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.
Trouble
Ian Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You came to the right place
If you're looking for trouble
Just look right in my face
I was born standing up
And talking back
My daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack
Because I'm evil, my middle name is misery
Ive never looked for trouble
But I've never ran
I dont take no orders
From no kind of man
I'm only made out
Of flesh, blood and bone
But if you're gonna start a rumble
Don't you try it on alone
Because Im evil, my middle name is misery
Well I'm evil, so don?t you mess around with me
I'm evil, evil, evil, as can be
I'm evil, evil, evil, as can be
So don't mess around don?t mess around don?t mess around with me
I'm evil, I'm evil, evil, evil
So don't mess around, don't mess around with me
I'm evil, I tell you I'm evil
So don't mess around with... me
The lines of this song are fairly self-explanatory. The singer is warning the listener that if they are looking for trouble, they have come to the right place. He suggests that he is not to be messed with, because he was born to stand up and talk back. He also claims to be made solely out of flesh, blood, and bone, alluding to the fact that he is human, but he warns that he is prone to troublemaking and that his middle name is "misery." The message of the song is clear: don't mess with this guy because he is evil.
The singer continues to warn that he does not take orders from anyone, and he has never backed down from a fight. The repeated refrain of "don't mess around with me" emphasizes that the singer is serious about his warnings. He finishes the song with a final warning that he is evil, and that anyone who crosses him will live to regret it.
In terms of structure, the song is simple and repetitive, with a driving rock beat that underlines the singer's warnings. The lyrics are straightforward and direct, helping to convey the message of the song without any ambiguity.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're looking for trouble
If you want to pick a fight, you've come to the right place
You came to the right place
This is the spot where those seeking a fight will find one
If you're looking for trouble
I'm more than willing to oblige you
Just look right in my face
I'm not afraid of confrontations, so confront me
I was born standing up
I've always stood tall and never backed down
And talking back
I've never been afraid to speak my mind
My daddy was a green-eyed mountain jack
My father was a tough man who instilled courage and strength in me
Because I'm evil, my middle name is misery
I have a reputation for being a malicious person and causing others to suffer
Well I'm evil, so don?t you mess around with me
I'm not one to be messed with because of my tendency to do harm to others
Ive never looked for trouble
I don't seek out problems or confrontations
But I've never ran
I've never backed down from a challenge
I dont take no orders
I don't take orders from anyone
From no kind of man
I don't take orders from anyone, regardless of their gender
I'm only made out
I am simply composed
Of flesh, blood and bone
Physically, I am no different than anyone else
But if you're gonna start a rumble
If you want to start a fight with me
Don't you try it on alone
Don't do it if you're not willing to face me with backup
I'm evil, evil, evil, as can be
I am known for being a very malevolent person
So don't mess around don?t mess around don?t mess around with me
Do not provoke me or try to start any conflicts with me
I'm evil, I'm evil, evil, evil
Again, I am not a good person
So don't mess around, don't mess around with me
If you don't want trouble, don't provoke me
I'm evil, I tell you I'm evil
I am upfront and honest about my not-so-great character traits
So don't mess around with... me
I really cannot stress enough that you should probably just leave me alone and not try to fight me
Contributed by Carson P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Antonya Mont
Elvis tribute....👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼❣
Heather MacLeod
Pure banging. I used to head bang to this at high school discos
Tere Flores
Eres unico Gillan te amo.
Nelida Lobato
buenisimo pesado al estilo de Ian
Mark Brock
RIP Bernie Torme
ольга к.
Супер! 👍👍👍💜💜💜
Vivian Purple
Оля ! Стойте " РОВНО " - не падайте со Смеху . Постарайтесь угадать для чего я скинул ети видосики . В середине песни " I WAS MADE FOR LIVIN YOUR BABY "
tadija ancelkovic
BRAVISIMOOO!!!
Lil1943
And Elvis was his inspiration - to become a singer so that he could become a "film star" more quickly! Life takes turns, thankfully for all of us. But I think he would have been great acting in Jesus Christ Superstar, which he turned down - both stage and film roles.
Giuseppe Speranza
Ian Gillan at 35 years 🎸