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.

Is It Really Me
Status Quo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby, the feeling that you give to mee
Maybe I'm thinking your so good to me
Is it really, really me?
Is it really, really me?

Baby, the feeling, I can't stand the joy
Spare me some feeling if I wake up a boy
Is it really, really me?

Is it really, really me?

Baby, I'm feeling like a fire, I am
Am I still teething or could I be a man?
Is it? Is it?
Is it really, really me?
Is it really, really me?

I gotta get along 'cause it's a long, long ride now
I've been away too long, I gotta get on home now
I'm getting far too old to know my dream of fortune
But the time is flowing now, I know what I must do

I gotta go home, I gotta go home
I gotta go home to ease my mind
I gotta go home, I gotta go home
I gotta go home to ease my mind

I gotta get along 'cause it's a long, long ride now
I've been away too long, I gotta get on home now
I'm getting far too old to know my dream of fortune
But the time is flowing now, I know what I must do

I gotta go home, I gotta go home
I gotta go home to ease my mind

I gotta go home, I gotta go home
I gotta go home to ease my mind

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Status Quo's "Is It Really Me" explore the idea of questioning one's identity and place in the world. The singer is grappling with feelings of joy and passion, mixed with uncertainty about their own gender and maturity. The repetition of the phrase "Is it really, really me?" adds to the sense of introspection and self-doubt.

The second half of the song takes a turn towards the practical, as the singer recognizes the need to take action and return home to "ease [their] mind." There is a sense of urgency in the repetition of the phrase "I gotta go home," as if the singer has finally found clarity and is ready to take control of their life and identity.

The song as a whole seems to reflect the broader cultural moment of the late 1960s and early 1970s, with its emphasis on individualism and self-discovery. At the same time, there is a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time and a recognition of the need for stability and grounding.

Overall, "Is It Really Me" is a thoughtful and introspective song that speaks to the universal human experience of questioning one's place in the world and searching for a sense of belonging.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby, the feeling that you give to me
The emotions and sensations I experience when I'm with you are intense and powerful.

Maybe I'm thinking your so good to me
Perhaps I'm considering whether you really are as wonderful as you seem to be.

Is it really, really me?
Am I really the one who is capable of experiencing such intense emotions?

Baby, the feeling, I can't stand the joy
I'm so overwhelmed by the happiness and satisfaction you bring me that it's almost unbearable.

Spare me some feeling if I wake up a boy
Please don't let me lose this feeling of bliss, even if I wake up feeling less confident or strong.

Baby, I'm feeling like a fire, I am
My passion and drive are burning strong and fueling me like a flame.

Am I still teething or could I be a man?
Am I still young and inexperienced, or have I matured into a more capable and confident person?

Is it? Is it?
Is this really happening? Am I really experiencing this level of intensity and satisfaction?

I gotta get along 'cause it's a long, long ride now
I need to keep moving forward because life is a journey that requires endurance and patience.

I've been away too long, I gotta get on home now
I've been away from what matters most for too long, and I need to return to that place where I feel most at ease and comfortable.

I'm getting far too old to know my dream of fortune
As time passes, my aspirations and goals may change or become less clear.

But the time is flowing now, I know what I must do
Although time may seem to pass quickly, I have a clear sense of what I need to accomplish and how to do it.

I gotta go home, I gotta go home
My focus needs to be on returning to the place that feels most like home.

I gotta go home to ease my mind
Only by returning to the place that brings me the most peace and comfort will I be able to still my thoughts and find clarity.

I gotta go home to ease my mind
I need to leave behind the distractions of the outside world and return to the comfort of my home in order to find tranquility.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Alan Lancaster

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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