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 Tormรฉ 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.
Mutually Assured Destruction
Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I see a blind man on a hill
From where I stand
I see the teacher in the valley
From where I stand
I see the blind man on a hill
And he is standing very still
The way it's planned
The way it's planned
You would not want to stay alive
Just one big band
It's all they're leaving you to think about
From where I stand
I know just what they're planning
I know they're planning one big bang
And they call it Mutually Assured Destruction
From where I stand
I can see the mushrooms in the sky
From where I stand
I can watch the bleeding children cry
And they will die
And you have no wings to fly
From where I stand
I see the man on the hill
And he is standing very still
The first verse of Gillan's Mutually Assured Destruction sets a scene of contrasting viewpoints, represented by the blind man on the hill and the teacher in the valley. The blind man likely represents short-sightedness and ignorance, while the teacher represents knowledge and foresight. The chorus then brings in the overall theme of the song, which is the threat of nuclear war and the devastating consequences it would have. The line "The way it's planned, they'll only let the fools survive" suggests that those who have orchestrated this plan are not concerned with the wellbeing of humanity as a whole, but rather their own selfish interests. This idea is further explored in the lines "You would not want to stay alive, just one big bang, it's all they're leaving you to think about."
The second verse then takes a more detailed look at the potential aftermath of this "big bang", with the imagery of mushrooms in the sky representing nuclear explosions and the horrifying sight of bleeding children crying. The line "And you have no wings to fly" implies a feeling of helplessness and the inability to escape or avoid the destruction. The final repetition of "From where I stand" brings the focus back to the singer's viewpoint, emphasizing the urgency and importance of the message being conveyed.
Overall, Mutually Assured Destruction is a stark warning against the catastrophic consequences of nuclear war, and a call to action for humanity to work towards peace and disarmament.
Line by Line Meaning
From where I stand
From my perspective
I see a blind man on a hill
I see someone who is unaware of the impending danger around them
I see the teacher in the valley
I see someone who understands the danger but is powerless to stop it
And he is standing very still
He is frozen with fear and unable to move
They'll only let the fools survive
Those in power have no concern for the well-being of the masses
You would not want to stay alive
It is better to die than to live in a world destroyed by war
It's all they're leaving you to think about
The threat of nuclear war consumes all thoughts and leaves no room for anything else
I know just what they're planning
I understand the intentions of those in power
I know they're planning one big bang
They are planning a catastrophic event that will lead to the destruction of civilization
And they call it Mutually Assured Destruction
They have given this plan a euphemistic name to make it seem less horrific
I can see the mushrooms in the sky
I see the aftermath of a nuclear explosion
I can watch the bleeding children cry
The innocent will suffer the most in a war that they did not create
And you have no wings to fly
There is no escape from the horrors of war
I see the man on the hill
I see someone who is ignorant of the danger around him
And he is standing very still
He is frozen with fear and unable to move
Contributed by Kennedy D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
EtelBerta88
Great song, Great voice. Simply Gillan. That is all.
E. Bbg
Gillan is great. But BERNIE TORMร๐๐ผ๐ฅ๐ค๐ผOMG the strings sang and screamed also... So much missed, Maestro Tormรฉ๐๐ฅฐ
Gordon McInnes
Saw this line-up live and yes, the strings sang. R.I.P.
Lil1943
Beautiful voice. Even when he sings softly, you hear the entire note carried to the end of the word. Especially noticed this at the end of the song. (I'm not a musician so didn't express this very well.)
Grigoriy GB
A masterpiece that is no less relevant today than it was then!
Rodolfo Queiroz
Incredible song, deep lyric, Ian Gillan was unique here
Jojoseahorse
One of the best screams in rock <3
Santa Barbara
Jojoseahorse the best!
Tip Tip
Es verdad el unico Ian ๐ฅ๐ด
1851davidb
Great song. Thanks for posting the vid. I think this song means a lot to Ian Gillan, in a similar way that child in time is very dear to him. There seems to always be a war/conflict happening somewhere in the world. Very sad.