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.
Twin Exhausted
Ian Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I like a Studebaker widowmaker
Sitting on the highway crown
When it's early in the morning
I can put my foot right down
And if the wheels keep spinning
Baby I'll be winning
When the drive's beginning
I've got a Buick that can do it
With a wide seat in the rear
With a woman on my arm
And a cold six pack of beer
And if the wheels keep turning
I'll be yearning
I'll be bombing away
With the back tyres burning
I'm twin exhausted see
My second wife is tired of me
But when she gets off my back
I'll be back to the track
Wheeling free
Barracuda you are ruder than
A long legged bitch I know
With my hands on your stick
I can feel your body letting go
And I'm always dreaming
About the back tyres screaming
Down with the toes and away she goes
The lyrics to "Twin Exhausted" by Ian Gillan Band are a celebration of driving and the freedom it brings. The opening verse describes the thrill of driving on an open stretch of highway, with the singer enjoying the power of his vehicle as he races along. The second verse adds a touch of romance to the mix, with the singer imagining himself cruising with a beautiful woman by his side and a cold beer in his hand. The chorus declares the singer's love for the speed and excitement of the road, culminating in the memorable couplet "And I'm always dreaming / About the back tyres screaming."
The final verse reveals a darker side to the song's themes, as the singer admits to being "twin exhausted" - a pun on the term "twin turbo," which refers to a high-performance engine configuration. The exhaustion is both physical and emotional, as the singer's second wife is "tired of [him]" and he longs to escape from the pressures of his life. Despite this, he remains committed to the road and the freedom it represents, promising to return to it as soon as he can. Overall, "Twin Exhausted" is a high-energy ode to the joys of driving and the thrill of the open road.
Line by Line Meaning
I like a Studebaker widowmaker
I enjoy driving a powerful Studebaker car on the highway, even though it can be dangerous.
Sitting on the highway crown
I like to drive in the center of the highway for maximum speed and visibility.
When it's early in the morning
I prefer to drive my car early in the morning, when there are fewer cars on the road.
I can put my foot right down
I can accelerate to very high speeds.
And if the wheels keep spinning
If I can maintain my speed, I will feel successful and alive.
Baby I'll be winning
I will feel like a winner if I can achieve my desired speed.
I'll be really alive
Driving fast makes me feel truly alive and free.
When the drive's beginning
As soon as I start driving and feeling the power of the car, I feel excited.
I've got a Buick that can do it
I also enjoy driving my powerful Buick.
With a wide seat in the rear
The car has a spacious backseat where I can relax with a woman and some beer.
With a woman on my arm
I like to have a female companion with me when I go on drives.
And a cold six pack of beer
I enjoy drinking beer while driving, even though it is dangerous and illegal.
And if the wheels keep turning
If I can maintain my speed and control, I will feel excited and exhilarated.
I'll be yearning
I crave the feeling of speed and excitement that driving provides.
I'll be bombing away
I will be driving very fast and aggressively.
With the back tyres burning
I like to make the car go so fast that the back tyres start to smoke and burn from the friction.
I'm twin exhausted see
I am tired from my intense lifestyle of driving and partying.
My second wife is tired of me
My wife is unhappy with my dangerous and reckless behavior.
But when she gets off my back
When my wife stops nagging me and criticizing my behavior...
I'll be back to the track
...I will get back to my favorite pastime of driving and racing cars.
Wheeling free
I will feel free and alive when I am driving at high speeds with no restrictions.
Barracuda you are ruder than
Barracuda is a powerful car that I enjoy driving, even though it can be difficult to handle.
A long legged bitch I know
I use crude and disrespectful language to describe the car and the women in my life.
With my hands on your stick
I am in control of the car, and I like to shift gears manually for maximum power and performance.
I can feel your body letting go
I can sense the car responding to my commands and accelerating rapidly.
And I'm always dreaming
I am constantly fantasizing about driving fast and feeling powerful.
About the back tyres screaming
I love the sound and sensation of the tyres squealing and burning rubber as I drive fast and take sharp turns.
Down with the toes and away she goes
I enjoy driving fast and taking risks, even though it can be dangerous and reckless.
Contributed by Dominic G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.