Status Quo is a British rock band (London, England) with strong boogie line… Read Full Bio ↴Status Quo is a British rock band (London, England) with strong boogie line. The group was founded by bassist Alan Lancaster and guitarist Francis Rossi in 1962.

They began as a rock and roll freakbeat band called The Spectres. By 1967, with very little commercial success, they discovered psychedelia and changed their name to Traffic (later Traffic Jam, to avoid confusion with Steve Winwood's Traffic.) At this time the line-up also included organist Roy Lynes and drummer John Coghlan. Late in 1967 they recruited second guitarist Rick Parfitt and became The Status Quo, scoring Top 10 singles with Pictures Of Matchstick Men and Ice in The Sun. "Pictures of Matchstick Men" remains the only Top 40 hit single the group has ever charted in the United States. They have never achieved the same level of success there, that they have enjoyed in their home country.

After their second album Spare Parts they decided to change into a heavy boogie rock band. During the seventies they became one of the UK's leading rock bands, gaining a faithful following due to their excellent live gigs. They showed a great amount of energy during this decade and in the early 80s. They and are best known for songs from this era such as Paper Plane (1972), Caroline (1973), Down Down (1975), John Fogerty's Rockin' All Over The World (1977) and Whatever You Want (1979). Down Down topped the UK charts in January 1975 (their only British No. 1 single to date).

Lynes left in 1971, to be replaced initially by guest keyboard players on album, including Jimmy Horowitz and John Parker, and later on a more permanent basis on record and stage by ex-The Herd and Judas Jump member Andy Bown, though as he was contracted as a solo artist with EMI, he was not credited as a full-time member until 1982. Coghlan left in late 1981, to be replaced by Pete Kircher from 1960s band Honeybus. This short-lived lineup played its last gig in 1984 at the Milton Keynes Bowl, and reformed briefly to open the Live Aid charity event at Wembley in July 1985.

That year Rossi recorded and released two solo singles with longtime writing partner Bernie Frost. Parfitt was also working on a solo album which is still unreleased, although some tracks have been re-recorded by Status Quo and released as 'B' sides. Bass player John Edwards and drummer Jeff Rich, both ex-Judie Tzuke Band and Climax Blues Band, assisted Parfitt in the studio.

In the summer of 1985 Rossi, Parfitt and Bown, along with Edwards and Rich started work on a new album. Lancaster, who was living in Australia at the time, took out a legal injunction to stop the band using the Status Quo name on any records. The injunction was lifted after a court hearing in January 1986. Lancaster had had increasing musical differences with the group, notably during the sessions for the 1983 album Back to Back over two tracks which became hit singles for the group around that time. He had written Ol' Rag Blues, but was angered when the producers chose to release a version with Rossi singing lead vocal in preference to the one sung by himself, and he objected to Marguerita Time, which he thought unduly corny and too pop-oriented for them. He remained in Australia, forming a band called Party Boys, who had no success in Britain.

The commercially successful In The Army Now album was released in 1986, and the band continues to this day with the revised personnel. Rich left in 2000 and was replaced by Matthew Letley. Andrew Bown took a year off at the same time for family reasons and was replaced on stage by Paul Hirsh, formerly of Voyager.

According to Songfacts.com, Quo's 29th studio album, Quid Pro Quo, was released in a deluxe format exclusively at Tesco on 30 May 2011. The regular edition was released elsewhere a week later on 7th June. The LP debuted at #10 in the UK charts, the band's best chart placing for an original album since Don't Stop peaked at #2 in 1996.

Although Quo still release new material every few years, recent years have seen them release a series of greatest hits compilations and covers albums. One of the band's most recent original albums, Heavy Traffic, shows a return to classic form not seen since the late 1970s.

Status Quo have often been characterized, perhaps unfairly, as producing very simple songs, always in the same format: 4/4 rhythm, three chord structure. However, the recordings from their first decade demonstrate a diversity in musical style and complexity to rival most of the late 60s UK bands, and several of their singles and album tracks from later show considerable subtlety, not least the mainly acoustic 1979 single Living On An Island, and the 1980 album track, later a single, Rock'n'Roll, which is ironically one of the least rock'n'roll-like songs they have ever recorded.

They have a loyal group of fans in the United Kingdom, where they have enjoyed more hits than any other group in rock and roll history (over 60 as of mid-2005), as well as a big following in Europe, notably in The Netherlands.

In September 2005 a contestant on the long-running BBC television quiz programme Mastermind chose Status Quo as his specialist subject. That same year they took part in the long running ITV soap opera Coronation Street in a storyline which involved them being sued by the layabout Les Battersby.

In December 2005 it was announced that Parfitt was undergoing tests for throat cancer. All subsequent dates of the UK tour were cancelled as a result. However on 20th December it was further announced that the growths found in Parfitt's throat were benign and had been removed.

Quo have even been the subject of a Doctoral Thesis, purporting to demonstrate that their music composition skills could be favourably compared to the likes of the classical music composers, such as Beethoven!

In Autumn 2008 German techno legend Scooter released new single Jump that rock together with Status Quo.

On 1 February 2016, it was officially announced that Status Quo, in addition to the spring and summer dates already scheduled, would tour Europe starting in October. The final dates would take place in the UK towards the end of the year, after which the group would retire from playing 'electric' tours.

On 28 October 2016, Rick Parfitt permanently retired from live performances after suffering a heart attack earlier the same year. On 24 December 2017, he died in hospital in Marbella, Spain as a result of severe infection, after suffering an injury to his shoulder. Parfitt's funeral was held at Woking Crematorium on 19 January 2017. Irish guitarist Richie Malone, who had substituted for Parfitt during some 2016 live shows, took his place on rhythm guitar.

1000 Years
Status Quo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I can't wait to say all the things I want to say
You don't help at all, thinking I am just a fool
But one has changed and one remains, going on

Even if it takes a thousand years or more
Even if we cried a thousand tears, I'm sure
We'd still want more and more

Just the other day taking love you won't repay
Where's the give and take? Tell me why the sudden heartache?
The emptiness and loneliness say it all

Even if it takes a thousand years or more
Even if we cried a thousand tears, I'm sure
We'd still want more and more

Walked all over me, played around with my heart
Who knows where or when from the middle through until the end?
An easy touch, you knew as much all along

Even if it takes a thousand years or more

Even if we cried a thousand tears, I'm sure
We'd still want more and more

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Status Quo's song "1000 Years" express the frustration and confusion of a failed relationship. The singer is angry at their partner for not acknowledging their feelings, and for taking advantage of their vulnerability. The line "You don't help at all, thinking I am just a fool" reflects the singer's sense of being dismissed and disrespected. However, despite the hurt and disappointment, the singer still feels a longing for their partner, stating "Even if it takes a thousand years or more, even if we cried a thousand tears, I'm sure we'd still want more and more."

The chorus of the song is particularly poignant, as it reveals the complexity of the singer's emotions. On one hand, they acknowledge the pain and suffering that their relationship has caused: "Even if we cried a thousand tears, I'm sure." On the other hand, they cannot let go of their love for their partner, and even express a willingness to endure further pain: "We'd still want more and more." The repetition of the phrase "Even if it takes a thousand years or more" adds a sense of hopelessness and resignation to the song, as if the singer has come to accept that their relationship may never be repaired, but cannot stop themselves from holding onto the possibility.

Overall, "1000 Years" is a powerful song that captures the conflicting emotions of a failed relationship. The lyrics speak to anyone who has felt the pain of unrequited love or the confusion of mixed signals, while the driving rock beat and catchy chorus make it a memorable addition to Status Quo's discography.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't wait to say all the things I want to say
I am eager to express myself and share my thoughts with you

You don't help at all, thinking I am just a fool
You do not contribute to my emotional well-being and underestimate my intelligence

But one has changed and one remains, going on
One of us has developed while the other has stayed the same, and life continues

Even if it takes a thousand years or more
No matter how much time it may take

Even if we cried a thousand tears, I'm sure
Even if we shed countless tears

We'd still want more and more
We would not be satisfied with only that

Just the other day taking love you won't repay
Recently, you accepted my love without reciprocating

Where's the give and take? Tell me why the sudden heartache?
Why is there no balance in our relationship? Why am I feeling sudden emotional pain?

The emptiness and loneliness say it all
My feelings of emptiness and loneliness express the situation perfectly

Walked all over me, played around with my heart
You have treated me poorly and toyed with my emotions

Who knows where or when from the middle through until the end?
It is unclear how things will progress from the present into the future

An easy touch, you knew as much all along
You knew I was vulnerable and took advantage of me

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNARD JOHN FROST, FRANCIS DOMINIC NICHOLAS ROSSI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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