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.
I Know You're Leaving
Status Quo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It brings you down close to despair
Our love has fallen apart at the seems
I was too taken, lived in a dream
All I want is to be around you
So I cry, yes it's all I can do
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
Somebody tell me what can I do?
I know you're leaving but I still love you.
You used to hold me, hold me so strong
I never thought we could ever go wrong
Had no intention to fence you in
Give you affection was my only aim
I will learn not to be around you
So I'll cry, yes it's all I can do
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
Why what we have must come to an end
Somebody tell me what can I do?
I know you're leaving but I still love you.
It's an emptiness you leave behind
Broken memories and fate to remind me
What's been done can't be turned around
And hope has become misery
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
Why what we have must come to an end
Somebody tell me what can I do?
I know you're leaving but I ...
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
Why what we have must come to an end
Somebody tell me what can I do?
I know you're leaving but I still love you
I know you're leaving, this time it's goodbye
Baby but I still love you
I know you're leaving, this time it's goodbye
Baby but I still love you
I know you're leaving, this time it's goodbye
Baby but I still love you
In “I Know You're Leaving,” by Status Quo, the singer appears to be in denial of the truth of his lover leaving him. The singer describes a love that has fallen apart and how he blames his own errors in judgement for the failure of the relationship. He confesses to crying upon the news of the impending departure and expresses confusion and an inability to understand why this has to happen. It seems that he believed they had a strong connection and that he had only acted out of love in their relationship. The reference to “fence” suggests that he realized he may have been too controlling or possessive, but only after it was too late. The chorus is simple with the singer repeating his inability to understand the cause of the separation and lamenting the loss of love. He compares his emotions to an emptiness, broken memories, and fate.
The tone of “I Know You're Leaving” is a melancholic one because the lyrics convey the singer's sadness of losing someone who meant a lot to him. This song is universal in appeal because it can be easily understood by anyone who has ever experienced heartbreak or loss in a relationship. It is a reminder that no matter how much you love someone, it can still be tough to hold onto them, especially if the love is not reciprocated. Some may say that the song is about the struggle of being too late in realizing the value of a person and a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
You say you're tired of this love affair
You express your exhaustion towards this romantic relationship
It brings you down close to despair
It makes you feel hopeless and depressed
Our love has fallen apart at the seems
Our love has disintegrated and is no longer intact
I was too taken, lived in a dream
I was too infatuated and lived in a fantasy world
All I want is to be around you
My only desire is to be close to you
So I cry, yes it's all I can do
So I express my sadness through tears, as it is the only way to cope
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
I am aware of your departure, but I am unable to comprehend why
Why what we have must come to an end
Why it is necessary for this ardent relationship to cease
Somebody tell me what can I do?
Can anyone provide me with advice or options?
You used to hold me, hold me so strong
You formerly embraced me with great force and intensity
I never thought we could ever go wrong
I never presumed that our relationship would pervade hardships or sorrow
Had no intention to fence you in
I had no motive to restrain or limit you
Give you affection was my only aim
My sole objective was to provide you with affection
I will learn not to be around you
I will endeavor to avoid you
It's an emptiness you leave behind
You depart and leave a void behind
Broken memories and fate to remind me
Shattered memories and destiny serve as a reminder for me
What's been done can't be turned around
What has occurred cannot be reversed
And hope has become misery
Optimism has transformed into anguish
I know you're leaving but I still love you
I am cognizant of your departure, but I still possess strong feelings for you
I know you're leaving, this time it's goodbye
I am aware that you are leaving and this time it is permanent
Baby but I still love you
Despite everything, I still harbor affection for you
Contributed by Lila B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Daniel Lucena
You say you're tired of this love affair
It brings you down close to despair
Our love has fallen apart at the seems
I was too taken, lived in a dream
All I want is to be around you
So I cry, yes it's all I can do
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
Why what we have must come to an end
Somebody tell me what can I do?
I know you're leaving but I still love you.
You used to hold me, hold me so strong
I never thought we could ever go wrong
Had no intention to fence you in
Give you affection was my only aim
I will learn not to be around you
I'll cry, yes it's all I can do
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
Why what we have must come to an end
Somebody tell me what can I do?
I know you're leaving but I still love you.
It's an emptiness you leave behind
Broken memories and fate to remind me
What's been done can't be turned around
And hope has become misery
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
Why what we have must come to an end
Somebody tell me what can I do?
I know you're leaving but I ...
I know you're leaving but I can't understand
Why what we have must come to an end
Somebody tell me what can I do?
I know you're leaving but I still love you
I know you're leaving, this time it's goodbye
Baby but I still love you
I know you're leaving, this time it's goodbye
Baby but I still love you
I know you're leaving, this time it's goodbye
Baby but I still love you
Daniel Lucena
1er comentario!!jaja!!Uno de mis temas favoritos.Legendaria banda.Disfrutándolo en día de lluvia y viejos recuerdossss.....
status quo-all
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Denise Wakeham
I still love my best friend :(
status quo-all
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