Pre>
Slow intro
A d a e
Where were you when the raid came? where were you when the raid came?
A d a e d a
Out of the window or on the floor. yeah, on the night of the raid

A d
I was just rolling up some real good black
A e

Knock on the door and the window cracked
A d
The ds just come to bust the fun
A e
Everybody scatter and run

I was jossing with the baby in the bathroom
Hanging out the party with the coke spoon
Somebody yelled hey my head's on fire
Just can't take it no higher

Hey, dealers from the north and dealers from the south
Joints in the noses and joints in the mouth
But the friction in the kitchen only wanted out
On the night of the raid

Somebody yelled help put that thing on me
That's one man I wouldn't want to be
If you said now I'm going to make it sing
On the night of the raid

Well the boys hit the wall like bowling balls
Questioned them all like they had no balls
Snow hit their noses like an avalanche
On the night on the raid

Chorus (as inro except..)
Where were you when the raid came?
Where were you when the raid came?
Out of the window or on the floor
A
Yeah, on the night of the raid

Chorus repeat and fade /pre>

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GRAHAM THOMAS PARKER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them

Graham Parker and the Rumour (led by British rock musician Graham Parker, with Brinsley Schwarz and Martin Belmont on guitars, Bob Andrews on keyboards, Andrew Bodnar on bass and Steve Goulding on drums) formed in the summer of 1975 in London, England, and began doing the rounds of the British pub rock scene. The band was also augmented at times by a four-man horn section known as The Rumour Brass: John "Irish" Earle (sax), Chris Gower (trombone), Dick Hanson (trumpet), and Ray Bevis (sax). Read Full BioGraham Parker and the Rumour (led by British rock musician Graham Parker, with Brinsley Schwarz and Martin Belmont on guitars, Bob Andrews on keyboards, Andrew Bodnar on bass and Steve Goulding on drums) formed in the summer of 1975 in London, England, and began doing the rounds of the British pub rock scene. The band was also augmented at times by a four-man horn section known as The Rumour Brass: John "Irish" Earle (sax), Chris Gower (trombone), Dick Hanson (trumpet), and Ray Bevis (sax). Throughout their time with Parker, the Rumour were also recording artists in their own right, releasing three albums: Max (1977), Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs And Krauts (1979), and Purity of Essence (1980).

The first album by Graham Parker and the Rumour, Howlin' Wind, was released to acclaim in 1976 and was 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,Van Morrison) 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.

Parker and the Rumour built a reputation as incendiary live performers: the promotional album Live at Marble Arch was recorded at this time and shows off their raw onstage style. 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.

Bob Andrews left The Rumour in early 1980, and was not officially replaced. However, in studio sessions for the next album (The Up Escalator), Nicky Hopkins and Danny Federici (of The E Street Band) sat in on keyboards.

1980's The Up Escalator was Parker's highest-charting album in the UK and featured production by Jimmy Iovine and guest vocals from Bruce Springsteen. Significantly, the front cover of the album credited only Graham Parker, not "Graham Parker and The Rumour".

The Up Escalator would prove to be Parker's last album with the Rumour, although guitarist Brinsley Schwarz would reunite with Parker in 1983 and play on most of the singer's albums through the decade's end. As well, bassist Andrew Bodnar would rejoin Parker from 1988 through the mid 1990s, and drummer Steve Goulding would play on Parker's 2001 album Deepcut To Nowhere.

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.