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.
Woman from Tokyo
Ian Gillan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Faces, smiling everyone
Yeah, she is a whole new tradition
I feel it in my heart
My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
Talk about her like a Queen
Dancing in a Eastern Dream
Yeah, she makes me feel like a river
That carries me away
My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
She's so good to me
But I'm at home and I just don't belong
So far away from the garden we love
She is what moves in the soul of a dove
Soon I shall see just how black was my night
When we're alone in Her City of light
Rising from the neon gloom
Shining like a crazy moon
Yeah, she turns me on like a fire
I get high
My woman from Tokyo
She makes me see
My woman from Tokyo
She's so good to me
The Ian Gillan Band's song "Woman From Tokyo" is an ode to a woman that the singer meets on his travels to the bustling Japanese city. The first verse speaks of flying into the rising sun with smiling faces all around, and feeling a new tradition in his heart - this could be a reference to the cultural differences he experiences in Japan, which are so different from his home. The chorus then introduces the titular "woman from Tokyo" and describes how she makes him see and how good she is to him. The second verse talks about the woman being described like a queen, dancing in an Eastern dream and making the singer feel like he is being carried away like a river. It's quite clear that the woman has a profound impact on the singer.
The bridge of the song then introduces a note of sadness, as the singer confesses that despite how much he loves this woman, he still feels out of place and like he doesn't belong. He misses the "garden" and feels lost in the big city. However, he still believes that the woman "moves in the soul of a dove" and looks forward to seeing her again in her city of light. The final verse picks up the energy of the song once more, with the woman rising from the neon gloom like a "crazy moon" and turning the singer on like a fire. The chorus is repeated once more before the song ends, leaving the listener with a sense of the singer's passion and infatuation for this woman from Tokyo.
Line by Line Meaning
Fly into the rising sun,
We are traveling towards the east, where the sun rises.
Faces, smiling everyone
The people we meet are friendly and welcoming.
Yeah, she is a whole new tradition
The woman from Tokyo represents a new and different way of life.
I feel it in my heart
I have a deep emotional connection to this experience.
My woman from Tokyo
The central focus of this song is a woman I met in Tokyo.
She makes me see
Her influence on me has given me a new perspective and understanding.
She's so good to me
She treats me with kindness and respect.
Talk about her like a Queen
I speak so highly of her as if she were royalty.
Dancing in a Eastern Dream
When she dances, it's like we're in a dream from the east.
Yeah, she makes me feel like a river
She has a calming and fluid effect on me.
That carries me away
I feel like I am being taken on a journey.
But I'm at home and I just don't belong
I feel out of place and disconnected when I am no longer with her.
So far away from the garden we love
Being away from her makes me feel like I am far from something familiar and comforting.
She is what moves in the soul of a dove
She has a pure and peaceful spirit which affects me deeply.
Soon I shall see just how black was my night
I will soon realize how much of my life was dull and meaningless before I met her.
When we're alone in Her City of light
When we are together in Tokyo, everything else fades away and feels insignificant.
Rising from the neon gloom
The city is brightly lit and bustling with energy.
Shining like a crazy moon
Despite the chaos, her light and presence stand out.
Yeah, she turns me on like a fire
She excites and ignites passion in me.
I get high
I experience euphoria and elation when I'm with her.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger D Glover, Jon Lord, Ian Paice
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind