Junior Parker was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi as Herman Parker, Jr. He played on the various blues circuits beginning in his teenage years, playing with artists like Sonny Boy Williamson (his mentor) and Howlin' Wolf. Parker was discovered by Ike Turner in 1952, who signed him to Modern Records. He put out one single on this record label, "You're My Angel."
He and his band, The Blue Flames, signed onto Sun Records in 1953, and produced three successful songs: "Feelin' Good", "Love My Baby," and "Mystery Train" (later covered by Elvis Presley).
Parker had periodic success over the next decade: Remakes of Roosevelt Sykes' songs, "Driving Wheel" and "Sweet Home Chicago"; Guitar Slim's The Things That I Used to Do; Don Robey's "Mother-in-Law Blues"; and his own "Stand by Me." His success was limited after he left the employment of his label in the late 1960s. He died of a brain tumor in 1971.
Tomorrow Never Knows
Junior Parker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And float downstream
It is not dying
It is not dying
Lay down all thought
Surrender to the void
It is shining
That you may see
The meaning of within
It is being
It is being
That love is all
And love is everyone
It is knowing
It is knowing
That ignorance and hate
May mourn the dead
It is believing
It is believing
But listen to the
Color of your dreams
It is not living
It is not living
Or play the game
Existence to the end
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
The song "Tomorrow Never Knows" by Junior Parker is an intriguing and thought-provoking piece that delves into the concepts of life, death, and the meaning of existence. The lyrics encourage the listener to turn off their mind, relax and float downstream, suggesting that doing so is not dying, but rather seeing the meaning of within. The idea of surrendering to the void is also mentioned, indicating a letting go of thoughts and beliefs that do not serve oneself.
The chorus repeats the phrase "It is not living, it is not dying," suggesting that there is more to existence than a simple binary definition of life and death. Parker suggests that love is all and everyone, and that ignorance and hate may mourn the dead. The final verse is somewhat cryptic, asking the listener to listen to the color of their dreams or play the game of existence to the end of the beginning. Ultimately, the meaning of the lyrics is open to interpretation, but it is clear that Parker is encouraging the listener to explore the deeper mysteries of existence and embrace the idea that there is more to life than what we conventionally understand.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn off your mind, relax
Clear your thoughts and calm your mind
And float downstream
Let yourself be carried by the natural flow of life
It is not dying
This state is not death, but rather a different state of being/existence
Lay down all thought
Release all thoughts and worries
Surrender to the void
Embrace the emptiness and lack of certainty of the future
It is shining
This void has a brightness or beauty to it
That you may see
By doing this you may discover
The meaning of within
The true significance of everything within yourself
It is being
This significance is simply the fact of existence
That love is all
Everything is ultimately centered around love
And love is everyone
Everyone and everything is connected and part of this love
It is knowing
This is a certainty or truth that can be known
That ignorance and hate
Even with this knowledge, it is still possible for people to have ignorance and hate
May mourn the dead
These negative qualities can lead to sadness and grief
It is believing
Despite this negativity, it is important to hold onto this knowledge and belief in love
But listen to the
However, there is another way to approach life
Color of your dreams
By focusing on the beauty and uniqueness of your dreams
It is not living
This is not the typical way of living, but rather a different type of experience
Or play the game
Alternatively
Existence to the end
Living a full and complete life to the very end
Of the beginning
This journey of life is both an end and a beginning leading to endless possibilities
Of the beginning
Starting fresh and embracing the unknown is the essence of the beginning
Of the beginning
This is the start of a new cycle and perspective on life
Of the beginning
This initial point is where everything began and continues to begin
Of the beginning
All experiences and growth start with a beginning
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@anton48103
Turn off your mind, relax
And float down stream
It is not dying
It is not dying
Lay down all thought
Surrender to the void
It is shining
It is shining
That you may see
The meaning of within
It is being
It is being
That love is all
And love is everyone
It is knowing
It is knowing
That ignorance and hate
May mourn the dead
It is believing
It is believing
But listen to the
Color of your dreams
It is not living
It is not living
Or play the game
Existence to the end
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
Of the beginning
@Discobiscuits09
The best intro Ive ever heard for a live gig. The chemicals brothers have been using this for years. Fantastic version of the beatles song
@freshorchestrachip
Yah, inspired numerous genres
@Melanchotato
i love the original version to death, but this is just as good in a different way. it makes you so relaxed. great song
@pukika88
this is absolutely amazing! i always loved the original version, but this is even more transcendental. thank you JP, your beatles covers are awesome
@carterjensen6519
Thanks to Chemical brothers for bringing this amazing tune alive for me. Sooooo smooth :-)
@bobdole7127
I'm not going to make any assumptions here, but I do want to clarify something. You are aware that this is actually originally a Beatles song, right?
@BubbaZen10
THEY brought this to my attention as well. I love this song, and hearing different takes on it. This one is cool.
@CrAcKu
Yeahhh.... same reason i'm here!
@artvandelay3840
The Chemical Brothers played this version live, which is what he's talking about.
@carterjensen6519
Well, I will confess that I did NOT know originally that it was a Beatles song until I did some digging after hearing this intro to their live show. It's now one of my fave Beatles tunes as well. Last year, the Lennon Claypool delirium played here in Salt Lake and did that cover. A super psychedelic washed out version, sung by Sean himself. Pretty amazing.