Gillan was born in Hounslow, Middlesex, England. He joined the band Deep Purple in 1969. In 1970, he sang the part of Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. After leaving Deep Purple in 1973, he went into brief retirement before forming the Ian Gillan Band. The early band sound had a distinct jazz-rock aspect which proved unpopular and was replaced by a more high powered hard rock sound as Gillan reformed the lineup and shortened the groups name to Gillan. With the release of Mr. Universe Ian Gillan was back in the UK charts and through several more line up changes released a string of hit singles and successful albums including Glory Road, Future Shock, Double Trouble, and finally Magic.
Then he announced the band would fold as he needed to rest his damaged vocal cords. In 1983 he joined Black Sabbath to record the Born Again album before rejoining a reunited Deep Purple shortly after completing the Born Again tour in early 1984. He left Purple again in 1989, but rejoined for good in 1992. He remains in the band today.
Gillan is now working on a project to document his 40-year career, tentatively called Gillan's Inn. Tony Iommi, Jeff Healey, various members of Deep Purple and many others will be featured on this 2006 DVD project.
Country Mile
Ian Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and it's closing in
Another day gone by
and I don't know where I've been
I said it before
and it's true
All my life I give to you
Whatever I do
I'm still a country mile
away from you
And the less I say
the more you read my mind
In the morning
I leave it all behind
I said it before
and it's true
I'll say it again it's nothing new
Wherever I am
Whatever I do
I'm still a country mile
away from you
It's nothing new
All my life I give to you
The lyrics to Ian Gillan's song Country Mile appears to be about a person who is physically away from another person, and is unable to reach them. The line "under a desert sky and it's closing in" suggests the vastness of the desert and how it feels like it's closing in on the person, further emphasizing the loneliness they might be feeling. The repetition of "I said it before and it's true, all my life I give to you" seems to highlight the unchanging nature of the singer's love for the other person. The line "the less I say, the more you read my mind" conveys the depth of the connection the singer has with this other person, while the line about leaving everything behind in the morning suggests that the singer has to go on with their day without the other person.
The singer's distance from the person they love is emphasized throughout the song with the repeated line "I'm still a country mile away from you." While the distance between them might be physical, the repetition of this line could also suggest emotional distance, highlighting the seeming impossibility of bridging the gap between them.
Overall, the song seems to be a melancholic reflection on distance and longing, emphasizing the singer's continued devotion to the object of their love despite being far away.
Line by Line Meaning
Under a desert sky
and it's closing in
Ian Gillian is in a desert and the day is ending.
Another day gone by
and I don't know where I've been
Gillian is unsure of where he has been all day.
I said it before
and it's true
All my life I give to you
Gillian is committed to giving his whole life to someone he loves.
Wherever I am
Whatever I do
I'm still a country mile
away from you
No matter where he is or what he's doing, he feels far away from the person he loves.
And the less I say
the more you read my mind
In the morning
I leave it all behind
Gillan does not need to communicate his feelings because of how well they know each other. He is also able to leave his worries behind in the morning.
I said it before
and it's true
I'll say it again it's nothing new
Gillan reiterates his commitment to the person he loves.
It's nothing new
All my life I give to you
Again, Gillan commits his entire life to the person he loves.
Contributed by Maria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.