Hunter began his musical career on the bass guitar. An early foray into music was as an entrant in a talent competition at one of Butlin's holiday camps, performing "Blue Moon" as part of a skiffle group with Colen York and Colin Broome.
Hunter memorialized how he left his family in a later song, "23A Swan Hill," the address of his teenage home in Shrewsbury above a police station where his father was the Station Sergeant. He notes in concert that "my Dad was real mean" and did not approve of his son's artistic direction, in contrast to his "grand dad", referenced in "Cleveland Rocks", as "he was a rocker and I am, too".
So Hunter took off for Butlin's and "never looked back". Bandmates York and Broome came from Northampton, and were in a band called The Apex, which Hunter soon joined to play rhythm guitar. In 1963, while living in Northampton, he formed his own band, Hurricane Henry and the Shriekers. With Tony Marriott and guitarist Julian Coulter, the Shriekers worked steadily in Northampton, and by 1965 had picked up Freddie 'Fingers' Lee as a pianist and frontman. In a 2004 DVD interview Hunter volunteers Lee and their gigs in Hamburg as a major turning point, when he first began to "actually think maybe I could do this instead of working in factories".
In 1966 Hunter moved to London, where he joined The Scenery with guitarist Miller Anderson, drummer Dave Dufort, and keyboard player Dante Smith. By 1967 Smith and Dufort had left the band while John Vernon Smith joined on drums. The Scenery recorded some material with Bill Farley at Regent Sound, which was released without the band's knowledge in France and Japan. In early 1968, The Scenery had run its course and Miller Anderson joined Dave Dufort in Paper Blitz Tissue.
Also in 1968 Hunter remained in the band to back up Freddie Lee in the At Last The 1958 Rock and Roll Show, along with drummer Pete Philips and guitarist Chris Mayfield. The group got a regular booking at The Angel in Edmonton, and drew interest from both Chrysalis and NEMS but the group was never signed by them. Mayfield was soon replaced by the ever traveling Miller Anderson, and the group released a single on CBS called "I Can't Drive." As the short-lived rock and roll revival began to wane, At Last the 1958 Rock and Roll Show changed its name to Charlie Woolfe and released a final single, "Dance, Dance, Dance".
Hunter played sporadically in various other bands throughout the 1960s, including The New Yardbirds, and backed Billy Fury, The Young Idea and David McWilliams. He also worked as a journalist and staff songwriter for the firm Francis, Day & Hunter (no relation). Other jobs he took during these years included road-digging for a local council, and reporting for a local newspaper.
By 1969 Hunter was married and had two children, but was still hoping for a return to making music full time. That year he auditioned for and joined yet another band, Silence. Silence soon renamed themselves after a novel by Willard Manus, published in 1966: Mott The Hoople. By this time Hunter had taken to wearing the sunglasses that have long since become his trademark (photos of him without his "shades" are rare). The band was a live smash in England although their early U.S. tours on the coasts were slow in building a following. Whilst a critical success and despite being renowned for being an excellent live act, Mott the Hoople did not achieve sustained commercial success. After a dreary 1972 concert in a "gas cylinder" in Switzerland, they announced their disbandment.
David Bowie, a longtime fan of the band, was upset and offered them a song he had just written. As Ian recalls in a 2004 DVD interview, "He offered us 'Suffragette City', which I didn't think was good enough. And then he sat down on the floor, Regent Street it was in a publisher's office and plays 'All The Young Dudes' on an acoustic guitar." It shot to No. 3 in the UK singles chart and Mott had new life.
Mott the Hoople then had considerable commercial success with the albums All the Young Dudes (1972, produced by Bowie); Mott (1973) and The Hoople (1974). The band began to score financially with songs such as "Roll Away The Stone," "Golden Age Of Rock ´N´ Roll," "Honaloochie Boogie," "All The Way From Memphis," "Saturday Gigs," and especially "All The Young Dudes." When in 1973 original lead guitarist Mick Ralphs left to form Bad Company, Hunter began to play guitar until a replacement could be found but at the same time he was increasingly pressured to write hits for the band. Luther Grosvenor took over as lead guitarist, Grosvenor, aka Ariel Bender, was briefly replaced by Mick Ronson after the release of a live album following The Hoople. However, Hunter left the band in December 1974. The remaining members carried on under the names Mott and British Lions. Hunter has written a memoir, Diary of a Rock'n'Roll Star, detailing a U.S. tour with Mott the Hoople.
In March 1975 Ian Hunter joined forces with Mick Ronson, formerly the leading member of David Bowie's backing band The Spiders from Mars and a member of Mott the Hoople for a brief time. Hunter's first single from his eponymous solo album was the UK Top 40 hit "Once Bitten Twice Shy". Hunter's best selling solo album was You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic. It was released in 1979 with Ronson and several members from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Two songs from You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic became successes for other artists. "Cleveland Rocks" was covered by the Presidents of the United States of America, whose version was used as the theme song for The Drew Carey Show. Also, "Ships" became a No. 9 pop hit in the USA in late 1979 for Barry Manilow.
During his solo career Hunter frequently worked with Ronson until the latter's death in 1993, but he has also had musical connections with many other artists, including Queen, Mick Jones (The Clash), Clarence Clemons of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, Jaco Pastorius, Dennis Elliot (Foreigner), and David Bowie.
His album, Rant (2001), received wide critical acclaim and he won Classic Rock Magazine Songwriter's Award in October 2005.
In 2007 his latest album "Shrunken Heads" was released and it clearly shows that Ian Hunter is still very much alive.
Silver Dime
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Arching up some American wall
She said I really want to please you
I said that's easy let yourself fall
All you got to do is go
Ride on down rock and roll
Shine on Miss Silver Dime
Ride on down rock and roll
Blow my sweet mind
As I was posing down some empty broken street
Said the world is coming to an end
She screamed out loudly
I'm so lonely I'm so lonely
I'm so lonely I'm so lonely
I said on me you can depend
All you got to do is go
Ride on down rock and roll
Shine on Miss Silver Dime
Ride on down rock and roll
Blow my sweet mind
Blow my sweet mind
She sucked so sadly on this feather tail
She got me up when I was down
She plays the music and when the music fades
I want her to get me up I want her to get me up
I want her to get me up I want her to get me up
I want her to get me up get me up
Get me up get me up get me up get me up
Get me up get me up get me up get me up
All you got to do is go
Ride on down rock and roll
Shine on Miss Silver Dime
Ride on down rock and roll
Blow my sweet mind
Blow my sweet mind
Ride on down rock and roll
Shine on Miss Silver Dime
Ride on down rock and roll
Blow my sweet mind
Blow my sweet mind
All you got to do is go
The lyrics of Ian Hunter's "Silver Dime" tell the story of a man's encounter with a woman named Alice who he describes as a "drunken Mona Lisa" and who is "arching up some American wall." Despite Alice's apparent ennui and loneliness, the man finds her irresistible and encourages her to let herself fall into his arms. The repetition of the phrase "all you got to do is go" serves as a reminder that the pair should just ride on down with rock and roll and let the music take them away. The man wants Alice to "blow [his] sweet mind" and be the one to get him up when the music fades.
What makes this song so intriguing is the sense of longing and hopelessness that pervades the lyrics. Alice is stuck in a situation she can't escape, and the man is searching for something that he cannot find outside of a temporary escape in music and companionship. The repetition of the phrase "get me up" suggests that he is looking for a way to lift himself out of a low point in his life, and music and Alice's company seem to be the only things that can do that.
Overall, "Silver Dime" is a raw and emotional song that captures the complexities of human relationships and the search for meaning and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Alice was a drunken Mona Lisa
Alice was a woman who was heavily under the influence of alcohol and resembled the famous painting of Mona Lisa.
Arching up some American wall
Alice was climbing up or hanging off of an American wall, possibly as a result of her drunken state.
She said I really want to please you
Alice expressed a desire to make the singer happy or satisfied.
I said that's easy let yourself fall
The artist responded that it would be easy for Alice to please him if she let loose and allowed herself to fall into the moment.
All you got to do is go
The artist reassures Alice that all she needs to do is go with the flow and enjoy the rock and roll lifestyle.
Ride on down rock and roll
The singer encourages Alice to embrace the carefree lifestyle associated with rock and roll music.
Shine on Miss Silver Dime
The singer refers to Alice as Miss Silver Dime, possibly indicating that she is a bright, shining presence in his life.
Blow my sweet mind
The artist desires to have his mind blown by the experience of being with Alice and enjoying rock and roll music.
As I was posing down some empty broken street
The artist was walking or standing in a run-down area with no one around.
Said the world is coming to an end
The artist expressed a feeling of hopelessness or despair about the state of the world and its future.
She screamed out loudly
Alice shouted in a way that was attention-grabbing or alarming.
I'm so lonely I'm so lonely
Alice expressed feelings of loneliness and isolation.
I said on me you can depend
The singer reassured Alice that she could rely on him.
She sucked so sadly on this feather tail
Alice was doing something with a feather in a melancholy way, possibly as a coping mechanism for her feelings of loneliness.
She got me up when I was down
Alice was able to lift the singer's mood at a time when he was feeling low or sad.
She plays the music and when the music fades
Alice is associated with music and the positive feelings it brings, but those feelings may not last when the music stops.
I want her to get me up I want her to get me up
The artist desires for Alice to lift his spirits once again.
Get me up get me up get me up get me up
The singer repeats his plea for Alice to lift him up emotionally.
All you got to do is go
The singer reminds Alice that all she needs to do is continue to embrace the rock and roll lifestyle to make him happy.
Ride on down rock and roll
The artist continues to encourage Alice to enjoy the carefree lifestyle of rock and roll.
Shine on Miss Silver Dime
The artist continues to refer to Alice as a shining presence in his life.
Blow my sweet mind
The artist continues to desire for Alice to blow his mind and make him feel alive.
Ride on down rock and roll
The singer once again encourages Alice to embrace the rock and roll lifestyle.
Blow my sweet mind
The artist repeats his desire for Alice to make him feel alive and excited.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind