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.
Scarabus
Ian Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's try Scarabus pie
Leg of dog and lizard's eye
Come into the wizard's lair
Breath of goat and dead man's hair
What do you want to be
I'm the king of sorcery
I'll make some gold for you
Bye, bye enemies five
Only four will stay alive
Come to me if you dare
First the three and then the pair
Here is thunder here is pain
Live as creatures in the rain
Two toads and one a mouse
Go forever from this house
When I am dreaming leave me alone
This is more than living...leave me
Let's try Scarabus pie
Leg of dog and lizard's eye
Come into the wizard's lair
Breath of goat and dead man's hair
Of the two I hate the worst
One's undead forever cursed
The last is turned to stone
Set before my magic throne
The lyrics of "Scarabus" tell a story of a powerful and malevolent sorcerer who invites people to try his sinister dish called "Scarabus pie". The ingredients of the pie sound gruesome and unholy, including a leg of dog, lizard's eye, breath of goat, and dead man's hair. The sorcerer asserts his dominance by claiming to be the king of sorcery, offering to make gold for anyone who serves him truly. However, in order to test the loyalty of those who approach him, he challenges them to a game of survival. The rules are simple: five enemies enter the wizard's lair, but by the end only four will leave alive. As the game unfolds, the sorcerer uses his magic to rain thunder and pain upon the players. He transforms two of them into toads, one into a mouse, and curses the fourth to remain undead forever. The last enemy standing is turned to stone and placed before his magic throne.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a dark and brutal fantasy world, populated by sinister figures and permeated by magic and violence. The sorcerer is a manipulative and sadistic figure, playing games with his enemies and enjoying their suffering. He represents a force of evil that cannot be reasoned with, a reminder that there are powers beyond human control that can be both alluring and terrifying. The mention of dreaming at the end suggests that the singer is unsure whether the events of the story are real or mere figments of the imagination, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's try Scarabus pie
Let's experiment with creating something new and unconventional, like a pie made from Scarabus ingredients.
Leg of dog and lizard's eye
Using unusual and obscure ingredients, like dog leg and lizard eye, to create this pie.
Come into the wizard's lair
Entering the magical and mystical domain of the wizard, where he can perform his sorcery.
Breath of goat and dead man's hair
The wizard utilizes strange and macabre items, such as goat breath and dead man's hair, in his rituals.
What do you want to be
Asking the listener what they desire in life.
I'm the king of sorcery
The wizard is a powerful master of magic and sorcery.
If you care to serve me true
If the listener is willing to be loyal and devoted to the wizard.
I'll make some gold for you
The wizard can grant wealth and riches if the listener proves themselves worthy of his favor.
Bye, bye enemies five
Applying his power to vanquish his enemies, leaving only four survivors behind.
Only four will stay alive
Clarifying that only four people will remain alive after his spell is cast.
Come to me if you dare
Encouraging others to challenge him and face the consequences of doing so.
First the three and then the pair
Explaining that his magic will take effect in stages, first affecting a group of three, then a pair of people.
Here is thunder here is pain
Describing the intense and powerful effects of his magic, likening them to thunder and pain.
Live as creatures in the rain
Condemning his enemies to live as wretched creatures, suffering in the rain.
Two toads and one a mouse
Further specifying what kind of creatures his enemies will be turned into, specifically toads and a mouse.
Go forever from this house
Banishing those transformed by his magic from his lair forever.
When I am dreaming leave me alone
The wizard desires solitude in his sleep, asking others to respect his privacy.
This is more than living...leave me
His work as a wizard is more than just a normal life, and he doesn't wish to be disturbed during his rest.
Of the two I hate the worst
Referencing two items, the singer hates one more than the other.
One's undead forever cursed
One of the items referenced is forever cursed and tied to the undead.
The last is turned to stone
The second described item is transformed into stone, likely through the wizard's magical power.
Set before my magic throne
The items are presented to the magic throne that the wizard himself sits upon.
Contributed by Michael L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
l. petrovic
Ian Gillan Band
Let's try Scarabus pie
Leg of dog and lizard's eye
Come into the wizard's lair
Breath of goat and dead man's hair
What do you want to be
I'm the king of sorcery
If you care to serve me true
I'll make some gold for you
Bye, bye enemies five
Only four will stay alive
Come to me if you dare
First the three and then the pair
Here is thunder here is pain
Live as creatures in the rain
Two toads and one a mouse
Go forever from this house
When I am dreaming leave me alone
This is more than living...leave me
Let's try Scarabus pie
Leg of dog and lizard's eye
Come into the wizard's lair
Breath of goat and dead man's hair
Of the two I hate the worst
One's undead forever cursed
The last is turned to stone
Set before my magic throne
l. petrovic
Ian Gillan Band
Let's try Scarabus pie
Leg of dog and lizard's eye
Come into the wizard's lair
Breath of goat and dead man's hair
What do you want to be
I'm the king of sorcery
If you care to serve me true
I'll make some gold for you
Bye, bye enemies five
Only four will stay alive
Come to me if you dare
First the three and then the pair
Here is thunder here is pain
Live as creatures in the rain
Two toads and one a mouse
Go forever from this house
When I am dreaming leave me alone
This is more than living...leave me
Let's try Scarabus pie
Leg of dog and lizard's eye
Come into the wizard's lair
Breath of goat and dead man's hair
Of the two I hate the worst
One's undead forever cursed
The last is turned to stone
Set before my magic throne
vremetal
Best comment ever.
Karen Love
Very similar to the melody used by gillan for "disturbing the priest" on black sabbath Born Again album.
Larry Nolletti
Only the verse section.....
husq48
Ripped himself off for sure!
Marcus Morgan
Came here to say the same
..
Maniak
This is the original "Disturbing The Priest"
P3
Mesma melodia vocal
The Truth Hurts
I was a kid when I bought this album I made sure my parents never saw the cover or they would have thought I was going down the road and probably tossed it in the garbage 😜
Charles Coleman Jr
I've always loved Ian Gillan Powerhouse vocals