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.
When I Was King
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
G g see em
When I was king I was not really the man I am now
G am g see
I was like anyone sitting on a throne made out of china
G g see em
When I was king I had already abdicated
Already melted my crown down to sell as scrap
See
But they'd run the first run of stamps
D g
People had cashed in their post office savings
See d see
To buy some and lick the back of my neck
(c) d
I just let them get on with it arrange the coronation
G see
I just didn't turn up, I just didn't turn up
You became queen to a regime of fixed ideas
The subjects just outlines like figures in a shadow cabinet
And then we ruled over some green and pleasant land
With a frog and a princess not necessarily in that order
But if you want it to be what you want it to be
You'll have to dethrone me or have me decapitated
I didn't want to be king anyway I always preferred to hang out
With the servants, the servants
When I was king
When I was king there was no country left to rule
Jesters and fools were leaders all of them a royal pain
Now I'm a serf but I'm still trying to be a king
But putting the crown on is like putting a silk purse on a sow's ear
And if I want it to be like I want it to be
I'll have to assassinate someone with a guitar as a gun
On it's good to be king I know that I've been there
G g
Many, many, many, many kingdoms ago when I was king
Repeat when I when I over g and see /pre>
In Graham Parker's song When I Was King, the lyrics depict a disillusioned former ruler reflecting on his reign. The song opens with the singer reflecting on his time as king, stating that he wasn't the man he is now, indicating that he has learned from his past experiences. He compares his reign to sitting on a throne made out of china, indicating how fragile it was. He abdicated and melted down his crown for scrap, indicating his views on the value of power and material possessions.
Later in the song, the singer speaks of his time as a ruler with a "regime of fixed ideas," operating over a "green and pleasant land" with a "frog and a princess." He explains how he never really wanted to rule, and always preferred to "hang out with the servants." He ends the song with a nostalgic recollection of the feeling of power, stating that he knows "it's good to be king," but it was a feeling of a bygone era, and he is now just a serf trying to hold onto his past.
Overall, the song speaks to the fleeting nature of power and the disillusionment that can come with it. It also touches on the idea that true happiness and fulfillment do not necessarily come from being at the top of the hierarchy.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was king I was not really the man I am now
I was not mature and experienced like I am now when I was considered to be a king
I was like anyone sitting on a throne made out of china
I was vulnerable and might break like porcelain just like a fragile china throne
When I was king I had already abdicated
I had already given up the throne voluntarily when I was a king
Already melted my crown down to sell as scrap
I had destroyed the symbol of my power and melted it down to sell for money
But they'd run the first run of stamps
People had already made a profit by investing in my image and reputation
People had cashed in their post office savings to buy some and lick the back of my neck
People were so obsessed with owning something related to me that they spent their savings on buying my photo stamps and even licked the back of my picture
I just let them get on with it arrange the coronation
I didn't want to deal with the formalities of the coronation ceremony and let them arrange it without my presence
I just didn't turn up, I just didn't turn up
I didn't attend my own coronation ceremony and chose to ignore my kingly duties
You became queen to a regime of fixed ideas
You accepted the rules and ideas that were already decided without questioning as a queen
The subjects just outlines like figures in a shadow cabinet
The people under your reign were not fully recognized as individuals but only as shadowy figures
And then we ruled over some green and pleasant land
As rulers, we controlled a peaceful and pleasant territory
With a frog and a princess not necessarily in that order
There were unconventional characters and relationships within our kingdom, such as a frog being involved with a princess
But if you want it to be what you want it to be
If you have a specific vision for your reign, you have to take control and make it happen yourself
You'll have to dethrone me or have me decapitated
If you want complete power and control, you have to forcibly remove me as the current ruler
I didn't want to be king anyway I always preferred to hang out with the servants, the servants
I never enjoyed being a king and always felt more comfortable being around the common people and serving them
When I was king there was no country left to rule
During my time as the king, the kingdom had already crumbled and disappeared
Jesters and fools were leaders all of them a royal pain
The people who replaced me as leaders were not competent, and their decisions were burdensome and problematic
Now I'm a serf but I'm still trying to be a king
Even though my status has been reduced to a powerless worker, I still try to control things like a ruler
But putting the crown on is like putting a silk purse on a sow's ear
Trying to act like a king with no actual power or influence is a futile and ridiculous endeavor
And if I want it to be like I want it to be
If I have a specific vision for myself, I have to take control and make it happen
I'll have to assassinate someone with a guitar as a gun
I may have to commit a violent act to achieve my desired outcome
On it's good to be king I know that I've been there
Even though being a king was not what I wanted or enjoyed, I've experienced the power and prestige that comes with it
Many, many, many, many kingdoms ago when I was king
It has been a very long time since I was a ruler, and things have changed drastically since then
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind