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.
You Can't Take Love For Granted
Graham Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Intro am g (twice)
Verse
Dm am g am
Took her to a party and danced with the host
Took her to a restaurant and treat her like a ghost
Took her to a movie and looked at another screen
Bridge
Bm g d a
I get so hungry, I'm eating my heart out
Bm g d a
Oooh I felt it go empty I'm wondering what I can be thinking about
Chorus 1
Dm am g am
But you can't take love for granted, underneath another skin
Dm am g am
Can't take love for granted, up behind another grin
Demonstrated passion in a grip hard to shake
Took up every fashion till everything went fake
Pulled a coat over her shoulder, cracked a joke over and over
Watch the rain turn the night colder, stared into the headlight beam
Bridge
I get so wired I'm making all the wrong connections
And I get so tired I'm picking up bad affections
Repeat chorus 1
Chorus 2
Can't take love for granted, can't take love for granted,
Can't take love for granted, can't take love for granted,
Instrumental section on bridge chords, then intro repeat
Watch the swans out on the lake, circle circle circle (circle circle)
Talk and talk and talk around it (circle circle)
Repeat chorus 1 then chorus 2 then chorus 1 twice (fade) /pre>
The lyrics of "You Can't Take Love For Granted" by Graham Parker is a warning about taking love and relationships for granted. The initial verses talk about neglecting the person one is dating, like taking them to a party or restaurant and not giving them attention, instead focusing on other things. The chorus talks about the danger of such actions, reminding the listener that love cannot be taken for granted, no matter how much they try to hide behind appearances. The bridge talks about the emptiness that comes from this kind of neglect and how it can leave one feeling disconnected.
As the song progresses, it becomes evident that the fascination with the person has turned into an obsession that has transformed the relationship. Demonstrative passion has turned into a hard grip that is difficult to shake, and every affection and passion has become fake. The coat over the shoulder, the jokes cracked over and over, and the rain turning the night colder all signify the distance between the two people that was not there before. The bridge then talks about the confusion that arises from this transformation, with the singer unable to distinguish good from bad.
Parker's song is a warning to people to cherish their love and relationships, and not to take them for granted. The song's importance is evident to this day, as people still relate to it despite its release date being over 40 years ago.
Line by Line Meaning
Took her to a party and danced with the host
I disrespected my partner by ignoring her and dancing with someone else.
Took her to a restaurant and treat her like a ghost
I didn't pay any attention to her and acted like she wasn't even there.
Took her to a movie and looked at another screen
I was distracted during our date and didn't pay attention to her or the movie.
Paid for entertainment she'd already seen
I didn't bother to find out if she had already seen the movie and wasted our time and money.
I get so hungry, I'm eating my heart out
I'm feeling lonely and desperate for affection.
Oooh I felt it go empty I'm wondering what I can be thinking about
I don't understand why I feel so empty inside and can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.
But you can't take love for granted, underneath another skin
We can't assume that our partner will always be there for us and give us love, no matter who else we're with or what we're doing.
Can't take love for granted, up behind another grin
We can't forget that love is important and needs to be nurtured, even if we're putting on a fake smile or ignoring our partner's needs.
Demonstrated passion in a grip hard to shake
I was too intense and clingy in expressing my feelings, making it difficult for my partner to pull away or say no.
Took up every fashion till everything went fake
I tried too hard to impress my partner and changed myself into someone I'm not, losing my authenticity.
Pulled a coat over her shoulder, cracked a joke over and over
I made insensitive jokes and didn't respect my partner's boundaries, physically or emotionally.
Watch the rain turn the night colder, stared into the headlight beam
I was so lost in my own thoughts and emotions that I couldn't be present with my partner and enjoy the moment.
I get so wired I'm making all the wrong connections
I'm so anxious and desperate for love that I'm choosing the wrong people or behaving inappropriately.
And I get so tired I'm picking up bad affections
My actions are leading me to get involved with people who are not good for me and cause me harm in the long run.
Can't take love for granted, can't take love for granted,
Love is not a guarantee and we shouldn't treat it as such, but instead cherish it and work to maintain it.
Watch the swans out on the lake, circle circle circle (circle circle)
I'm observing the swans on the lake, who are trapped in a repetitive cycle and can't escape it, just like I feel trapped in my own cycle of bad behavior.
Talk and talk and talk around it (circle circle)
I keep talking and talking about my problems and feelings, but never take action to change anything or improve my situation.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Graham Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JoJo-ie5qh
Haunting and beautiful
@puckpaul810
Remember watching this sophomore year of college. Great song
@luciusmichael
I'll never understand why GP didn't become a household name.
@EdKazO-Vision
Totally agree.
@thiscorrosion900
You can say that about a lot of artists, honestly. Why not Big Star? Well.....lessee.....A. bad luck B. record company/distribution stupidity C. lack of radio promotion. D. the music is too intelligent for the masses. But it is a puzzle sometimes why someone like Elvis Costello gets huge, and Graham Parker doesn't. On the other hand,
it's not like Parker never had a consistent, successful career. His records always got notice and critical praise. By the late 80s you could market people like
Tracy Chapman and make them huge stars. 10 years previously......Joan Armatrading, had some notice but couldn't attain that level of fame. Even Parker made
a huge comeback in 1988 with Mona Lisa's Sister, and was still on RCA.BMG by then. They put a lot of money into promoting that album, and it worked. Another
thing is Parker's career went through so many stylistic phases. Then again again, so did Elvis Costello's. Some of Parker was too acerbic for the masses, I think.