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.
Yesterday's Cloud
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Skeletons inside us that dance on hot coals
Cannibals are outside following our trail
All our information comes from junk mail
Don't leave it among us, don't let it loose in the crowd
Don't let it reign over us, 'cause that was yesterday's cloud
Still hanging over us
There's an elephant of memory, a monkey on a back
A poisonous whirlpool, swirling and black
I know we have tasted the fobidden ugly fruit
Get it out of our system rip it by the root
Chorus repeat
The rain came out of nowhere, a bad flashback
Someone hit the switch and the sky turned black
Why is this happening, why won't it go away?
If this is a game I don't wann play
Chorus repeat
In Graham Parker's song Yesterday's Cloud, the lyrics paint a picture of the turmoil and chaos that can exist within a relationship. The opening lines reveal that both the singer and their partner carry baggage and secrets, represented by a man in a suitcase and a woman in your clothes, respectively. These skeletons inside them are personified as dancing on hot coals, representing the discomfort and pain that they cause. The chorus advises against letting this baggage take control of their lives, as it belongs to yesterday's cloud, a metaphor for the past.
The second verse continues the metaphorical storytelling, with references to an elephant of memory and a monkey on a back, representing burdensome memories that cannot be forgotten. The whirlpool, a symbol of danger, is described as poisonous and black, indicating the harm it can do. The singer acknowledges that they have tasted the forbidden fruit, but insists on ridding themselves of it entirely.
The final verse references a sudden rain shower, likened to a bad flashback, representing the unpredictability and trauma experienced in relationships. The singer questions why they are experiencing such pain, and declares that they do not wish to continue playing a game that causes them such distress. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the need to move on from the past and not let it control their present or future.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a man in my suitcase, a woman in your clothes
We carry secrets and burdens that we hide from others and even ourselves.
Skeletons inside us that dance on hot coals
Our internal struggles and faults can fuel intense emotions and cause pain.
Cannibals are outside following our trail
Dangers and obstacles lurk outside, waiting to consume or destroy us.
All our information comes from junk mail
We are bombarded with messages and distractions that are often useless or harmful.
Don't leave it among us, don't let it loose in the crowd
We need to confront and resolve our problems instead of letting them fester and spread.
Don't let it reign over us, 'cause that was yesterday's cloud
We don't want to be controlled or overwhelmed by past mistakes and regrets.
Still hanging over us
The negative effects of our past actions and experiences continue to haunt us.
There's an elephant of memory, a monkey on a back
Our memories and regrets can be heavy and burdensome, always on our minds.
A poisonous whirlpool, swirling and black
The negative emotions and consequences of our past can be overwhelming and destructive.
I know we have tasted the forbidden ugly fruit
We have made mistakes and done things we regret, and those experiences have shaped us.
Get it out of our system rip it by the root
We need to acknowledge and address our problems fully and completely to move on.
The rain came out of nowhere, a bad flashback
Unexpected triggers can bring back memories and emotions that we thought we had dealt with.
Someone hit the switch and the sky turned black
Events and circumstances beyond our control can suddenly and completely change our outlook.
Why is this happening, why won't it go away?
We can feel helpless and overwhelmed by the negative consequences of our past actions.
If this is a game I don't want to play
We may feel that life is unfair and that the outcome is beyond our control.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind