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.
Toolbox
Ian Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Gonna start on a high note
A shadow in the street
Just another white wino
Another breed set to die
Makes me weep and it makes me cry
Yeah, I′ve been waiting for so long
Everywhere I go
(There's) Bad news on the radio
I want some music in my car (yeah)
Life′s a box of rocks
Gonna get out my toolbox
Let it go, let it go
I ain't been paid
And i want my money
Nobody called
And I'm getting hungry
I don′t wanna die
But i don′t gonna get a gun
I'm gonna spend my whole life on the run
On the run
I′ve been waiting for so long
Oh you're right, I′m never wrong
Everywhere I go
(There's) Bad news on the radio
I want some music in my car (yeah)
Life′s a box of rocks
Gonna get out my toolbox
Let it go, let it go
I've been waiting for so long
Oh you're right, I′m never wrong
Everywhere I go
(There′s) Bad news on the radio
I want some music in my car (yeah)
Life's a box of rocks
Gonna get out my toolbox
Let it go, let it go
Everywhere I go
(There′s) Bad news on the radio
I want some music in my car (yeah)
Life's a box of rocks
Gonna get out my toolbox
Let it go, let it go
Oh yeah
Life′s a box of rocks
Gonna get out my toolbox
Let it go, let it go
The song "Toolbox" by Ian Gillan is a reflection on the struggles of life and the challenging realities of the world around us. The lyrics are quite introspective, revealing the singer's desire for something more positive amidst all the negativity around him. The opening lines speak of starting on a high note, but then describe the presence of a "white wino," a symbol of addiction and despair. The following lines express the sense of sadness and helplessness that this reality creates in the singer, as he laments the fate of those who are "set to die."
The chorus of the song has a more motivational tone, with the singer expressing his desire for good news instead of bad, and his need for music to uplift him in the midst of life's difficulties. The image of "life's a box of rocks" emphasizes the idea of adversity, but the singer also makes clear that he has a "toolbox" to help him face these challenges. The repetition of the phrase "let it go" at the end of each chorus emphasizes the need to move on from negative circumstances and focus on positivity.
Overall, the song Toolbox is a reflection on the bleak realities of life and the need to stay resilient in the face of adversity. The lyrics express a sense of frustration and sadness, but also inspire with their motivational message of perseverance and hope.
Line by Line Meaning
One of these days
Gonna start on a high note
A shadow in the street
Just another white wino
Another breed set to die
Makes me weep and it makes me cry
The artist reflects on the plight of marginalized people perceived as not having the same opportunities and hopes for the future that privileged people have.
Yeah, I′ve been waiting for so long
For something good to come along
The artist expresses a deep longing and hope for something positive to happen in his life.
Everywhere I go
(There's) Bad news on the radio
I want some music in my car (yeah)
Life′s a box of rocks
Gonna get out my toolbox
Let it go, let it go
The artist has grown tired of the constant negativity around him and seeks a positive escape through music.
I ain't been paid
And i want my money
Nobody called
And I'm getting hungry
I don′t wanna die
But i don′t gonna get a gun
I'm gonna spend my whole life on the run
On the run
The artist expresses his financial struggles and the pressure it puts on him, with no visible solutions in sight, which makes him feel increasingly desperate.
Oh you're right, I′m never wrong
The artist is sarcastically acknowledging the fact that he has made many mistakes in his life and is willing to admit it.
Oh yeah
Life′s a box of rocks
Gonna get out my toolbox
Let it go, let it go
The artist emphasizes the unpredictability and challenges of life but vows to keep fighting by using all the tools he has available to him.
Writer(s): Ian Gillan
Contributed by Leah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@reinaldodealer5392
1 Dancing Nylon Shirt 5 15
2 Candy Horizon 9 33
3 Black Night 13 56
4 Hard On You 19 45
5 Dirty Dog 25 48
6 Toolbox 30 56
7 Ain't No More Cane on the Brazos 37 21
8 Maybe I'm a Leo 41 45
9 Hang Me Out to Dry 47 04
10 Ticket to Your Heart 51 14
11 When a Blind Man Cries 59 46
12 High Ground 1 03 38
13 New Orleans 1 05 58
Encore: 1 12 35
14 A Day Late and a Dollar Short 1 14 25
15 Smoke on the Water 1 20 43
@roger.glover
Ian Gillan & Repo Depo at the Bucharest Festival, Romania 1992.
@dplzkc6713
September 11, 1992
@miikasuominen3845
What a performance! Million thanks for this! Toolbox era didn't get proper live-videos, which is sad. Gillan was absolutely on fire!
@tresfinalesenunano7031
Ese año lo vi en vivo en Uruguay. Éramos menos de 100 personas...pero brindaron un show increíble. Un grande de verdad!
@upadrian
I was there!
@ruffomaxi2236
Graciass! Fue mi primer show a los 7 años en obras en Argentina!! Increíble disco, la mejor época de gillan definitivamente. Tiene unos solos de guitarras desgarradores.
@Fernando-wo8ox
What a great first show! It must have glued the rock to your DNA kkkk! Abracios hermano, yo ablo del Brasil!
@ruffomaxi2236
@@Fernando-wo8ox definitivamente marco mi carrera musical! Gracias por subir este material! 💞💞💞 tengo el CD de toolbox puesto en el auto hace varios meses ajaaj
@brewblade8318
Saw this tour while I was stationed in Germany and it was spectacular!
@mattia7556
Thank you