In this chapter they'll play a supporting role for another young British rocker, and together they'll obliterate a Motown classic.
We thought this was good (from The Jackson Five):
Until we heard this (from Graham Parker and The Rumour):
I love The Rumour's rhythm section. Andrew Bodnar, a brilliant bass player, plays it "straight" (according to the original) for most of it, but throws in some beautiful signature touches as well. Listen to what he plays in the second chorus, under "to show you that I love you" (between 1:40 and 1:45, give or take). It's a blurry-fast ascending run with "octave displacement" in the middle of it. In other words, many small steps up with one big step down in the middle, creating a powerful climbing line that ends up just about where it started. And nobody thinks anything of it; the song carries on as if nothing spectacular has happened. You wouldn't have noticed it unless I'd pointed it out, would you? Andrew Bodnar does this more than any rocker I know. Gotta love it. We'll hear more from him again soon, God willing.
I have never understood all the lyrics. I'm quite sure there are many errors in the following, not only because I found it on the internet but because there are spots where it sounds "wrong" when I read it. Maybe I'll figure it all out and update this post someday but that seems like a waste of time to me because the exact wording doesn't matter. The main idea is quite clear. And quite abusive if you ask me. But we're not here for the lyrics. We're here to hear The Rumour play it -- and, of course, to hear Graham Parker sing it.
When I had you to myself, I didn't want you around.
Those pretty faces always made you stand out in a crowd.
But someone picked you from the bunch, one glance was all it took.
Now it's much too late for me to take a second look.
Oh, baby, give me one more chance
To show you that I love you.
Won't you please let me back in your heart?
Oh, darlin', I was blind to let you go,
(Let you go, baby.)
But now, since I see you in his arms,
I want you back.
Yes, I do now.
I want you back.
Ooh, ooh, baby.
I want you back.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
I want you back.
Na, na, na, na.
Trying to live without your love is one long sleepless night.
Let me show you, girl, that I know wrong from right.
Every street you walk on, I leave tear stains on the ground, yeah.
Following the girl I didn't even want around.
Let me tell ya now.
Oh, darling, all I need is one more chance
To show you that I love you.
Won't you please let me back in your heart?
Oh, darlin', I was blind to let you go,
(Let you go, baby.)
But now, since I see you in his arms...
Oh, ha.
Bum, bum, bum, bum.
All I want...
Bum, bum, bum, bum, bum.
All I need...
Bum, bum, bum, bum.
All I want...
Bum, bum, bum, bum.
All I need...
Oh, just one more chance
To show you that I love you.
Baby, baby, baby, baby, baby, baby!
I want you back.
Forget what happened then
(I want you back.)
And let me live again!
Oh, darling, I was blind to let you go,
But now, since I see you in his arms,
I want you back.
Spare me of this cause
(I want you back.)
Give me back what I lost!
Oh, darling, I need one more chance—ha—
I'll show you that I love you.
Baby, oh! Baby, oh! Baby, oh!
I want you back!
I want you back!
