In the late '60s he was a member of the rock band People!. People! released its first album I Love You in 1968 and had a Top 20 hit with the song, "I Love You" (written by Chris White of The Zombies).
Norman left People! and released his first solo album, Upon This Rock, in 1969. This could be considered the first Christian rock album, and included one of Norman's most memorable songs I Wish We'd All Been Ready. He followed up with the 1972 LP Only Visiting This Planet, which included an anthem for the burgeoning Christian rock movement, Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music. What made the album particularly significant was the combination of credible rock and roll music with songwriting that critiqued both American society and the contemporary church. Norman's songwriting stunned many in the Christian music scene by its bold references to subjects ranging from the Vietnam War to venereal disease and even the U.S. space program. The album was named the most significant album in Christian music history by a mid-1980s critic's poll in CCM Magazine, though it had slipped lower (though still in the top ten) in a similar CCM Magazine poll in the mid-1990s.
Norman's albums were a mixture of rock styles, with lyrics that were usually very serious, but occasionally very silly, (especially when performing with his best friend Randy Stonehill, whose first albums in the 1970s were produced by Norman).
In the late 1970s, Norman formed Solid Rock Records, which went on to release Stonehill's Welcome to Paradise and The Sky is Falling. He also produced Tom Howard's A View From The Bridge, and Mark Heard's Appalachian Melody among titles from other artists and himself.
But perhaps the most controversial involvement in Norman's career occurred over Daniel Amos' Horrendous Disc LP. The album had been dropped by Maranatha! Records after the label decided to quit releasing rock and roll albums and focus on children's releases and gospel music. So the band, now without a record contract, began to shop the project around to various labels. After considering a number of offers including the Warner Brothers' label Curb Records, Daniel Amos settled on Norman's Solid Rock Records. Norman had the album mixed and took photos of the band for the album's cover, though most of the tracks were recorded back in 1978 with Mike "Clay" Stone (Queen, Frank Zappa) as producer. For reasons that remain a mystery, the album was shelved until its release in April 1981, weeks before the band's follow up on Newpax Records, ¡Alarma!, hit record stores. The incident continues to generate controversy among the fans of D.A. and Norman.
The late 70's marked a difficult time for Norman. He was severely injured aboard an airplane in 1978 when an overhead compartment door fell on his head. Norman claimed that this accident gave him a "bipolar trauma" which made it impossible for him to work to completion on albums; he did not record a studio album for the next twelve years. A dispute with Word Records resulted in the dismantling of the Solid Rock label in 1980. Norman moved to Europe and formed the Phydeaux label.
In 1992, he suffered a severe heart attack and was expected to live less than one week. He survived high-risk surgery and was left with very limited cardiopulmonary ability. Even though easily winded, he continued to perform, although very infrequently. He performed what was billed as his "final" concert in October of 2003. Then, in 2005 he announced two more "final" concerts: one in his adopted home of Salem, Oregon and the other at a seaside festival in Norway. Additional dates in the United Kingdom were also planned. A further concert by Norman (with two members of the band People!) took place in August 2006.
Norman was inducted into the Gospel Music Association's Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001. Larry passed away on Feb. 24th 2008 after a long battle with heart related problems.
www.larrynorman.com/
Pardon Me
Larry Norman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I feel I'm being played with
And you'll leave me when you get the chance.
Off you'll go, in the darkness of the night
Like a bird in freedom's flight,
You're thinking only of deliverance.
See how empty it can be
Making love if love's not really there.
Watch me go, watch me walk away alone,
As your clothing comes undone,
And you pull the ribbon from your hair.
The lyrics to "Pardon Me" by Larry Norman are fraught with both insecurity and heartbreak, reflecting the singer's fear of abandonment and realization that the love they thought they had is not reciprocated. The singer feels as though they are being played with, and that the object of their affection will leave them as soon as they have the chance. The imagery of a bird in freedom's flight highlights the sense of liberation and escape the other person is seeking, while the singer is left alone, abandoned, and heartbroken. The song's message is clear: it is better to let go of a love that is not true than to hold onto it.
The line "Close your eyes and pretend that you are me," implies that the other person is not truly interested in the singer but is merely going through the motions of being in love. The message is reinforced in the line "Making love if love's not really there." The singer then watches as the other person undresses and removes the ribbon from their hair, perhaps symbolizing their desire to be free from any kind of commitment.
Line by Line Meaning
Pardon me, kissing you like I'm afraid
I'm apologizing for kissing you timidly because I suspect you're not sincere with me, and you might leave me soon.
But I feel I'm being played with
I have a suspicion that you're manipulating me or toying with my emotions.
And you'll leave me when you get the chance.
I believe that you're not genuinely interested in me, and you'll leave me as soon as you find a better opportunity.
Off you'll go, in the darkness of the night
I imagine you'll leave me secretly and quickly, under the cover of darkness.
Like a bird in freedom's flight,
You'll be as free as a bird flying away, without any care for the feelings or concerns of others.
You're thinking only of deliverance.
All you care about is freeing yourself from me or any other relationship that restricts your freedom.
Close your eyes, and pretend that you are me.
I want you to try to empathize with my feelings and imagine how empty it is to make love without real love.
See how empty it can be
I want you to realize how unsatisfying it is to be in a relationship without genuine love or affection.
Making love if love's not really there.
It's just an act of physical pleasure without any true emotional connection.
Watch me go, watch me walk away alone,
I want you to witness how lonely and devastated I am when you leave me behind, facing the world alone.
As your clothing comes undone,
You're taking off your clothes as if it's just another casual encounter with no emotional significance.
And you pull the ribbon from your hair.
You're removing any symbol or reminder of our brief encounter, proving that it meant nothing to you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LARRY NORMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@thelightsthatblink
Love this song. So incredible.
@SPECTRE1961
1972 ... The Golden Age for Good Music !
@kirklindsay574
what is Christian about this song?
@TheBrentfleming
watch me walk away. as your clothing comes undone, and u pul the ribbon from your hair, Pardon me!
@danielgeci4513
Pardon me, kissing you like I'm afraid
But I know when I'm being played with
And you'll leave me when you get the chance
Off you'll go, in the darkness of the night
Like a bird in freedom's flight
You're thinking only of deliverance
Close your eyes, and pretend that you are me
See how empty it can be
Making love if love's not really there
Watch me go, watch me walk away alone
As your clothing comes undone
And you pull the ribbons from your hair
Pardon me