Ian Gillan (born on 19 August 1945), is a rock music vocalist best known as… Read Full Bio ↴Ian Gillan (born on 19 August 1945), is a rock music vocalist best known as the lead singer for legendary rock band Deep Purple. He is considered to be one of the foremost rock vocalists, who introduced into the rock music the vocal belting technique. In his prime he possessed a very wide vocal range which was rumored to be 4 and a half to 5 octaves and with seemingly effortless and fluid movement throughout it and with remarkable force and precision in the upper register.

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.

Driving Me Wild
Ian Gillan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stiffen up my bones
Summon up my humility

I′ve shed a million tears of shame
...and tears of rage

I was born a king
You are looking at majesty

How can you make me lie behind these bars?

Driving me wild
It's a...
Driving me wild
Driving me wild

How do you feel?
Not the master of me at all

Now can you see my strength?
Oh I′m done, I'm nearly done

Can't feel no more
See me weeping on the floor

Where is my jungle gone? Oh where?

Driving me wild
It′s a...
Driving me wild

Driving me wild

It′s a...
Driving me wild

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ian Gillan's song Driving Me Wild convey a sense of conflict and complexity. The first two lines, "Stiffen up my bones, Summon up my humility," symbolize the singer's attempt to be strong despite feeling humiliated and restricted. This is echoed in the next lines, "I've shed a million tears of shame, and tears of rage," which reveal the emotional turmoil within the singer.

The third line, "I was born a king, You are looking at majesty," is a statement of self-worth and pride. However, the following line, "How can you make me lie behind these bars?" speaks of a sense of confinement or oppression. The chorus, "Driving me wild, It's a... Driving me wild, Driving me wild," is a repetition of the idea that the singer feels out of control and overwhelmed by the situation.

The next few lines, "How do you feel? Not the master of me at all, Now can you see my strength? Oh I'm done, I'm nearly done," convey a sense of defiance, the singer challenging whoever or whatever is holding them back. The final lines, "Can't feel no more, See me weeping on the floor, Where is my jungle gone? Oh where?" express a sense of loss and despair at the singer's current state, as though they have lost their wild and free spirit.

Line by Line Meaning

Stiffen up my bones
Prepare myself for the challenge ahead

Summon up my humility
Remind myself to remain grounded and humble

I've shed a million tears of shame
I've regretted my past actions and feel immense guilt

...and tears of rage
I've also felt angry and frustrated

I was born a king
I have a strong sense of self-worth and power

You are looking at majesty
You should recognize my greatness and treat me accordingly

How can you make me lie behind these bars?
I feel trapped and unjustly confined

Driving me wild
Causing me great frustration and anger

How do you feel?
Asking the other person to empathize with my situation

Not the master of me at all
I refuse to be controlled by anyone else

Now can you see my strength?
Asking the other person to recognize my power and resilience