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.
Total Eclipse of the Moon
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Run and beat the shadow
Of the quickly setting sun
All the tides in the ocean
Couldn't pull it back
The eclipse had already begun
And it turned inside you
With a grind of gears
All the shifts in the planets
Went into action
Like an engine just switched on
And left you
Standing with the shadow of the earth between you
Like an artery blocked by the things you locked up
And it wouldn't matter what went on between you
Because your heart just stopped when she stopped the clock
You don't mean a drop in the ocean to her
Now a whole different shudder of love run through her
And it's not a moment too soon
The total eclipse of the moon
Look inside the telescope
Look into the lens
Understand what the distance is
All the forces of nature
Coming together
In a total lunar eclipse
Try to hold it together
In a moment of madness
With the kiss of a strangers lips
All the shifts in the planets
Kick into action
And the heart in your chest just rips
And leaves you
Standing with the shadow of the earth between you
Like an artery blocked by the things you locked up
And it wouldn't matter what went on between you
Because your heart just stopped when she stopped the clock
You don't mean a drop in the ocean to her
Now a whole different shudder of love run through her
And it's not a moment too soon
The total eclipse of the moon
Repeat 1st verse
Standing with the shadow of the earth between you
Like an artery blocked by the things you locked up
And it wouldn't matter what went on between you
Because your heart just stopped when she stopped the clock
You don't mean a drop in the ocean to her
Now a whole different shudder of love run through her
And it's not a moment too soon
The total eclipse of the moon
The Graham Parker song "Total Eclipse of the Moon" is a heart-wrenching piece about the end of a once beautiful relationship. The first verse talks about running and beating the shadow of the setting sun, but it’s already too late. The eclipse has begun, and the shifts in the planets have been set in motion. The imagery is that of a huge, unstoppable phenomenon that has taken over, leaving the singer in its wake. The eclipse, in this case, is a metaphor for the end of the relationship, and how it has taken over and has become all-consuming.
In the second verse, Parker speaks about looking inside the telescope and understanding the distance, which could mean the distance between two people or the space between them, which they can’t seem to fill up. He tries to hold it together but finds himself caught up in a moment of madness, with the kiss of a stranger adding to his heartbreak. All the shifts in the planets kick into action, tearing apart the heart in his chest, and leaving him with nothing but the shadow of the earth between him and his lover.
The repetition of the words "standing with the shadow of the earth between you” signifies how the relationship has ended and is beyond repair. The total lunar eclipse, in this case, is a symbol of how life can continue even when everything seems to have come to a halt.
Line by Line Meaning
Run and beat the shadow
Hurry up and outrun the shadow of the sun setting
Of the quickly setting sun
Before the sun completely goes down
All the tides in the ocean
Even the most powerful forces of nature
Couldn't pull it back
Couldn't stop the eclipse from happening
The eclipse had already begun
It was already in progress
And it turned inside you
It affected you deeply
With a grind of gears
Causing a jarring and unpleasant experience
Like the blast from a point blank gun
Like an unexpected and painful shock
All the shifts in the planets
The movements of the celestial bodies
Went into action
Began to exert their influence
Like an engine just switched on
As if a powerful force suddenly started acting
And left you
Leaving you feeling overwhelmed and helpless
Standing with the shadow of the earth between you
Feeling separated and blocked, like a shadow has fallen between you
Like an artery blocked by the things you locked up
A reference to repressed emotions and feelings that have caused a blockage
And it wouldn't matter what went on between you
Regardless of what happens or is said
Because your heart just stopped when she stopped the clock
Because your love for her ended when she ended things
You don't mean a drop in the ocean to her
She doesn't value you at all
Now a whole different shudder of love run through her
Now she's feeling a strong new attraction to someone else
And it's not a moment too soon
It's happening at just the right moment for her
The total eclipse of the moon
A metaphor for the overwhelming changes in emotions and relationships
Look inside the telescope
Look deeper and try to gain understanding
Look into the lens
Focus on the details and see things more clearly
Understand what the distance is
Grasp how far apart you are from someone or something
All the forces of nature
The elemental powers at work in the universe
Coming together
Converging and interacting
In a total lunar eclipse
During a complete covering of the moon
Try to hold it together
Attempt to keep your composure
In a moment of madness
In a time of extreme emotion or irrationality
With the kiss of a strangers lips
With a sudden and unanticipated romantic encounter with someone new
And the heart in your chest just rips
A metaphor for intense heartbreak and emotional pain
Contributed by Anna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.