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.

Texas State Of Mind
Ian Gillan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Skipping stones
Down by the water
And you ain't doin'
Doin' what you should

Living so high
Rolling along
Times like these

How we gonna make it?

Been driving for days
You on my mind
Three states away
From my Texas state of mind

The subject comes up
And you put it on ice
Yes, I'll have another
Ain't this the life

Been sipping rum
In the middle of the day
Out in the sun
Got it made the shade

Living so high
Rolling along
Times like these
How we gonna make it?

Been driving for days
You on my mind
Three states away
From my Texas state of mind

All I need is some peace of mind
All I need is a place to unwind

Living so high
Rolling along
Times like these
How we gonna make it?

Been driving for days
You on my mind
Three states away
From my Texas state of mind

All I need is some peace of mind
All I need is a place to unwind
All I need is some sugar and love

All I need is you wrapped
Around me like a glove

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of "Skipping stones, Down by the water" paints a picture of a carefree moment shared between the two lovers. However, the following line "And you ain't doin' Doin' what you should" suggests that there is trouble in paradise, that the couple is dealing with their own problems despite the serene surroundings. The next set of lines "Living so high, Rolling along, Times like these, How we gonna make it?" speaks about the struggles they are dealing with as a couple. Their problems are not easy to solve, and they are feeling lost in the middle of nowhere.

As the song progresses, it becomes apparent that the couple is geographically separated, "Three states away From my Texas state of mind." There is a distance between them that they are trying to navigate; however, it seems they are not making any headway. The next few lines "The subject comes up, And you put it on ice, Yes, I'll have another, Ain't this the life" suggest that they are avoiding the source of their problems and are in denial. They keep dancing around their issues as they sip rum and live their temporary best lives.

In the end, the singer admits that all he needs is to unwind, to have peace of mind, and sugar and love. The chorus repeats the idea that they are living high but struggling, and the last line suggests that all the singer needs is his lover, wrapped around him like a glove. The lyrics paint a complicated picture of a couple dealing with problems that they can't seem to solve despite trying to avoid them.

Line by Line Meaning

Skipping stones
Passing time by throwing stones into the water

Down by the water
By the water's edge

And you ain't doin'
Not living up to your potential

Doin' what you should
Fulfilling responsibilities

Living so high
Living a lavish lifestyle

Rolling along
Life is moving forward

Times like these
Challenging times

How we gonna make it?
How will we overcome these challenges?

Been driving for days
Traveling for an extended period of time

You on my mind
Thinking about someone constantly

Three states away
Far from home