John Parr's first entrance in to music was when he was 12-years-old and devised a band with two fellow schoolmates, which they named The Silence. The band enjoyed considerable success in the U.K. as the years went on. They eventually became professional and started to tour Europe. When Parr left the band, he joined a group called Ponders End. The progressive rock outfit picked up praise in the 70s as the 'best live act around' in Newcastle, along with the Dire Straits. In the end, however, they did not make a record deal, and the band's chapter in history closed, despite their local fame, without much fanfare.
Parr secured a publishing deal with Carlin Music in 1983, and American rocker and performer Meat Loaf asked him to write some songs for his new album in the same year. That led to the fateful meeting with John Wolfe (manager of The Who). Foreseeing the demise of The Who, a band that had been adrift upon the death of drummer Keith Moon, Wolfe was looking for a new venture and Parr seemed to be the one. The year of 1984 was Parr's first trip to America. He worked with Meat Loaf on the album 'Bad Attitude' while Wolfe was putting finishing touches on Parr's recording deal in New York.
The spirited arena rock track "Naughty Naughty" became Parr's first U.S. top 40 hit record, the single pushing his 1984 debut album, titled simply 'John Parr', up to #48 on the prestigious Billboard 200 chart. The song built his career up very quickly by achieving top three positions on rock station after rock station in America for up to six weeks. Then, 1985 saw him on the road with the band "The Business" (not to be confused with the British punk outfit of the same name), supporting fellow progressive rockers Toto and playing 10,000-seater venues across America. Though lightening didn't quite strike twice, Parr's tune "Magical" hit a respectable #28 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, giving him some momentum. By the end of the tour, Parr had a call from one of the world's most successful producers, David Foster, that would be a key moment in his career
Foster requested Parr help with the soundtrack for the movie 'St. Elmo's Fire', a film featuring the popular 'brat pack' group of performers such as Demi Moore and Rob Lowe. "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" was the result, a song that fit in well with the movie yet also had an important history as it was also written on behalf of Canadian wheelchair athlete Rick Hansen (the 'man in motion'). The song became a #1 hit for Parr in the United States while additionally reaching the top 40 in over six different nations. Though Parr would create many songs later on, over the years, the tune has become his 'signature song'.
Parr notably co-wrote "Under a Raging Moon" for Roger Daltrey, a song that paid tribute to the late Keith Moon while also telling the general story of The Who. The parent album became Roger Daltrey's biggest solo success in America. In 1986, Parr joined up with Marilyn Martin to sing the duet "Through the Night (Love Song from Quicksilver)", a part of the soundtrack to the cycling-themed Kevin Bacon movie of the same name. Though earning some critical praise, the album was only moderately successful commercially.
Parr additionally wrote and produced further tracks for Marylin's debut album, including her popular tune "Night Moves". After the success of Meat Loaf's mid-80s work, Parr got out in front once again with the song "Rock & Roll Mercenaries". From there, he began work with Albert Magnili (director of the film 'Purple Rain') on the movie 'American Anthem'; Parr wrote and performed the main theme, a number titled "Two Hearts". Though he maintained his own supportive fan base, he found mainstream commercial success to the degree of "St. Elmo's Fire" elusive.
The Pepsi Company and Jack Calmes Satellite TV Corporation wanted to try something new, specifically a gig from London beamed live across America, Japan & Australia on the college Satellite Network, in the late 1980s. Parr ended up serving as the featured act, having done two similar shows before (one from the Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles where the flame was lit for a special performance of St. Elmo's Fire and was beamed live for Japan as well as the New Year Christmas Show from London). The special ended up being a great success, reaching almost 50-million people and making broadcast history for the network.
Another dream came true for John Parr in 1988 when he was offered to collaborate with one of the most successful record producers ever. Robert John "Mutt" Lange, who had assisted with hard rock mega-hit albums such as AC/DC's 'Highway to Hell' and Def Leppard's 'Hysteria', agreed with work with Parr. Lange and Parr produced the self-titled debut album for the British blues rock outfit Romeo's Daughter, a work that earned mixed popular success yet had strong critical acclaim.
Nonetheless, when the 80s began to come to a close, Parr's fortunes declined as the arena-ready pop rock and progressive rock that he had produced fell out of style in favor of alternative rock and grunge music. Parr soldiered on, even trying his hand at commercial jingle writing in the 90s. Though saddled with the 'two hit wonder' label due to the outside success of his "Naughty Naughty" and "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" singles commercially, Parr has kept on touring over the years, and he more recently joined the musical project known as Acoustic Fever alongside Herman Rarebell (from Scorpions), Bobby Kimball (from Toto), and others, touring in locations such as Hannover, Germany in 2014.
Website: http://www.johnparr.net/
Ball And Chain
John Parr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm alive for now, a prisoner of devotion, so throw away the key
I wear those chains like precious jewels
'Cause I'm man enough to offer no resistance, be detained by you
No one should be alone in the dark
Lay down your arms, call off the body guard
I'm never gonna run away
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I never will be free again
Are you strong enough to take someone who loves you, the way it's meant to be
With no strings attached, willingly surrender, unconditionally
With no regrets, no final flee
Are you strong enough, to finish my conviction, what's the verdict gonna be
Virtue is hung out to dry, it's up to you 'cause that's my alibi
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I'm never gonna run away
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I never will be free again
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I'm never gonna run away
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I never will be free again
No one should be alone in the dark
Lay down your arms, call off the body guard
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I'm never gonna run away
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I never will be free again
The song "Ball and Chain" by John Parr talks about the theme of addiction to love, which leads to being a prisoner of devotion. The song is addressed to the listener's lover, who has the power to control him. He describes himself as being man enough to offer no resistance and wear the chains like precious jewels. He is willing to do anything for his lover, even willingly surrendering himself without any strings attached.
He asks his lover if they are strong enough to take someone who loves them, without any regrets and with no final flee. He is convicted by his love for his lover, which is his alibi. He believes that no one should be alone in the dark and asks his lover to lay down their arms and call off the bodyguard. He pleads to his lover that he doesn't need any ball and chain, and he's never going to run away. However, he knows that he never will be free again from this addiction to love.
The song brings out an emotional and powerful message about the consequences that come with addiction to love. It highlights the feeling of being trapped and the willingness to do anything for love. The chorus acts as a reminder that there's no escaping from the chains that come with falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I'm man enough, to rescue any agent, face reality
I am strong enough to save anyone and face any difficult situation, regardless of the consequences.
I'm alive for now, a prisoner of devotion, so throw away the key
I am currently alive, but I am devoted to someone or something that is holding me captive. I am willing to be completely devoted to this person or thing and want to be locked up for good.
I wear those chains like precious jewels
My devotion and captivity feel as valuable to me as jewels and I embrace them willingly.
'Cause I'm man enough to offer no resistance, be detained by you
I am strong enough to give myself up to the person who has me captive and offer no resistance to their desires.
No one should be alone in the dark
No one should be left isolated and afraid in times of turmoil.
Lay down your arms, call off the body guard
Drop your defenses and let down your guard with me.
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I'm never gonna run away
Don't need no ball and chain, listen baby
I never will be free again
I am not looking for someone to tie me down or hold me back, but I am also not looking for freedom from my captivity because I am devoted to the one who holds me captive.
Are you strong enough to take someone who loves you, the way it's meant to be
With no strings attached, willingly surrender, unconditionally
With no regrets, no final flee
Are you brave enough to accept the love someone has for you, without trying to control or manipulate it? Are you willing to commit wholeheartedly with no regrets?
Are you strong enough, to finish my conviction, what's the verdict gonna be
Virtue is hung out to dry, it's up to you 'cause that's my alibi
Are you able to complete the task of holding me captive? What are your thoughts on this? I am devoted to you because it is my alibi and sense of moral obligation.
Contributed by Lila Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.