 Master Hits (1999) [ larger cover art ] |
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Her heart is nearly breaking, the earth is nearly quaking
The Tokyo's taxi's braking, it's screaming to a halt
And there's nothing to hold on to when gravity betrays you
And every kiss enslaves you-oo-oo
She knows how hard her heart grows under the nuclear shadows
She can't escape the feeling repeating in her head
When after all the urges some kind of truth emerges
We felt the deadly surges
Discovering Japan--an --an
Discovering Japan--an --an
The GIs only use her, they only ram right through her
Giving an eastern promise, that they could never keep
Seeing a million miles, between their joke and smiles
She heard their hard denials [don't pause]
As the tears dropped sideways down her face, face
I woke up talking in the tongue of a different race, race
And as the flight touches down my watch says 8:02
But that's midnight to you,
Midnight to you
Midnight to you
I dreamed headlong collisions in jet lag panavisions
I shouted sayonara it didn't mean goodbye
But lovers turn to posers show up in film exposures
Just like in travel brochures
Discovering Japan Discovering Japan
(x6 and fade)
| MiketheKnife (Virginia) | Posted: Dec 25, 2006 - 19:09 Always a sentimental fave- love his stuff. Just bought some GP on CD- all I had was vinyl. I can hear now where the comments about production quality come from- Good ears folks! |
| 1369IC | Posted: Dec 11, 2006 - 06:25 Always liked Parker. That album is class, as someone said, from one end to the other. Unfortunately, it wasn't recorded well, in my opinion. He had problems with his labels, and maybe that's why I've never seen a good remaster. Anyway, he's brilliant. |
| themarty (The Netherlands) | Posted: Dec 11, 2006 - 06:20 Apart from the fact that this is not really a style I like, the quality of the song/mp3 seemed kinda poor too. Or maybe the producer was just taking a nap while they were recording it. |
| fretman | Posted: Dec 11, 2006 - 06:18 There, its a 5.6 now... |
| doobes (Slidell, LA) | Posted: Dec 11, 2006 - 06:17 Wow! It's been a long time since I've heard this. I bought the LP (should give you an idea how old I am!) when I was in college and wore it out. It's good from one end to the other. Thanks for queuing this up! |
| fretman | Posted: Dec 11, 2006 - 06:16 Sounds like Col. Tom Parker. Or Pappy Parker. Or the Jam with Paul Weller, with Ranking Roger not singing lead... |
| DebateG (Saint Louis, MO) | Posted: Oct 28, 2006 - 10:29 For such an upbeat melody, the lyrics are certainly dark Her heart is nearly breaking, the earth is nearly quaking, The Tokyo taxi's braking, it's screaming to a halt And there's nothing to hold on to when gravity betrays you and every kiss enslaves you She knows how hard her heart grows under the nuclear shadows, She can't escape the feeling repeating in her head When after all the urges, some kind of truth emerges We felt the deadly surges discovering Japan The GI's only use her, they always ram right through her, Giving an Eastern promise that they could never keep Seeing a million miles between their jokes and smiles, she heard their hard denials As the tears dropped sideways down her face, face I wake up talking in the tongue of a different race, race And as the flight touches down my watch says eight-oh-two, but that's midnight to you I dreamed headlong collisions in jetlag panavision I shouted 'soyanara', it didn't mean goodbye But lovers turn to posers, show up in film exposures Just like in travel brochures discovering Japan |
| kevin36 | Posted: Oct 09, 2006 - 07:32 Haven't heard this in years. Thanks, Bill. |
| appy_monkey (between here and there) | Posted: Sep 24, 2006 - 15:53 I drove about 8 hours from East TN, to Phoenixville, PA to check out Grahm, had never really heard much of his stuff except for studio recordings. Yeah, ok sounding;however... This guy put on a great solo show. His voice surged with energy and his guitar held the room with ease. Worth an effort to see him perform live if he comes to a venue near you. |
| desnos (A million miles away) | Posted: May 30, 2006 - 14:04 Saw Parker about three months ago in a very small club here in California. Him and another guy playing guitar and they were hot. His new material sounded better than the older, of which I am a hardy fan. As for being like Elvis Costello, Parker preceded the mid-seventies "punk" movement by recording earlier and being part of the English "pub-rock' era from 1973 to 1975, so I guess that would make Costello like Parker, although the similarites between the two are vocally close. |
| highwindows (The trailing edge) | Posted: May 30, 2006 - 13:58 Reminds me of Elvis Costello. Unfortunately not a compliment in my book! |
| Gregorama (Austin, TX) | Posted: May 30, 2006 - 13:56 vvlee wrote: Saw Graham Parker a couple New Years Eve's ago at First Night in Boston. Great, energetic show! The guy can still rock.
I was wondering if he was still around. Good to hear. Always liked his stuff. |
| ThirdRail_33 (Beautiful Bonita Springs, FL - Paradise) | Posted: Mar 18, 2006 - 12:22 Something from "Live! Alone in America", would be appreciated greatly. GP remains vibrant and relevant. Great stuff. |
| vvlee (San Francisco, for now) | Posted: Mar 10, 2006 - 17:35 Saw Graham Parker a couple New Years Eve's ago at First Night in Boston. Great, energetic show! The guy can still rock. |
| mojoman (Rocky Mountains, Colorado) | Posted: Mar 10, 2006 - 17:34 jah_blessed wrote: I really need to discover Japan!
It's right there between China and California! |
| mojoman (Rocky Mountains, Colorado) | Posted: Mar 10, 2006 - 17:34 Wonder what he did with the money his mom gave him for singing lessons. |
| guiguy (Near Mt.Fuji) | Posted: Feb 17, 2006 - 04:04 Where was I when you played this? Off line, not pachinko...one reason I'm here, thanks G.P.!  |
| jah_blessed (Netherlands) | Posted: Feb 09, 2006 - 08:43 I really need to discover Japan! |
| mnuisance (Half Moon Bay, CA) | Posted: Jan 25, 2006 - 16:25 Love Graham Parker! 
Please seed the playlist with more of his brilliant tunes. The man has been around for 30+ years and has rarely missed a step during all that time. Still the underdog, underplayed genius. Where better to show respect than RP? |
| treatment_bound (Duluth to Madison) | Posted: Nov 21, 2005 - 12:46 Classic "GP" on RP...you just can't go wrong with anything from "Squeezing Out Sparks"  |
| Baby_M (a 100-year old building in downtown Akron, Ohio) | Posted: Sep 16, 2005 - 08:05 There was another song playing on the album rock stations about the same time as this one, called "This is Japan." (Can't remember the artist.) If someone could find it and upload it (hint! hint!) it would make a nice paring with this one. |
| Chunnamark (Boston, MA) | Posted: Aug 10, 2005 - 09:30 I had part of the playlist covered by another application, so I thought it said Graham Parsons, and unmuted. This isn't bad, but can we hear some Graham Parsons now? :D/ |
| NoEnzLefttoSplit (just out of stuttgart, near the woods) | Posted: Aug 02, 2005 - 14:04 tonypf wrote: Always been a fan. Glad to see more of Graham's tunes showing up here.
totally agree, he deserves more. |
| Zukiwi (Montreal) | Posted: Jul 26, 2005 - 14:04 8-< Not crazy about it ... |
| steeler (Teetering on the abyss) | Posted: Jul 26, 2005 - 13:56 AI-in-Japan wrote: A classic song from one of Parkers many great albums, Squeezing Out Sparks.
A great and underrated album -- same is true of the artist. Told the record companies to take a flying leap (listen to "Mercury Poisoning"), and suffered the consequences of that. |
| dsmcd01 | Posted: Jun 04, 2005 - 16:42 This song always gets me tapping my feet and doin' a little dance in my chair. Really, I must look like an idiot when I'm listening to this song. Oh well, too bad. :D |
| tonypf (Honolulu) | Posted: Apr 21, 2005 - 17:54 Always been a fan. Glad to see more of Graham's tunes showing up here. |
| bluedot (Long Beach, CA) | Posted: Mar 31, 2005 - 01:27 "the plane touches down; the clock says 8:02, but that's midnight to you..." not sure why this line always got to me. talkin' 'bout time zones. great lyric-writing, maybe? gave it a 9. |
| RPsavedme (NJ + NYC) | Posted: Mar 23, 2005 - 09:15 please turn this off |
| radiojunkie (New York/Connecticut Border) | Posted: Feb 21, 2005 - 21:20 ...AND, he survived Mercury Poisoning! |
| Rtschnell (S.F., CA) | Posted: Feb 21, 2005 - 21:03 I saw Graham as the warmup to a Cheap Trick show in Chicago when the 'Squeezing out Sparks' album was out, and he blew me away. One of those instances when the unknown warmup band completely eclipses the main act you go to see. Hearing Graham again is like a breath of fresh air. |
| Roverfish (Tucson, AZ - Thanks for visiting, please drive through!) | Posted: Jan 23, 2005 - 09:34 drH wrote: Outstanding Joe Jackson... er, Graham Parker selection!
I believe he spells his name E-L-V-I-S C-O-S-T-E-L-L-O. Good stuff. |
| KurtfromLaQuinta (La Quinta, CA) | Posted: Jan 01, 2005 - 15:35 brando wrote: this song is awful! you should hear what was being played on mainstream radio when this came out. :puke: this song was truly a breath of fresh air! :nodhead: |
| brando | Posted: Jan 01, 2005 - 15:30 this song is awful! |
| KurtfromLaQuinta (La Quinta, CA) | Posted: Jan 01, 2005 - 15:30 ScottFromWyoming wrote: Let me get this straight: You have Elvis' Radio Radio as a 10, and GP's Discovering Japan a 1? I think someone's hacked your RP account. |
| Queue (ROKville, MD) | Posted: Nov 18, 2004 - 07:25 Happy Birthday, GP |
| ScottFromWyoming (Drinkin' a Piña Colada at Trader Vic's) | Posted: Nov 10, 2004 - 13:34 lotus_65 wrote:  terrible Let me get this straight: You have Elvis' Radio Radio as a 10, and GP's Discovering Japan a 1? I think someone's hacked your RP account. |
| ChardRemains (Pepperland) | Posted: Nov 10, 2004 - 13:25 JrzyTmata wrote: that would be me! Thanks Jrzy. Love this one.... |
| billery (Arizona) | Posted: Oct 11, 2004 - 22:28 This was the music that big kids listened to when I was a mere tyke. Well, at least the cool kids did. . . . |
| lotus_65 (here, in somebody else's paradise...) | Posted: Sep 27, 2004 - 08:01 terrible |
| zevon | Posted: Sep 27, 2004 - 07:48 JrzyTmata wrote: awww thanks!!
I don't think I know that one. just looked it up on iTunes and listened to a sample. I remember it now! it's from Squeezing Out Sparks. It's been many years since I listen to that vinyl. 8O Holy Moley!! you can download Squeezing Out Sparks+ Live Sparks at iTunes for $9.99. that's 22 songs!! what a bargain! I have to tell DrH about this!  he loves a good iTunes bargain.Cool, Jrzy,one of my alltime fave artists. I have the Live Sparks set, very good. The setlist is exactly the same as the actual album and it's a good freshener after hearing the actual album a few hundred times. |
| JrzyTmata (in the litterbox) | Posted: Aug 28, 2004 - 18:32 Kurt_from_La_Qui wrote: most excellent Jrzy!!!! i'm going to upload "waiting for the ufo's" in your honor.
awww thanks!!
I don't think I know that one. just looked it up on iTunes and listened to a sample. I remember it now! it's from Squeezing Out Sparks. It's been many years since I listen to that vinyl. 8O Holy Moley!! you can download Squeezing Out Sparks+ Live Sparks at iTunes for $9.99. that's 22 songs!! what a bargain! I have to tell DrH about this! he loves a good iTunes bargain. |
| KurtfromLaQuinta (La Quinta, CA) | Posted: Aug 28, 2004 - 18:25 JrzyTmata wrote: that would be me! most excellent Jrzy!!!! i'm going to upload "waiting for the ufo's" in your honor.
|
| JrzyTmata (In the garden) | Posted: Aug 21, 2004 - 21:16 ScottFromWyoming wrote: Do I hear right? Finally a Graham Parker classic? Wow. Thanks uploader! that would be me! 
|
| drH (waiting for Nov 3) | Posted: Jul 30, 2004 - 16:16 Outstanding Joe Jackson... er, Graham Parker selection! |
| ScottFromWyoming (Powell, Wyo.) | Posted: Jul 30, 2004 - 16:14 Do I hear right? Finally a Graham Parker classic? Wow. Thanks uploader!
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| AI-in-Japan (Japan) | Posted: Jun 13, 2004 - 19:44 A classic song from one of Parkers many great albums, Squeezing Out Sparks. |