This is what Morning Parade have discovered. And for starters, Morning Parade are Steve Sparrow (vocals/guitar), Chad Thomas (guitar), Phil Titus (bass), Ben Giddings (synth) and Andy Hayes (drums), from Harlow, Essex, UK, fromed in 2007.
As Steve explains of the town, which is still struggling to adjust to the decline of its manufacturing base: “Harlow’s like a weird bubble where no-one really enters and no-one really leaves.”
Solace of sorts came in the town’s one live music venue, The Square where Steve and Phil, gradually joined by the three friends who would become their bandmates in a nascent band scene. But even there they felt like outsiders. Like any youth movement through the ages, the kids of Harlow fell into two camps, the mainstream ‘townies’ and the skate-punk ‘grebos’, with little room for anyone inbetween. And of course, inbetween was exactly where they found themselves. “I used to dress like a chav but I used to try and go to The Square… I didn’t really like the metal stuff but I wasn’t into UK Garage or 2 Step or anything like that either. I was in a bit of a weird place because I didn’t know which I wanted to be. There was a little group of us that kind of did that because we didn’t know which one we were.”
The turning point for Steve was one night way back when at The Square one night when The Cooper Temple Clause rolled into town supported by a little-known band called Biffy Clyro. Their opening song ‘Hope For An Angel’, he says, opened his mind. “Everyone was just talking and it was the quietest song you’ve ever heard, and suddenly it just erupted into this massive wall of noise. That was crucial.”
What followed was years in identikit rock bands, but when they went to London they didn’t feel included either, and years of thankless day jobs ensued. But what it was what they did with their weekends, during the overspill from the nineties rave era, that would point them in the path that would lead them to where they are now. Chad remembers: “round here that was just a new thing to do. Not so much out of boredom, but it was new. Playing guitar was fun but on a Saturday night sometimes you just want to let go and get smashed. And that was where that music imprinted itself onto our souls. It was a different kind of euphoria.”
Those years of passing CDs and mixtapes round, getting off on Daft Punk and Aphex Twin would affect the fivesome profoundly. But with that music as prevalent in the UK as rock’n’roll, it’s perhaps surprising that so few bands have successfully blended them together. They admit it took them some time from their Interpol-esque beginnings, but in the widescreen, windswept, emotional yet undeniably euphoric guitar pop sound of Morning Parade, they have got there in spectacular fashion.
The first song where they really cracked it was with the urgent ‘A&E’, so it stands to reason that this will be the song that launches them onto the national stage. Yet while it’s powered energetically along by 4/4 dynamics, this is no ‘new rave’ fantasia. Like all their songs it’s rooted in the world they know. “It was about one of my friends who was seeing this girl, and basically she was having another relationship with somebody else at the same time as him but convincing him that it wasn’t happening so he couldn’t tell the difference between the paranoid and the reality and it really wound him up. It’s about these scenarios unfolding in your head really fast.”
Heavy stuff for a pop song perhaps, but Steve imbues these everyday stories with a passion that burns through everything they do in their quest to elevate the normal to the fantastical. “We used to get frustrated when we were out and about going to see other bands. We were like ‘what the fuck is this, who are these jumped up people singing absolute bollocks about nothing?’ We’d think, ‘that’s so pretentious, there’s nothing real about what you’re doing but you’re trying to sell it as something real. So when we started doing our own songs we thought it had to relate to something. But being here there’s nothing really to write about, so we just started writing about the people around us.”
Even their title was inspired by their surroundings. On returning bleary-eyed from the forest raves of their teens, they would be struck hard, possibly giggling, by the contrast between those party hordes returning by tube in the opposite direction of those on the commuter belt. Chad remembers: “Whether it’s the people on the way to work or the social aftermath, you’re always in this morning parade.”
It wasn’t long before the band were noticed. After being picked up by Wildlife Management (Arctic Monkeys) they signed with Parlophone and were quietly left to grow into the band they could be. They recorded their debut album with producer Jason Cox at Damon Albarn’s 13 Studios, and in September the world will be able to hear the fruits of their labours in the form of the trance-inducing ‘Under The Stars’, the tearjerking ‘Headlights’ and the grand, expansive ‘Speechless’. And now they’re ready to take their message out to the world.
And with only a clutch of gigs under their belt so far, the blend of mass euphoria and sweeping emotion that mark out their shows is already earning them new fans at every corner. “The songs have been cooped up for so long,” says Steve, “that when you get them out there and you get feedback from people, you get a little private moment. You do it for yourself, but there’s a lovely validation when a complete stranger comes up to you and says ‘this speaks to me’, or ‘this song helped me get through that time’. I’m still not used to that.”
“What we said earlier about the divide where we were between the townies and grebos, and how being in the middle you always feel so alone. Once we started putting the songs out and getting feedback we realised that there are thousands of people out there who feel like that. Everybody feels like that. And if the songs make a connection, and if we can unify people – then that’s everything we could hope for.”
Morning Parade are fast discovering that most people don’t have chance to worry about where they’re from or even where they’re at – most people just want somebody with them for the journey.
"This Essex quintet are writing songs as expansive & ambitious, as the large venue spaces that we expect them to be filling by the end of the year." Xfm
"... it’s epic, anthemic, and likely to conquer a lot of hearts in 2011." TheFly
"A fusion of pulsating synths, 90's Britpop, melodic vocals and supercharged stadium busting guitar riffs..."Rising Stars of 2011" " 4MUSIC & T4
Members:
Steve Sparrow (vocals/guitar)
Chad Thomas (guitar)
Phil Titus (bass)
Ben Giddings (keys)
Andy Hayes (drums)
- http://www.morningparade.com
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- http://www.myspace.com/morningparade
- http://www.twitter.com/morningparade
Headlights
Morning Parade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sink to the ground.
But I'll keep my promises, I
I won't let you down.
'Cause like a rabbit in your headlights
I am the beckon to your call.
And like the early morning headlines,
I am all too predictable.
(Oh oh oh-oh.)
You're steady as I come undone, you
You're quietly bound.
But I'll keep my promises, I
I won't let you down.
'Cause like a rabbit in your headlights,
I am the beckon to your call.
And like the early morning headlines,
I am all too predictable.
Yeah, I am all too predictable.
True like the first born,
Weighed pound for pound.
I'll keep my promises, like
A thorn in your crown.
Yeah!
'Cause like a rabbit in your headlights,
I am the beckon to your call.
Just say jump, I'll say "How high?"
'Cause I'm all too predictable.
Yeah I'm all to predictable.
The first verse of Morning Parade's "Headlights" describes a sense of defeat or exhaustion, where the singer feels like they are sinking to the ground. However, they reassure their listener that they will keep their promises and not let them down. The chorus then highlights the singer's dependence on the listener, as they compare themselves to a "rabbit in your headlights" who is drawn to the listener's call. This symbolizes the singer's willingness to be led or controlled by the listener, even though they know they are predictable.
In the second verse, the singer describes the listener as "steady" while they feel themselves coming undone. However, they once again promise to keep their commitments. The chorus repeats, emphasizing the singer's predictability and their willingness to follow the listener's lead. The final verse uses the metaphor of a thorn in the listener's crown to describe the singer's loyalty and persistence. The final repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that the singer is predictable and easily swayed by the listener's desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Late like the evening sun, I
I am coming to you late when the day is almost over and everything is dark and gloomy. I feel defeated and unable to stand on my feet anymore.
I sink to the ground.
I am hopeless and helpless, unable to cope with my troubles and worries, and I feel like I'm drowning in my thoughts and emotions.
But I'll keep my promises, I
Despite my weakness and vulnerability, I am determined to keep my word and not let you down. I want to be there for you and honor my commitments.
I won't let you down.
I will do my best to support you, be loyal to you, and make you feel safe and loved. I won't betray your trust or abandon you when you need me the most.
'Cause like a rabbit in your headlights
I feel like I'm frozen and exposed in front of you, unable to move or hide. I am vulnerable and defenseless, waiting for your guidance and protection.
I am the beckon to your call.
I am ready to respond to your needs and wishes, and to follow your lead even if it means risking my own interests and desires. I am devoted to you and your happiness.
And like the early morning headlines,
I am predictable and repetitive, and I don't bring anything new or exciting to your life. I am just like the stories you read in the news every morning, the same old routine without any surprises or challenges.
I am all too predictable.
I know that I am not perfect or exceptional, and that I have my flaws and limitations. I am aware that I can be boring or annoying sometimes, but I hope you can still accept me and appreciate me for who I am.
You're steady as I come undone, you
You are my rock and my anchor, the one who holds me together when I feel like falling apart. You are calm and patient, and you know how to soothe my fears and insecurities.
You're quietly bound.
You are reserved and composed, and you don't show your emotions or thoughts too openly. You have your own struggles and challenges, but you don't burden me with them or let them affect our relationship.
True like the first born,
You are genuine and authentic, and you don't pretend to be someone you're not. You are honest and sincere, and you don't play games or manipulate me in any way.
Weighed pound for pound.
We are equally important and valuable in this relationship, and we both contribute to its growth and success. We respect and appreciate each other, and we don't take each other for granted.
A thorn in your crown.
I am aware that I can be a challenge or a burden to you sometimes, and I don't want to cause you any pain or stress. I want to be a blessing in your life, not a curse or a hindrance.
Just say jump, I'll say "How high?"
I am willing to go to great lengths to please you and satisfy your expectations. I am eager to learn from you and follow your lead, and I don't mind making sacrifices or taking risks as long as it makes you happy.
'Cause I'm all too predictable.
I know that I am not the most original or spontaneous person, and that I tend to follow patterns and routines. But I hope that my consistency and reliability can bring you comfort and security, and that you can count on me to be there for you when you need me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CHAD THOMAS, BENJAMIN GIDDINGS, ANDREW HAYES, STEPHEN SPARROW, PHIL TITUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind