Graham Parker (born November 18, 1950 in London) is a British rock singer a… Read Full Bio ↴Graham Parker (born November 18, 1950 in London) is a British rock singer and songwriter. He continues to be best-known as the leader (and singer) of the popular British band Graham Parker & the Rumour, though he has has a number of solo albums to his name. Despite moderate commercial success, he has consistently been hailed by critics as one the most prominent musicians of his generation, with his wittily-heated, often class-conscious lyrics and energy-fueled music preceding the arrival punk rock and new wave music. Many fellow musicians, including Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and Frank Black, have expressed admiration for his music
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.
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.
The New York Shuffle
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
[Spoken]
All right, let's do the New York Shuffle (over D)
Manhattan baby with a sing song voice
She got her place in the human zoo
I went to living on the boulevard
Now that the revolution's due
She said I've been around from town to town
And I learned to love and hate
But time don't change not a unique game,
They just keep herding through that gate
[Chorus]
And do the New York shuffle, baby New York scuffle,
Going to stay awake all night
Do the New York shuffle, baby New York scuffle,
Get yourself uptight, get uptight
Stick around kids you're going to see some action
better shoot them in the street
Grab a gun before the police come,
Don't tell me you're too sweet
Down in the alley they are hitting harder
Not as blown as a ball can be
They're burnin flags here and just in drag here
It sure is a sight to see
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
Mister Mayor give the key, let me lock you up
Throw that key down the deepest subway in New York, New York
Ah primal scream I had electric dream
I had to
All right, let's do the New York Shuffle (over D)
Manhattan baby with a sing song voice
She got her place in the human zoo
I went to living on the boulevard
Now that the revolution's due
She said I've been around from town to town
But time don't change not a unique game,
They just keep herding through that gate
[Chorus]
And do the New York shuffle, baby New York scuffle,
Going to stay awake all night
Do the New York shuffle, baby New York scuffle,
Get yourself uptight, get uptight
Stick around kids you're going to see some action
better shoot them in the street
Grab a gun before the police come,
Don't tell me you're too sweet
Down in the alley they are hitting harder
Not as blown as a ball can be
They're burnin flags here and just in drag here
It sure is a sight to see
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
Mister Mayor give the key, let me lock you up
Throw that key down the deepest subway in New York, New York
Ah primal scream I had electric dream
I had to
wake myself up
Sometimes I wonder what's this all about
When I'm in this New York Shuffle
It's a world of predators and prey
Pushing and shoving, trying to make their way
But there's a beauty to the chaos too
And you can feel it when you do the New York Shuffle
The lyrics of Graham Parker And The Rumour's song New York Shuffle paint a picture of the gritty, edgy side of New York City in the 1970s. The singer describes a woman with a "sing song voice" who lives in Manhattan and seems to be comfortable with the chaos of the city. He compares the city to a "human zoo" and talks about the revolution that he feels is coming. The chorus describes the "New York shuffle" as a dance that involves staying up all night and getting uptight. The second verse talks about violence in the city, with references to shooting in the streets and burning flags. The bridge speaks of the desire to lock up the mayor and throw away the key in the subway.
The lyrics of New York Shuffle vividly capture the energy and excitement of New York City in the 1970s, but they also suggest the darker, more dangerous side of the city. In some ways, the song is a tribute to the city and to the people who are able to survive and thrive in such a challenging environment. However, it also suggests that there is a cost to living in this kind of place - a cost that can be measured in violence, fear, and chaos.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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OTT Consulting
Got into Graham late 1975 - a brilliant first two albums - so cool.
Daniel Craig
Flapping his wings at 1:08 !! 🤣🤣 so funny and proto punk !!! Kills me every time I watch !
MegaTurkeylips
Gimme a shot of that ol' Jack Daniels and put me behind bars. God I've always loved this song.
Richard Sykes
Such a great band, should’ve been huge, life’s unfair. Thank God for YouTube!
Chasbo Daniels
They were fantastic for sure! We can blame the US market for preferring blander and less challenging music. Peter Frampton, ABBA or Fleetwood Mac owned the pop rock charts for a few years.
Commander Nelson
Graham the man. I was just in NY so fitting then and now.
First Case
This is Crazy. I like it
bill hennig
Really A Super Example of what Rock and Rolling was happening during the years Main stream R & R had a mushiness begin and Dang we ... Gotta a trucking Convoy , and also the Disco craze peaked.
Keith skillen
Great song ever ever
Daniel Craig
This is possibly the hottest thing I’ve ever seen on the inter web ! God Bless these bastards !