Parklife was sarcastic, says Coxton

Graham Coxon says Blur's 'Parklife' album was "sarcastic".

The singer-songwriter doesn't understand why people regard their third studio album as a "celebration of Englishness" as the lyrics in the title song - written about their experiences on the way to Maison Rouge recording studio in Fulham, London - were supposed to be tongue in cheek.

He said: "A lot of people thought it was a celebration of Englishness, but it was actually very sarcastic. The 'Parklife' single wasn't about the working class, it was about the park class: dustbin men, pigeons, joggers - things we saw every day on the way to the studio."

Graham admits he was surprised 'Parklife' was so successful for the band - which also includes singer Damon Albarn, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree - but he believes their varied influences may have played a part in it.

He added: "The album was the convergence of influences: Alex wanted to be in Duran Duran, I wanted to be in Wire, and Damon wanted to be ... I don't know. There were songs on the album we were excited about, but I was surprised it got so many awards. One or two would've been all right."