In 1978 Ian Gillan had become dissatisfied with the jazz fusion style of his band called Ian Gillan Band and dissolved it, retaining only keyboard player Colin Towns, and formed a new band entitled Gillan. He added Steve Byrd on guitar, Liam Glenocky on drums and John McCoy (ex-zzebra) on bass, and initially pursued a progressive rock direction, releasing their eponymous debut in 1978, although they could only get a record deal in Japan. This recording has subsequently become more widely available as THE JAPANESE ALBUM.
The album was sufficiently successful to attract more attention and in 1979 the band secured a European deal with Acrobat Records. Before a new album was recorded, Byrd was replaced by Bernie Tormé and Glenocky by Mick Underwood, Ian Gillan's former colleague in Episode Six. Torme's "screaming guitar" sound fundamentally altered the dynamics and Gillan took a heavy metal direction. This lineup's first album was released as MR. UNIVERSE and contained many re-worked songs from The Japanese Album. The band caught the rise of the NWOBHM at just the right time and the group gained popularity in Europe. At Christmas Gillan turned down an offer from Ritchie Blackmore to join Rainbow, but Blackmore did make a "legendary" guest appearance for Gillan at their Christmas show. It was the first time Ian Gillan and Blackmore had performed together since 1973.
In 1980 Gillan reached the peak of their success, releasing the successful GLORY ROAD album with the limited edition "free" LP for gillan fans only. However the band remained unknown in North America and were unable to raise any interest there despite tours.
By 1981 the band members were becoming disgruntled that their European and Japanese success was not translating into increased pay, and after the FUTURE SHOCK album tour, Torme walked out just before the band were due to appear on Top of the Pops. He was replaced by White Spirit guitarist Janick Gers and this line up releaed the live/studio combi double album DOUBLE TROUBLE at the end of the year. In 1982 final album MAGIC followed. By this time, tension over money had reached fever-pitch and Ian Gillan needed time to have nodes removed from his vocal chords. He also received and accepted an offer to replace Ronnie James Dio in Black Sabbath. After the Magic tour Ian Gillan dissolved the band to the incredulity of the other members, particularly McCoy, and the acrimony remained into the 21st century.
McCoy subsequently released compilations of studio out-takes to which he had the rights, beginning with Gillan Tapes, Vol. 1, and ensured that revenues were distributed fairly amongst the band.
Message In A Bottle
Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's sure a wonder this boy's alive
I feel no pain but I'm getting so dry
Take me to a brewery and leave me there to die
I went to Chicago they put me in a bed
I turned bright yellow they thought that I was dead
For the next six months they said avoid temptation
I said fine I'll drink in moderation
One bottle a day - of scotland's finest
If I learned to love and I learned to sing
I would know a little bit of everything
I put a message in a bottle I was stranded on a rock
Send another gallon 'cos I'm running out of stock
I can see you in my little bottle
You are laughing and I am too
When you're empty and I'm gone
Then they will laugh
And throw us both away
The lyrics to Gillan's song Message in a Bottle tell the story of a man who was born in a bar in '45, which makes one wonder about his upbringing and how it may have affected him. He feels no pain, but he is constantly thirsty, which could be a metaphor for his insatiable desire for alcohol. He pleads to be taken to a brewery and left there to die because he seems to understand that his addiction is leading him down a dangerous path. He acknowledges that he went to Chicago and was so ill that people thought he had died. He was told to avoid temptation for the next 6 months and that he could only drink in moderation, which he agreed to do by drinking only one bottle a day of Scotland's finest.
The second verse is about the possibility of a better life if the singer had learned to love and sing. He imagines himself as someone who knows a little bit of everything. He then puts a message in a bottle because he is stranded on a rock and sends it out to sea. He begs for more alcohol by asking for another gallon because he has run out of stock. He can see the receiver of the bottle laughing, which gives him a moment of connection, but when the bottle is empty, he knows that there will be nothing left of his memory, and he and the bottle will be thrown away.
Line by Line Meaning
I was born in a bar in '45
I was born in a place that was synonymous with alcohol in the year 1945
It's sure a wonder this boy's alive
Considering my birthplace and the prevalent drinking culture, it's a surprise that I'm still alive
I feel no pain but I'm getting so dry
Despite being habitual to consuming high amounts of alcohol, I feel numb to any painful physical effects but I'm in dire need of more drinks to quench my thirst
Take me to a brewery and leave me there to die
I want to be surrounded by the very thing that's kept me going for so many years, alcohol, and I'm ready to die there
I went to Chicago they put me in a bed
I was hospitalized in Chicago
I turned bright yellow they thought that I was dead
Due to my excessive drinking, my body had turned yellow and I looked like I was already dead
For the next six months they said avoid temptation
I was advised to steer clear from any temptation that may cause me to indulge in alcohol for the next 6 months
I said fine I'll drink in moderation
However, I agreed to limit myself by drinking in a moderate manner
One bottle a day - of Scotland's finest
I decided to restrict myself to one bottle of the best Scottish liquor everyday
If I learned to love and I learned to sing
If I knew how to love and could sing beautifully
I would know a little bit of everything
I'd feel like I had knowledge of everything there is to experience in life
I put a message in a bottle I was stranded on a rock
During a difficult time in my life, I expressed my emotions by writing them down in a note that I placed inside a bottle while stuck on a rock
Send another gallon 'cos I'm running out of stock
I'm running out of the drink that's kept me going and I need more to continue on
I can see you in my little bottle
In my mind, I can see you through the reflection in my bottle of liquor
You are laughing and I am too
I am happy to picture us both laughing together
When you're empty and I'm gone
When the liquor in the bottle finishes and I cease to exist
Then they will laugh
People will mock and make fun
And throw us both away
They will throw me and the empty bottle away without a second thought
Contributed by Abigail Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.