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.
Prima Donna
Ian Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but you're so unbelievable
You did what you had to do
It wasn't good
but you knew that anyway
didn't you
hear me crying
Give it one more shot
You came as a trouper
You left as Napoleon
Riding bareback
on a huge white stallion
If you win you can nail
my colours to the mast
But you don't you worry
if you lose I won't ask
Oh look at you know
See how she gets
I can't decide what it is
that I like about you
I'm under too much stress
You're a prima donna
One in a million
a go for it girl
You're a prima donna
Oh, a go for it girl
I was the only one
now you want another one
and one and one
and one and one is
Five good reasons
why I should be leaving
It's never too late
to give it one more shot
Oh look at those eyes
two tropical storms
Until I decide what it is
that I like about you
I'm coming back for more
You're a prima donna
One in a million
a go for it girl
You're a prima donna
Oh, a go for it girl
The lyrics of Ian Gillan's song Prima Donna talk about a woman who is difficult to believe and is a go-getter. The opening lines capture the essence of the song that the singer tried to believe this woman, but she is so unbelievable that it was impossible to do so. The woman did what she had to, even if it wasn't good, which leads to questioning if she heard him crying. The singer implores her to give it one more shot, leaving an open ending as to what "it" might be.
The song talks about the woman as a prima donna. She comes as a trouper but leaves as Napoleon, representing her strong and assertive personality. The imagery of "Riding bareback on a huge white stallion" symbolizes the woman's confidence and leadership, and if she wins, she can nail the singer's colors to the mast. However, if she loses, the singer won't ask why. The song also talks about the singer's confusion about what he likes about the woman, and he's under too much stress to decide.
In summary, Ian Gillan's song Prima Donna talks about a woman who is hard to believe and assertive, and the singer is often confused about what he likes about her, leading to stress.
Line by Line Meaning
I tried to believe you
I attempted to trust you
but you're so unbelievable
however, you are incredibly untrustworthy
You did what you had to do
You did what was necessary
It wasn't good
The outcome was not positive
but you knew that anyway
But you were already aware of that
didn't you hear me crying
Were you not able to perceive my tears
Give it one more shot
Attempt it once more
You came as a trouper
You arrived as a performer
You left as Napoleon
You departed as a leader
Riding bareback on a huge white stallion
Mounted on a large, white horse without a saddle
If you win you can nail my colours to the mast
If you triumph, you can announce your victory
But you don't you worry if you lose I won't ask
But do not fret, if you are defeated, I won't inquire
Oh look at you now
Oh, consider your present self
See how she gets
Observe how she behaves
I can't decide what it is that I like about you
I am indecisive about what I find appealing in you
I'm under too much stress
I am experiencing excessive pressure
You're a prima donna
You are a diva
One in a million a go for it girl
A rare person who goes for the things she wants
I was the only one
I was the sole one
now you want another one and one and one and one and one is
now you desire more and more
Five good reasons why I should be leaving
There are myriad reasons why I should depart
It's never too late to give it one more shot
It is never too tardy to attempt it once more
Oh look at those eyes two tropical storms
Oh, observe those eyes that appear like two tropical cyclones
Until I decide what it is that I like about you
Till I determine what exactly I find appealing about you
I'm coming back for more
I am returning for an additional experience
You're a prima donna
You are a diva
One in a million a go for it girl
A rare person who goes for the things she wants
Contributed by Sophie G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.