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 Other Side of the Reservoir
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When they dug that hole
And bulldozed that town down
Wall by wall
Laying the asphalt and
Diverting that rolling river
So there'd be water for us all
I got some photographs
Ah but my memories fading fast
They might as well take that too
It's no use to me or you
I guess it was not designed to last
I heard you live there now
And that you've settled down
And accepted the vastness of it all
Maybe i'll write a letter
Cos i've heard that life's much better
On the other side of the reservoir
Well time has a funny way
Of doubling back on itself
And showing the things that really last
Was it just yesterday
You left for greener pastures
Or was that way back in the past
I got some photographs
Of a long lost valley
Now filled with water shore to shore
That rolls under miles of land
Right down to new york city
But at least no one's thirsty any more
I heard you live there now
And that you've settled down
And accepted the vastness of it all
Maybe i'll get in touch
I've heard that there's so much
On the other side of the reservoir
So what were they thinking
When they dug that hole
And flooded the meadows green and fair
Was it so satisfying
They didn't hear people crying
As they watched their lives
Get moved elsewhere
Well I hear the trees grow tall
By that retaining wall
And there's always a rainbow in the sky
Maybe i'll write a letter
Cos i've heard that life's much better
On the other side of the reservoir
On the other side of the reservoir
Graham Parker's The Other Side of the Reservoir is a reflective song about the consequences of human progress and the irreversible changes that it brings. The song begins by questioning the motives behind the creation of the reservoir, the "hole" that was dug and the town that was bulldozed just to ensure water supply to people. Parker talks about the photographs he has, which seem to have lost their value with his fading memories. He feels that those photographs capture a world that wasn't built to last; it was temporary, meant to be replaced with something bigger and more significant ultimately.
As the song progresses, Parker reminisces about his acquaintance who lives on the other side of the reservoir, someone who has accepted the situation and settled down. He considers writing a letter to his acquaintance to know more about life on that side, where "there's so much." But the question persists, was the creation of the reservoir worth the sacrifice of a town, a valley, and people's lives? Parker wonders if those who built it ever heard the cries of people who were forced to move elsewhere due to the process's repercussions.
The Other Side of the Reservoir shows Parker's ability to tell a story through lyrics, reflecting on his past while pondering about what lies ahead. It leaves the listener reflecting on their own life's irreversible changes and consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
What were they thinking
Questioning the decision to dig a hole and bulldoze the town
When they dug that hole
Reflecting on the excavation that changed everything
And bulldozed that town down
Noting the destruction of a once thriving community
Wall by wall
Kentucky Derby-style destruction with a sense of finality
Laying the asphalt and
Pondering the infrastructure needed for the reservoir
Diverting that rolling river
Describing the water redirection process
So there'd be water for us all
Justifying the decision to build the reservoir
I got some photographs
Noting personal ephemera and memories lost to time
I don't know if they're us or not
Questioning the veracity of these memories
Ah but my memories fading fast
Acknowledging the slow erosion of remembered events
They might as well take that too
Accepting the transitory nature of things
It's no use to me or you
Recognizing the insignificance of personal effects in the grand scheme of things
I guess it was not designed to last
Philosophizing on the impermanence of human endeavors
I heard you live there now
Addressing a friend or acquaintance who now resides there
And that you've settled down
Noting their change of situation since the town was destroyed
And accepted the vastness of it all
Reflecting on their new outlook on life
Maybe i'll write a letter
Contemplating reaching out to this person
Cos i've heard that life's much better
Considering the potential benefits of residing on the other side of the reservoir
On the other side of the reservoir
Reiterating the location of interest
Well time has a funny way
Reflecting on the strange nature of time
Of doubling back on itself
Noting the cyclical nature of life
And showing the things that really last
Preferring things with lasting resonance and significance
Was it just yesterday
Musing on the relative brevity of time
You left for greener pastures
Recalling the departure of friends or family members
Or was that way back in the past
Juxtaposing recency with nostalgia
Of a long lost valley
Expressing wistfulness and nostalgia for the past
Now filled with water shore to shore
Noticing the dramatic change in landscape
That rolls under miles of land
Marveling at the scale of the reservoir
Right down to new york city
Noting the reach of the water supply
But at least no one's thirsty any more
Acknowledging the benefits of the new reservoir system
Well I hear the trees grow tall
Finding hope in the regrowth of the surrounding area
By that retaining wall
Asserting the permanence of certain structures in the midst of change
And there's always a rainbow in the sky
Celebrating the beauty and wonder of the world
Maybe i'll get in touch
Reaffirming the idea of reaching out to someone on the other side of the reservoir
I've heard that there's so much
Believing there are opportunities and potential for growth on the other side
On the other side of the reservoir
Reiterating the location of interest
Contributed by Aria A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tim Blair
A great song from a terrific album. 'Don't Tell Columbus' is GP's best work in more than a decade
7777srd
Thank You for posting this. I'm a huge GP fan in L.A. to which Graham doesn't come out much anymore, especially not with a full band. This was a treat!! Agree w/Cracked sidewalks on the song and the album, but in spite of the obvious quality of the song..I can't imagine most artists pulling it off. Graham's got more SOUL than he knows what to do with. Thanks Again.
Ron Tonkin Acura
Unbelievably magnificent.
r zed
Magic
connells36
Come back to Cincinnati PLEASE!!!!
John Taylor
Who but Graham would have the temerity to quote Van Morrison?
Phil Baird
And the Stones. Beautiful performance from GP here.
Badam16
brought her by DOB