Gary Glitter (born Paul Francis Gadd, May 8, 1944 in Banbury, Oxfordshire) … Read Full Bio ↴Gary Glitter (born Paul Francis Gadd, May 8, 1944 in Banbury, Oxfordshire) is a rock & pop singer who came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s. His reputation was greatly tarnished and his popularity quickly declined following a child pornography conviction, although he continued to record and release new work until his arrest and conviction on child abuse charges in 2006.

He had one of the longest chart runs of any solo singer during the 1970s. His success as a live performer lasted well beyond the 1970s, and the chant from his hit "Rock and Roll (Part 2)" is a perennially popular stadium anthem at sports events, particularly in the United States. Glitter's 1973 number 1 "I'm The Leader Of The Gang (I Am!)" also remains one of the better-known songs of its era. He continued to record in the 1980s and 1990s, with his 1984 song "Another Rock And Roll Christmas" being one of the top 30 Christmas hits of all-time. In the UK alone Glitter scored more than 20 hit singles in the UK Top 75, and released more than twenty albums.

In 1999, Glitter was convicted of child pornography offences classifying him as a sex offender under UK law. He went to live in Vũng Tàu in Vietnam in March 2005 and applied for permanent resident status. Glitter then served three years in prison in Vietnam, convicted (in a highly controversial case) of sexually abusing two girls of 10 and 11 years of age, after being arrested on November 19, 2005.

In February 2015, he was jailed for 16 years for pedophilia in the 1970s.

I.o.u.
Gary Glitter Lyrics

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You may think you're fin'lly free from me this time ba,
By I got news for you
I think you'll find I got something there that guarantees you're mine
Now I'll telling you get back in line

I got my I.O.U.

That's all I got from you

I got my I.O.U.

But only you will do
I'm not evil I'm just asking you to recognise what's mine is mine
Line by line by line

What a situation for a girl like you
Thinking you can do just what you want to do
Fancy free and easy any time you choose
Now the time has come to pay your dues

I got my I.O.U.

That's all I got from you

I got my I.O.U.

But only you will do

You owe me more that Money Honey
I'm just holding you to all the promises you ever made me

It's no good you putting on your baby face
All I'm gonna do is put you in your place
Why don't you stop running and give in with grace
I got all I need to win my case

I got my I.O.U.

That's all I got from you

I got my I.O.U.

But only you will do

Overall Meaning

In "I.O.U." by Gary Glitter, the singer is addressing a girl who he believes is trying to break away from him. He tells her that she may think she's finally free from him, but he has something that keeps her tied to him. That something is her I.O.U., which means that she owes him for promises she made to him. Although he claims that he's not evil, he tells her to recognize that what's his is his and that she needs to get back in line. The song continues with the singer telling the girl that she owes him more than just money and that he's holding her to all the promises she's made to him. He warns her that there's no use in putting on a baby face, and that he's going to put her in her place. He wants her to stop running and give in with grace because he has all he needs to win his case.

The lyrics of "I.O.U." suggest a possessive and controlling relationship where the singer is using the I.O.U. as a tool to keep the girl he's singing about under his control. The song's tone is a mix of menacing threat and justification. The first verse implies that the girl has been trying to leave him, but he reveals that he's found a way to keep her bound to him. The singer sees the I.O.U. as an instrument that validates his control over her. He believes that she owes him not just money but also her compliance and that he's entitled to collect what's due to him.

Line by Line Meaning

You may think you're fin'lly free from me this time ba,
You may believe that you have finally gotten rid of me this time, but I have some news for you.

By I got news for you
But I have some news that you may not be aware of.

I think you'll find I got something there that guarantees you're mine
I possess something that ensures that you belong to me.

Now I'll telling you get back in line
I am ordering you to come back to me.

I got my I.O.U.
I have a written promise of debt from you.

That's all I got from you
That's the only thing that you have given me.

But only you will do
But only you can meet my demands.

I'm not evil I'm just asking you to recognise what's mine is mine
I am not wicked, but I am only requesting you to acknowledge that what belongs to me is mine.

Line by line by line
In great detail, I will explain and defend my claim over you.

What a situation for a girl like you
It is quite a predicament for a girl such as yourself.

Thinking you can do just what you want to do
You thought you could do whatever you pleased.

Fancy free and easy any time you choose
You felt unencumbered and free to live as you wished.

Now the time has come to pay your dues
The moment has arrived for you to pay what you owe.

You owe me more that Money Honey
You owe me more than just money, dear.

I'm just holding you to all the promises you ever made me
I am merely reminding you of all the commitments that you have made to me.

It's no good you putting on your baby face
It is useless for you to try to look innocent and helpless.

All I'm gonna do is put you in your place
All I will do is show you your rightful position.

Why don't you stop running and give in with grace
You should stop trying to flee and simply surrender graciously.

I got all I need to win my case
I have all the evidence I need to prove my point.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY GLITTER, MIKE LEANDER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind