moonshine still
Actually i'm lyin'
He's an accountant named bill
So i don't know why you love me baby
I don't know why you care
Socks'n'sandals that's what i wear
Chorus
Socks'n'sandals
As i hold onto your love handles
Socks'n'sandals
As i hold onto your love handles
Porcelain ducks are lined
Up on my mantle
Fish in a pond and
One of them's a fantail
One of those clocks with
The rays like the sun
I eat my dinner with
My raincoat on
So i don't know why you love me baby
I dunno why you care
Socks'n'sandals that's what i wear
Chorus
I got that midnite-blue painting
Of that oriental girl
You know the big-eyed one
Yeah you see her everywhere
Cooking sherry and a velveteen chair
And in the evening i sit right there
So i dunno why you love me baby
I dunno why you care
Socks'n' sandals that's what i wear
The song "Socks 'N' Sandals" by Graham Parker is a humorous take on a man's self-deprecating view of himself and his lifestyle. In the opening verse, the singer admits to his physical and mental decline, losing his car keys and stuck to a chair, questioning why his partner still loves and cares for him. He wears the unfashionable combination of socks and sandals, a symbol of a man who has given up on his appearance. The second verse sees the singer describe his mundane suburban life, "wearing bad clothes" and barbecuing hot dogs while keeping a clean nose. His best friend is a hillbilly with a moonshine still, but in reality, he's an accountant named Bill. Despite this, the chorus reveals that the singer still holds onto his partner's love handles while wearing his socks and sandals.
In the final verse, the singer describes his home decor, including porcelain ducks on his mantelpiece, a fish pond with a fantail fish, and a clock with rays like the sun. He eats dinner with his raincoat on, highlighting his odd behavior. The song ends with the singer praising a midnight-blue painting of an Oriental girl, cooking sherry, and a velveteen chair in which he sits in the evenings. The overall tone of "Socks 'N' Sandals" is one of self-mockery, but it also portrays a man's contentment with his simple lifestyle, as his partner loves him regardless of his eccentricities.
Line by Line Meaning
I dunno why you love me baby
I am clueless about why you love me
I dunno why you care
I am clueless about why you care
I'm losin' my memory
I am forgetting things frequently
I'm losin'my hair
I am balding
I lost my car keys around here somewhere
I lost my car keys and can't find them
I'm part of the furniture
I am so used to being here that I feel like furniture
I'm stuck to that chair
I spend most of my time sitting in that chair
Socks'n'sandals that's what i wear
I wear socks and sandals
I'm livin' in the suburbs
I live in a suburban area
And wearin' bad clothes
I have a poor fashion sense
Bar-becuing hot dogs
I like to grill hot dogs
And keepin' a clean nose
I lead a simple, clean life
My best friend's a hillbilly
My closest friend happens to be a hillbilly
With a moonshine still
My hillbilly friend makes moonshine at home
Actually I'm lyin'
I am not telling the truth
He's an accountant named bill
My friend Bill is an accountant
Chorus
Repeating the hook
Porcelain ducks are lined
I have porcelain ducks lined up
Up on my mantle
They are on the mantle of my fireplace
Fish in a pond and
I have a fish pond
One of them's a fantail
One of the fish is a fantail
One of those clocks with
I have a clock with
The rays like the sun
It has rays resembling the sun
I eat my dinner with
I wear
My raincoat on
My raincoat while eating dinner
I don't know why you love me baby
I am still unsure why you love me
Socks'n'sandals that's what i wear
I wear socks and sandals
Chorus
Repeating the hook
I got that midnite-blue painting
I have a midnight-blue painting
Of that oriental girl
It portrays an oriental girl
You know the big-eyed one
The painting has a big-eyed girl
Yeah you see her everywhere
She seems to be everywhere
Cooking sherry and a velveteen chair
There's cooking sherry and a velveteen chair in my house
And in the evening i sit right there
I sit in the velveteen chair in the evenings
So i dunno why you love me baby
I still cannot fathom why you love me
I dunno why you care
I am still clueless about why you care
Socks'n' sandals that's what i wear
I wear socks and sandals
Contributed by Peyton G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Alpos kol
One of the best albums ever
Mehefinheulog1
A marvelous treat (not available on eBay)
great song
wonderful slide show
... thanks so much
Craig Pinhey
This song always cracks me up
James Seamge
How the hell did I get here :) anyway this is fucking hilarious and now I cant get this song out of my head
Neal Cowan
+James Seamge Boo just told me same thing.
Catsmoke Hank
Great underestimated song, as the man himself...
Judith Hill
SOCKS 'N' SANDALS ! ... The OFFICIAL UNIFORM of the state of INDIANA !!! 🧦 & 👡👡