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.

You Don't Own Me
Status Quo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You don't own me, don't hang around
You don't own me no more
Oh, you don't own me, don't hang around honey
You don't own me no more

You made your bed an now you're trying to hide it
You made a bed of nails
Although you pinned me down I never tried to fight it

You had me on the rails
And now your snakeskin colours are flying
You're trying to hide your poison disguise
So wipe the crocodile tears that are falling
They only make me realise

You don't own me, don't hang around
You don't own me no more
Oh, you don't own me, don't hang around honey
You don't own me no more

I can read the lines, the lines your face is showing
They say your time has come
And every single line your evil heart is scheming
Ain't gonna fool no-one
I'm gonna turn my back on the wild side
And take my rainfall way to the sun
Across the plains of a new horizon
Don't say goodbye, I'm already gone
And in the dreams of your fantasy love world (?)
You tore the hole right out of your life
And got a one-way ticket to nowhere
And now at last I realize

You don't own me, don't hang around
You don't own me no more
Oh, you don't own me, don't hang around honey
You don't own me no more
You don't own me, don't hang around
You don't own me no more
Oh, you don't own me, don't hang around honey
You don't own me no more
Oh, you don't own me, don't hang around
You don't own me no more
Oh, you don't own me, don't hang around honey

You don't own me no more
Oh, you don't own me no more....

Overall Meaning

The song "You Don't Own Me" by Status Quo is about a person who has broken free from a toxic relationship and is declaring their independence. The opening lines "You don't own me, don't hang around / You don't own me no more" are a clear declaration of the end of the relationship and the singer's desire for the other person to move on from them. The next few lines "You made your bed and now you're trying to hide it / You made a bed of nails" speak to the idea that the other person created their own problems and now has to deal with the consequences.

The chorus repeats the sentiment that the singer is no longer owned by the other person and wants them to move on. The line "wipe the crocodile tears that are falling / They only make me realize" speaks to the fact that the other person is not truly sorry for any pain they caused, but is merely trying to manipulate the situation. The verses describe how the singer is moving on and taking control of their own life. The bridge "And in the dreams of your fantasy love world / You tore the hole right out of your life" reinforces the idea that the other person's actions and behavior was destructive and harmful.

Overall, the lyrics of "You Don't Own Me" are empowering and speak to the importance of setting boundaries and taking control of your own life.

Line by Line Meaning

You don't own me, don't hang around
I am independent and do not belong to you, so please leave my life and do not linger

You don't own me no more
I have broken free from your control and no longer belong to you

Oh, you don't own me, don't hang around honey
I am reiterating that you do not have any ownership or control over me, and I am using an endearing term to try and persuade you to leave

You made your bed an now you're trying to hide it
You made a choice that has negative consequences, and now you are trying to conceal these consequences from others

You made a bed of nails
You created a situation for yourself that is painful and damaging

Although you pinned me down I never tried to fight it
Even though you had control over me, I did not resist or oppose you

You had me on the rails
You had complete control over my life and the direction it was going in

And now your snakeskin colours are flying
Your true nature, which is deceitful and dangerous, is being revealed

You're trying to hide your poison disguise
You are attempting to conceal your harmful and manipulative intentions

So wipe the crocodile tears that are falling
Stop pretending to be remorseful or sad when you are not

They only make me realise
Your insincere emotional display only serves to confirm the fact that you cannot be trusted

I can read the lines, the lines your face is showing
I can tell what you are really feeling and thinking from the expressions on your face

They say your time has come
These expressions on your face suggest that your downfall or punishment is imminent

And every single line your evil heart is scheming
Every emotion you are displaying is part of a calculated plan to manipulate or harm others

Ain't gonna fool no-one
No one is going to be fooled by your fake emotions or intentions

I'm gonna turn my back on the wild side
I am going to move away from unhealthy, reckless behavior

And take my rainfall way to the sun
I am choosing to move towards happiness and positivity instead of staying in an unhappy situation

Across the plains of a new horizon
I am moving towards a new, brighter future

Don't say goodbye, I'm already gone
I have already moved on from you, so there is no need for a goodbye

And in the dreams of your fantasy love world
In your idealized version of love and relationships

You tore the hole right out of your life
Your own actions have caused you to lose everything

And got a one-way ticket to nowhere
Your reckless and harmful behavior has left you with no direction or purpose

And now at last I realize
I finally understand that you are not good for me and I need to move on

Oh, you don't own me no more...
I am reiterating once more that I am no longer under your control or ownership

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David White, John Madara

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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