Anderson was born on 10th August 1947, the youngest of three children. He spent the first part of his childhood in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was influenced by his father's big band and jazz records and the emergence of rock music, though disenchanted with the "show biz" style of early American rock and roll stars like Elvis Presley. His family moved to Blackpool, Lancashire in 1959, where he gained a traditional education at Blackpool Grammar School. He went on to study fine art at Blackpool College of Art from 1964 to 1966.
In 1963, he formed The Blades with school friends Barriemore Barlow (drums), John Evan (keyboards), Jeffrey Hammond (bass), and Michael Stephens (guitar). This was a soul and blues band, with Anderson on vocals and harmonica. At this time Anderson abandoned his ambition to play electric guitar, allegedly because he felt he would never be "as good as Eric Clapton". He traded his electric guitar in for a flute which, after some weeks of practice, he found he could play fairly well in a rock and blues style. He continued to play acoustic guitar, using it as a melodic as well as rhythmic instrument. As his career progressed, he added soprano saxophone, mandolin, keyboards, and other instruments to his arsenal.
His famous tendency to stand on one leg while playing the flute came about by accident. As related in the "Isle of Wight" video, he had been inclined to stand on one leg while playing the harmonica, holding the microphone stand for balance. During the long stint at the Marquee Club, a journalist described him, wrongly, as standing on one leg to play the flute. He decided to live up to the reputation, albeit with some difficulty. His early attempts are visible in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus film appearance of Jethro Tull. In later life he was surprised to learn of iconic portrayals of various flute playing divinities, particularly Krishna and Kokopelli, which show them standing on one leg.
While Anderson has recorded a small number of critically acclaimed projects under his own name, and frequently makes guest appearances in other artists' work, he has been identified in the public eye as the frontman of Jethro Tull for forty-four years. This is undoubtedly because a signature motif of Anderson's career has been a highly distinctive stage image, which has often been counter to the prevailing rock music culture. While he has habitually drawn inspiration from British folklore – at different times deploying stylistic elements of mediæval jester, Elizabethan minstrel, English country squire and Scottish laird – at other times he has appeared as astronaut, biker, pirate, and vagrant. His personae often involve a large degree of self-parody.
As a flautist, Anderson is self-taught; his style, which often includes a good deal of flutter tonguing and occasionally singing or humming (or even snorting) while playing, was influenced by Rahsaan Roland Kirk. In 2003 he recorded a composition called Griminelli's Lament in honour of his friend, the Italian flautist Andrea Griminelli. In the 1990s he began working with simple bamboo flutes. He uses techniques such as over-blowing and hole-shading to produce note-slurring and other expressive techniques on this otherwise simple instrument.
He has recorded several songs on which he plays all the instruments as well as carrying out all the engineering and production (such as 1988's "Another Christmas Song"). Anderson's music blends styles such as folk, jazz, blues, rock, and pop. His lyrics are frequently complex, (mostly) tongue-in-cheek criticism of the absurd rules of society and/or religion ("Sossity, You're a Woman"; "Hymn 43"; "Thick as a Brick"). He often combines lyrics with other leitmotifs such as folk, mythological, fantastic ("The Minstrel in the Gallery", "Jack-in-the-Green", "Broadsword and the Beast"). In the 1990s and 2000s, Anderson's songs often capture 'snapshots' of his daily life ("Old Black Cat", "Rocks on the Road").
Made In England
Ian Anderson Lyrics
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Lay a babe with a curious smile.
He was of your father's children.
Born each side of a dry-stone mile.
He grew up through the schools and factories,
Brunel's tunnels and bridges bold.
Grey towers built high on that Kingdom
Somewhere in a town in England.
Could be Newcastle, Leeds or Birmingham.
And were you made in
England's green and pleasant land.
He accepts no unemployment
And is to indeterminate station bred.
Is possessed of skills and reason
Flies the flag upon his head.
Watches the democratic process
Grind it's way through the Commons cold
Filled with fiery infiltrators
Who would pave the streets with England's gold.
The song "Made In England" by Ian Anderson is a reflective piece about the struggles and achievements of the working-class people of England. Anderson sings of a boy born in a town in England, symbolizing the millions of working-class youths, who grow up through the schools and factories that define the English industrial landscape. The boy is said to come from each side of a dry-stone mile, suggesting the social and economic divide in the country. The lyrics also mention Brunel's tunnels and bridges, which are a symbol of technological progress, but the grey towers built high in kingdoms, with apartments still unsold, show the failure of the ruling classes to care for the basic needs of the working-class population.
Anderson also sings of the democratic process in England which is grinding its way through the 'Commons cold'. He mentions being possessed of skills and reason and shows his nationalistic pride by flying the flag upon his head, representing the working-class pride in being English. He accepts no unemployment and is born to an indeterminate station, highlighting the idea of meritocracy in the country. The final lines of the song refer to the radical political movements that have been infiltrated by those who wish to pave the streets with England's gold, meaning that they are motivated by personal gain, rather than the good of the country.
In summary, the song "Made In England" by Ian Anderson is a poignant tribute to England's working-class people, highlighting their struggles and achievements while also emphasizing the need for a more equitable and just society. It is a reflection on the identity, pride, and resilience of English people.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere in a town in England
The subject of the song comes from an unspecified town in England.
Lay a babe with a curious smile.
The baby had an inquisitive expression on its face.
He was of your father's children.
The subject was one of many born to their father.
Born each side of a dry-stone mile.
The siblings were born on opposite sides of a mile-long wall made of stones without mortar.
He grew up through the schools and factories,
The subject received formal education before working in factories.
Brunel's tunnels and bridges bold.
The subject may have worked on engineering projects designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
Grey towers built high on that Kingdom
Tall, colorless buildings were constructed in England.
With apartments still unsold.
Despite the construction, there were vacant living units.
Could be Newcastle, Leeds or Birmingham.
The town could be any of those three places, but it's unclear.
And were you made in
England's green and pleasant land.
The singer questions whether the listener was also born in England's idyllic countryside.
He accepts no unemployment
The subject doesn't want to live off unemployment welfare.
And is to indeterminate station bred.
The subject's upbringing was vague and without defined class status.
Is possessed of skills and reason
The subject has practical abilities and intelligence.
Flies the flag upon his head.
The subject displays his patriotism by wearing a flag on his head or by other means.
Watches the democratic process
The subject pays attention to the way England's government operates.
Grind it's way through the Commons cold
The democratic process is slow and unforgiving in the House of Commons.
Filled with fiery infiltrators
Some people trying to influence the democratic process have radical or insurgent ideas.
Who would pave the streets with England's gold.
The infiltrators want to enrich themselves at the expense of the nation and its people.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: IAN ANDERSON, PETER-JOHN VETTESE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind