Ian Gillan (born on 19 August 1945), is a rock music vocalist best known as… Read Full Bio ↴Ian Gillan (born on 19 August 1945), is a rock music vocalist best known as the lead singer for legendary rock band Deep Purple. He is considered to be one of the foremost rock vocalists, who introduced into the rock music the vocal belting technique. In his prime he possessed a very wide vocal range which was rumored to be 4 and a half to 5 octaves and with seemingly effortless and fluid movement throughout it and with remarkable force and precision in the upper register.

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.

You Sold My Love For A song
Ian Gillan Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You called my tune
day by day
You called my tune
you made me pay
I was lost in my room
When you called my tune

Such sweet surrender

I fell in line
Such sweet surrender
every time
I was thinking
this tortured love would never end

Get away
get away
I've got to help myself
start another day
It was a long talk
we had last night
Talked until we saw the light

And then
You sold my love for a song

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ian Gillan's song "You Sold My Love For A Song" are about a painful breakup with a manipulative partner. The verses describe how the singer feels trapped by their lover, who constantly demands their attention and affection while giving nothing in return. The line "you called my tune, you made me pay" suggests that the lover was controlling the singer's every move, and that they were forced to pay a heavy toll for their affection. The chorus reveals that the singer has finally realized the truth about their relationship and is ready to move on. They vow to "get away" and "help themselves" to start a new chapter in their life.

The second verse of the song is particularly poignant, as it describes the singer's emotional state during the relationship. They describe their "sweet surrender" to the lover's demands and their belief that their "tortured love would never end." This highlights the emotional manipulation that the lover was employing to keep the singer hooked, and how the singer was struggling to break free from it. However, the final line of the song brings a new revelation - the lover has "sold [their] love for a song." This implies that the lover was not just controlling the singer, but was also cheating on them, betraying their trust and love.

Line by Line Meaning

You called my tune
You had complete control over me

day by day
This happened on a regular basis

you made me pay
You took advantage of me and exploited my feelings

I was lost in my room
I was overwhelmed and didn't know what to do

Such sweet surrender
I gave in to your demands without hesitation

I fell in line
I obeyed you completely

every time
This was a recurring pattern

I was thinking
I believed

this tortured love would never end
Our negative and destructive relationship felt permanent and unbreakable

Get away
I need to leave this situation

get away
I need to distance myself from you