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/
She's Gonna Love You To Death
John Parr Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's the devil's child
Just for the hell of it
She drives men wild
Just like the spider
Hypnotizing the fly
She works them over
You can't deny her
Even though you try
She's a bird of prey
And she's getting her revenge
By tearing out the hearts
Of all the sad and family men
She's gonna love ya to death
Beware, there's evil in the dark
Her lovers all play a part
In some bizarre duet
She's gonna love ya to death
You're just a man without a name
Mixing passion with her pain
You'll feel the panic in your breathing
Lying there your body bleeding
Drowning in your seat (ah ah)
She's gonna love ya to death
She hands around the bar
And dressed to kill
If her perfume don't get â??em
Her magic will
She's not pretending
She knows what she wants
And when she gets it
She'll turn it on and off
She'll leave you bleeding
But she won't shed a tear
She'll play the game
But the end is near
She's a bird of prey
And she's getting her revenge
By tearing out the hearts
Of all the sad and family men
The song "She's Gonna Love You To Death" is a cautionary tale about a woman who is so seductive that she lures men into her web, only to destroy them when she is done with them. The lyrics describe her as a bird of prey, preying on the weak and vulnerable. The song is intense and dark, and the lyrics are meant to convey the danger of falling for someone who is not what they seem.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was released in 1985, which was the same year that John Parr's hit song "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" was released. While "She's Gonna Love You To Death" did not reach the same level of success as "St. Elmo's Fire," it still received airplay and remains a popular song among fans of Parr's music.
Another interesting fact is that the song features a guitar solo by Steve Stevens, who was best known for his work with Billy Idol. Stevens' guitar work is a highlight of the song and helps to give it its intense and foreboding atmosphere.
The song's lyrics were written by John Parr, and the music was co-written by Parr and Harold Faltermeyer. Faltermeyer was best known for his work on the soundtrack to the movie "Beverly Hills Cop," which featured the hit song "Axel F."
"She's Gonna Love You To Death" was included on John Parr's 1986 album "Running the Endless Mile." The album also featured the hit song "Blame It on the Radio."
The song was later covered by the heavy metal band Ratt, who released their version on their 1990 album "Detonator."
The chords for "She's Gonna Love You To Death" are not known. However, the song features a driving guitar riff that is played throughout the song, along with a solo by Steve Stevens.
Line by Line Meaning
They call her Angel
They refer to her as an angel to hide her true, malevolent nature
She's the devil's child
Her evilness is from the devil, whose daughter she might as well be
Just for the hell of it
She enjoys causing chaos in men's lives for no good reason
She drives men wild
She has the power to make men go crazy over her
Just like the spider
She weaves an intricate web to lure men in
Hypnotizing the fly
She mesmerizes them, making them vulnerable to her attack
She works them over
She manipulates them cunningly
Then she drains them dry
She takes everything they have to offer and leaves them empty
You can't deny her
No one can resist her charms
Even though you try
Even if you are aware and try to be cautious
She's a bird of prey
She's a hunter, looking for men to prey upon
And she's getting her revenge
She has a score to settle and she's taking it out on these victims
By tearing out the hearts
She's destroying their emotions, leaving them in pain
Of all the sad and family men
She targets men who are already in a vulnerable state
She's gonna love ya to death
Her love is going to be your downfall
Beware, there's evil in the dark
Be cautious because she lurks in the shadows
Her lovers all play a part
She manipulates her victims as if they are actors in her scheme
In some bizarre duet
It's a sick and twisted partnership between her and her prey
You're just a man without a name
You are nobody to her, just another victim
Mixing passion with her pain
She takes pleasure in causing others agony
You'll feel the panic in your breathing
You'll be so scared that you'll lose control of your own body
Lying there your body bleeding
You'll be physically wounded and helpless
Drowning in your seat (ah ah)
You'll feel like you're suffocating, with no escape
She hands around the bar
She lingers at bars, waiting for her next victim to appear
And dressed to kill
She wears her evil intentions on her sleeve
If her perfume don't get 'em
If her alluring scent doesn't draw them in
Her eyes will
Her gaze is just as dangerous
Her beauty can't hide
Being beautiful doesn't excuse her from being destructive
The venom in her heart
She has a cruel nature which she uses to hurt others
She'll take you down
She'll ruin your life
Before you even start
Before you even realize what's happening
You can't resist her
She's too powerful to fight against
No matter how hard you try
Even if you think you can resist her, you can't
She's on a mission
She has a purpose to fulfill, no matter who gets hurt in the process
To make every man die
She wants to destroy all men, one by one
Her vengeance is fueled
She has a deep-seated anger that motivates her actions
By all the love that she's lacked
Her past has made her bitter and hateful
She's gonna take it out on you
You'll pay for her pain and suffering
Until you're nothing but a broken back
She'll leave you destroyed, with nothing left to give
Don't be fooled by her sweet breath
Her friendly demeanor is just an act
You're just another stepping stone
You're just a way for her to get to her ultimate goal
On her path of destruction
She's creating chaos wherever she goes
You'll be lost within her kiss
Her kiss will make you forget everything else
Forever trapped in her abyss
You'll never be able to escape her hold on you
You'll feel the agony in your bones
The pain will be unbearable
As she takes her final bow
She'll relish in her victory over you
So watch out, my friend
Be careful, don't become her next victim
She's not what she seems
Don't be fooled by her innocent facade
She'll play you like a puppet
You'll be under her control, a mere puppet on a string
And ruin your dreams
She'll destroy everything you've ever wanted
You can't escape her
Once you're in her clutches, there's no getting out
She's already won
You're no match for her
She'll leave you for dead
She doesn't care about you, only what you can give her
As she moves on to her next one
After she destroys you, she'll just move on to the next victim
The final act has begun
The conclusion of her twisted game is near
And it's all for you
Everything she's done has been focused on you
So take a deep breath
Prepare yourself for what's to come
And let her take control
Resistance is futile, you might as well give in
Because in the end
No matter what you do
She's gonna love ya to death
She's going to destroy you, without mercy
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BETSY DURKIN MATHES, JOHN PARR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind