Parklife – Blur

Like Girls And Boys, this song formed the backdrop to my uni days.
Many a happy drunken evening spent ‘cockneying it up’ in the student union.

Everyone plays this wrong on the guitar, just playing a barre chord at the 12th fret. It’s even easier than that.. you just move an open E chord up 12 frets.

From a guitar perspective though, it’s what goes on low in the mix that makes this song pretty tricky to get right.
When it comes to the Oasis vs Blur war.. I’m sorry but Oasis can just get in the sea.

Lyrics

Like Girls And Boys, Damon appears to be making a fairly disparaging comment about the lives of ‘average’ people, who go hand in hand through their mundane lives.
I read somewhere that Damon was commenting on the Americanisation of British culture, but I just can’t square that with the lyrics.

But you know I might be reading too much into it because ultimately the lyrics, especially when chearfully cockneyed up by Phil Daniels, are pretty amusing. They tend to make you smile even if you don’t quite know why.

For me the standout lyric, the one which I really try and “ditney” up is : RUDELY awaken by the dustman.

Music

The descending chord progression (all go hand in hand) is just lovely, it reminds me of Merry Xmax Everybody by Slade. It just has a gorgeous pull to it. Topped off with the little 7th arpeggio that leads back into the E major chord of the verses.
The Descending progression goes : G, D(F# bass), Em, D, C, CM7(B bass), A sus 4, A

Running out of time again.
The song itself is in E.. Proper key for a guitar based song that is.
The song it too free form for me to be bothered trying to work out what the progression is, so there.