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.
Trial Before Pilate
Ian Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And why is this? Was Herod unimpressed?
We turn to Rome to sentence Nazareth.
We have no law to put a man to death.
We need him crucified.
It's all you have to do.
We need him crucified.
Talk to me Jesus Christ.
You have been brought here
Manacled, beaten by your own people.
Do you have the first idea why you deserve it?
Listen King of the Jews,
Where is your kingdom?
Look at me. Am I a Jew?
I have no kingdom in this world.
I'm through.
There may be a kingdom for me somewhere.
If you only knew.
Then you are a king?
It's you that say I am.
I look for truth and find that I get damned.
But what is truth?
Is truth a changing law?
We both have truths.
Are mine the same as yours?
Crucify him! Crucify him!
What do you mean?
You'd crucify your king?
We have no king but Caesar!
He's done no wrong.
No, not the slightest thing.
We have no king but Caesar!
Crucify him!
What is this new respect for Caesar?
'Till now this has been noticeably lacking.
Who is this Jesus? Why is he different?
You choose Messiahs by the sack full.
We need him crucified,
It's all you have to do.
We need him crucified,
It's all you have to do.
Talk to me, Jesus Christ.
Look at your Jesus Christ.
I'll agree he's mad.
Ought to be locked up,
But that is not a reason to destroy him.
He's a sad little man.
Not a King or God.
Not a thief,
I need a crime!
Crucify him!
Behold a man,
Behold your shattered King.
We have no King but Caesar.
You hypocrites,
You hate us more than him.
We have no King but Caesar,
Crucify him!
I see no reason. I find no evil.
This man is harmless, so why does he upset you?
He's just misguided, thinks he's important,
But to keep you vultures happy I shall flog him.
Crucify him! Crucify him!
(Thirty-nine lashes, Pilate counts)
Where are you from Jesus?
What do you want Jesus?
Tell me.
You've got to be careful.
You could be dead soon,
Could well be.
Why do you not speak when
I hold your life in my hands?
How can you stay quiet?
I don't believe you understand.
You have nothing in your hands.
Any power you have, comes to you from far beyond.
Everything is fixed, and you can't change it.
You're a fool Jesus Christ.
How can I help you?
Pilate, Crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Remember Caesar.
You'll be demoted.
You'll be deported. Crucify him!
Don't let me stop your great self-destruction.
Die if you want to, you misguided martyr.
I wash my hands of your demolition.
Die if you want to you innocent puppet!
The song "Trial Before Pilate" by Ian Gillan is a dramatization of the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate, assigning the role to the rock singer. The lyrics capture the tension between Pilate and the Jewish religious leaders who demand Jesus' crucifixion. Pilate is portrayed as a conflicted, yet ultimately powerless man who eventually succumbs to the pressure of the mob. The song highlights the irrationality of the mob mentality, as well as the corrupt political system that put Jesus on trial.
The first verse hints at the fact that Pilate is not convinced that Jesus deserves the punishment that the Jewish leaders are demanding. The second verse is a conversation between Pilate and Jesus, in which Pilate challenges Jesus to defend himself. In the third verse, Pilate desperately tries to convince the crowd to change their minds, but in the end, he gives in to their demands. In the final verse, Pilate washes his hands of the situation, declaring his innocence and blaming it on the Jewish leaders and their unreasonable demands.
Overall, the lyrics to "Trial Before Pilate" capture the themes of power, corruption, and the effects of mob mentality, as well as the misguided beliefs of those who led to the crucifixion of Jesus.
Line by Line Meaning
And so the king is once again my guest.
The king is a prisoner and he is in Pilate's custody.
And why is this? Was Herod unimpressed?
Pilate is asking if this person is Herod's prisoner or if he was sent back to Pilate because Herod could not find any reason to charge him.
We turn to Rome to sentence Nazareth.
Pilate is planning to hand over the person to the Roman authorities to be sentenced.
We have no law to put a man to death.
Pilate acknowledges that the current Jewish law does not permit him to sentence anyone to death.
We need him crucified.
It's all you have to do.
Pilate is giving in to the crowd's demand to have the person crucified, hoping to avoid any further trouble.
Talk to me Jesus Christ.
Pilate wants to speak with Jesus to know more about him.
You have been brought here
Manacled, beaten by your own people.
Pilate is pointing out to Jesus that he has been arrested and mistreated by his own people, implying that he knows the reason behind it.
Do you have the first idea why you deserve it?
Pilate is questioning Jesus if he understands why he is being punished by his own people.
Listen King of the Jews,
Where is your kingdom?
Pilate is asking Jesus where his kingdom is, as he is called the King of the Jews.
Look at me. Am I a Jew?
Pilate is not a Jew and he is asking Jesus why the Jews are expecting him to understand their circumstances.
I have no kingdom in this world.
I'm through.
There may be a kingdom for me somewhere.
If you only knew.
Jesus replies that his kingdom does not belong to this world and that he is finished here. But there might be a kingdom for him somewhere else, if only Pilate could see beyond this world.
Then you are a king?
It's you that say I am.
Jesus acknowledges that he is called the king but he did not claim that title for himself.
I look for truth and find that I get damned.
Jesus recognizes that his search for truth has brought him nothing but condemnation and punishment.
But what is truth?
Is truth a changing law?
We both have truths.
Are mine the same as yours?
Pilate is pondering about what is truth and whether it can change from time to time. He also recognises that both he and Jesus have their versions of the truth.
Crucify him!
The crowd is demanding that Jesus should be crucified.
What do you mean?
You'd crucify your king?
Pilate is surprised that the Jews are asking him to crucify their proclaimed king.
He's done no wrong.
No, not the slightest thing.
Pilate admits that Jesus has not done anything wrong to deserve death.
Who is this Jesus?
Why is he different?
You choose Messiahs by the sack full.
Pilate is questioning the Jews about why Jesus is so different and unique from others whom they choose as Messiahs.
I see no reason.
I find no evil.
This man is harmless,
so why does he upset you?
Pilate once again asserts that Jesus is innocent and he does not understand why the Jews are so upset with him.
You're a fool Jesus Christ.
How can I help you?
Pilate is calling Jesus a fool and is mocking him by asking how he can be helped when he won't even speak for himself.
Remember Caesar.
You have a duty
To keep the peace, so crucify him!
Pilate is reminding himself and the Jews that it is his duty to maintain peace, so he is giving in to their demands to crucify Jesus.
You have nothing in your hands.
Any power you have, comes to you from far beyond.
Everything is fixed, and you can't change it.
Jesus is reminding Pilate that his power to sentence is given from beyond and that the future is already fixed and cannot be altered.
Don't let me stop your great self-destruction.
Die if you want to, you misguided martyr.
I wash my hands of your demolition.
Die if you want to you innocent puppet!
Pilate is finally washing his hands off Jesus's death, implying that it is Jesus's own fault if he wants to die as he knows he could have avoided it. He calls him a misguided martyr and an innocent puppet.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, TIM RICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind