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.
Arms And Legs
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up in the morning, unsteady on my feet
I can't Seem to focus, didn't get much sleep last night
Look in the mirror, what do I see?
There's a ghostly shadow of a man starring back at me
I'm the one that walked away from love
Thinking of
If you want to know what love is
If You want to know what love is
These are my arms, these are my legs
These are my thoughts running around in my head
I want to be where you are, I want to do what you do
'Cause nothing really matters but you
You are my illness, you are my disease
You're up there on that pedestal and I'm down here on
my knees
You are my obession every waking hour
All I do is think of you, wondering where you are
I'm the one watching from a distance, can't beleive
your smiling without me
If you wan to know what love is
If you want to know what love is
These are my arms, These are my legs
These are the words running 'round in my head
I want to be where you are, I want to do what you do
'Cause nothing really matters but you
I still got your picture hanging in my soul
Every time I look at it the tears start to roll
I still got your laughter buried in my brain
Every time I hear it I start tearing up again
I'm the guy you seemed to notice
A passerby, our eyes would never meet
But if you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is
These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the words running 'round in my head
I want to be where you are, I want to do what you do
'Cause nothing really matters but you
In "Arms and Legs," Ian Hunter portrays the pain of unrequited love in a beautiful and melancholic way. The lyrics describe the singer's obsession with someone who doesn't feel the same way about him. He starts the song by trying to consider himself in the mirror, but he sees nothing but a "ghostly shadow of a man" who is unable to focus because of his sleepless nights. The rest of the song is an ode to the person he loves, who is up on a pedestal while he's down on his knees, trying desperately to get her attention.
Hunter's lyrics perfectly capture the feeling of being head over heels in love with someone who won't even give you a second glance. The person you love becomes an illness and a disease, and all you can think about is them. It's as if nothing else matters in the world but them, and the singer sums this up when he says, "nothing really matters but you." He is still haunted by the memory of the person he loves, and he tries to hold on to it by keeping their picture in his soul and their laughter in his brain.
Overall, "Arms and Legs" is an emotional, poetic, and sentimental song that anyone who has ever been in love with someone who doesn't love them back can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Up in the morning, unsteady on my feet
I woke up feeling unstable and dizzy.
I can't seem to focus, didn't get much sleep last night
I'm finding it hard to concentrate because I had a restless night.
Look in the mirror, what do I see?
I'm asking myself what I see when I look at my reflection.
There's a ghostly shadow of a man staring back at me
I see a pale and eerie figure of myself in the mirror.
I'm the one that walked away from love
I decided to leave a relationship without giving love a chance.
Couldn't take that chance, I don't know what I was thinking of
I wasn't ready to open my heart to someone and I regret my decision now.
If you want to know what love is
If you're curious about what love really means.
These are my arms, these are my legs
I'm referring to the physical parts of my body.
These are my thoughts running around in my head
I'm acknowledging my racing and jumbled thoughts.
I want to be where you are, I want to do what you do
I desire to be close to you and share your experiences.
'Cause nothing really matters but you
You are the most important thing in my life right now.
You are my illness, you are my disease
My attraction to you is so strong that it feels like an affliction and I can't help it.
You're up there on that pedestal and I'm down here on my knees
I hold you in high regard and feel inferior to you.
You are my obsession every waking hour
I can't stop thinking and obsessing about you even during the day.
All I do is think of you, wondering where you are
My mind is constantly preoccupied with thoughts of you and your whereabouts.
I'm the one watching from a distance, can't believe you're smiling without me
I'm feeling left out as I watch you from afar, admiring how happy you look without me.
I still got your picture hanging in my soul
You're deeply ingrained in my heart and I can't shake off the memories of you.
Every time I look at it, the tears start to roll
I get emotional and cry when I see your picture.
I still got your laughter buried in my brain
I remember your laughter so vividly that it's constantly stuck in my thoughts.
Every time I hear it, I start tearing up again
It evokes strong emotions in me and makes me cry every time I hear it.
I'm the guy you seemed to notice, a passerby, our eyes would never meet
I'm the random guy you might have seen on the street, but we never made eye contact.
Contributed by Charlotte L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ledrotten
Such an awsome record ,l've loved this guy for so many god damm years ,l don't know what l would have done without his music ...This song always makes me think of my dear departed best freind and love , never fails to bring a tear and a smile ...
Ron Swanson
The best thing said about Ian - he makes you smile. I get to see him and the Rant Band this coming Friday in Chicago. What a great thing this is.
Thraak Photography
Brilliant song & highlight of the 'Man Overboard' album. Hope he plays this live in Glasgow tomorrow!
Andrew Whalley
Flitting through youtube vids as an Ian Hunter / Rant Band tour is due to land in the UK in a few days to find this baby - probably wont make the set list but what a great track!
Mark Thomas
Ever walked along a beach and found a gold coin that someone had dropped, I found it here, I go back to the Hoople days, and I found the coin today
Gary Price
Really?
Gary Price
Bring back Verden…. Sounds like Rod again.
Ivan Tobiass
Nº1