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/
Secrets
John Parr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a bird on a wire
It's a moment of truth
In a lifetime of liars
There's a voice in her head
Driving her crazy
She moves close to the edge
Then she sees him
His cigarette glows in the dark
Tell me your secrets
I'll tell you mine
Your heart's been broken
So many times
Tell me your secrets
Confess your crime
Who you deceivin'
Don't leave it sleeping
Tell me our secrets
There's a crowd in the street
And some freak with a video
Every heart skips a beat
And it looks like she's letting go
But a hand reaches out
And catches her tightly.
And he saves her
He wipes tears from her eyes
Tell me your secrets
I'll tell you mine
Your heart's been broken
So many times
Tell me your secrets
Confess your crime
Who you deceivin'
Don't leave it sleeping
Tell me our secrets
He gets up and walks away
He never looks back
Just fades away
She's safe now
Tell me your secrets.
The song "Secrets" by John Parr tells a story of a girl who is standing on the roof and feels like she is at the edge of life. She is ready to jump because she feels that no one can save her. However, just then she sees a man with a cigarette glowing in the dark. The man approaches her and he manages to save her. The song then transitions to the man asking the girl to share their secrets to each other. The song emphasizes the need for people to open up about their past and their emotions.
The lyrics of the song convey a sense of desperation and vulnerability. The girl on the roof is struggling with her inner demons, and the man who saves her is also dealing with his own issues. By sharing their secrets, they are able to connect and support each other. The song also touches on themes such as trust, empathy, and the importance of human connection.
Overall, "Secrets" is a powerful song that encourages listeners to share their vulnerabilities and establish meaningful relationships with others.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a girl on the roof
A girl is standing on a roof like a bird on a wire.
It's a moment of truth
This is a crucial moment that reveals the truth.
In a lifetime of liars
Despite encountering many liars in her life.
There's a voice in her head
She hears a voice in her mind.
Driving her crazy
It's making her lose her mind.
She moves close to the edge
She goes near the edge of the roof.
And says no one can save me
She believes that no one can save her.
Then she sees him
She notices a man nearby.
His cigarette glows in the dark
His cigarette is the only thing visible in the dark.
Tell me your secrets
Share your personal, private information with me.
I'll tell you mine
I'll also share my personal information with you.
Your heart's been broken
You've experienced heartbreak before.
So many times
You've suffered from heartbreak multiple times.
Confess your crime
Admit what you've done wrong.
Who you deceivin'
Who are you lying to or misleading?
Don't leave it sleeping
Don't let your secrets remain hidden.
Tell me our secrets
Let's share our secrets with each other.
There's a crowd in the street
There are many people gathered outside.
And some freak with a video
Someone with a camera is present.
Every heart skips a beat
Everyone is scared and nervous.
And it looks like she's letting go
She seems to be giving up and falling.
But a hand reaches out
Someone reaches out to grab her hand.
And catches her tightly.
They catch her and hold her tightly to prevent her from falling.
He saves her
He rescues her from falling.
He wipes tears from her eyes
He dries her tears with his hand.
He gets up and walks away
He stands up and leaves.
He never looks back
He doesn't turn around.
Just fades away
He disappears gradually into the darkness.
She's safe now
She is no longer in danger and is now safe.
Writer(s): JOHN CALE, BOB NEUWIRTH
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@storytellers82
This song is too magic to be comprended in this world
@craggyexplores3070
Oh i this is pure class 80s.