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.
Dancing On the Moon
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(transcribed by colin ford)
Oh!!
Well I climbed through the fence, out with the (? ), head for the river plate(? ).
The river's not tame, heat in the city meant dogs can't smell the same.
Don't wait up, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now 'cause I'm
(dancing, dancing....)
I crawl like a snake, seen a better daybreak, I sleep when I'm wide awake.
All my body's achin', I know they're tryin' to break me, but that's a chance I
Gotta take.
Oh, don't wait up, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now 'cause I'm
Dancing, dancing, dancing (dancing on the moon) dancing, dancing, dancing on
The moon
All right.
I'm outside a memphis, my motors little danger(? ) she gives me
Pharmaceuticals
Knowin' my friends, they help me beat the hangman, they know I'm innocent
Well that's all right, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now 'cause I'm
Dancing, dancing (dancing, dancing) on the moon
(dancing, dancing on the moon) .
I can see your house in between the trees
I can feel your body shakin' in between my knees.
You know it feels so low, I come so far
I always love to have some fire on me
You're looking so good
Well I got me a room, can't say where it is, you can guess the address
Well I need some money, need it in a special place, not try the weaknesses(? )
Wake up (? ) , nursin' my wounds, I told you I was comin, I was comin' home soon. yeah.
(want you, want you, want you, want you right away, )
((to fade))
The lyrics of Ian Hunter's song Dancing On The Moon describe a wild and unpredictable night out in the city. The singer seems to be on the run from someone or something, climbing fences and heading for the river plate. The city is hot and he's feeling the heat, but he's not about to slow down. He crawls like a snake, feeling both exhausted and exhilarated, as he dances on the moon. He knows that he's taking a risk by being out there, but he's not afraid to take chances.
The second verse gives more insight into the danger that the singer is facing. His body is achy and he feels like someone is trying to break him, but he's still pushing forward. He's outside of Memphis and his motor is a little dangerous, but he doesn't care. He's with friends who are helping him stay one step ahead of the hangman, even though he's innocent. Despite everything, he can still see the house in between the trees and feel someone's body shaking in between his knees.
The lyrics of Dancing On The Moon are open to interpretation, but they seem to tell a story of someone who is living on the edge and relishing every moment of it. The imagery is vivid and the language is poetic, lending the song a dreamlike quality that matches its title perfectly.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I climbed through the fence, out with the (? ), head for the river plate(? ).
I snuck out unnoticed and went to the river with all its dangers and adventures.
The river's not tame, heat in the city meant dogs can't smell the same.
The river can be wild and challenging, while the heat in the city affects the abilities of dogs to track scents.
Don't wait up, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now 'cause I'm Dancing on the (dancing, dancing) moon, yeah.
Don't wait for me to come home now, I'll be there soon but right now I'm having a great time enjoying my freedom and dancing in the moonlight.
I crawl like a snake, seen a better daybreak, I sleep when I'm wide awake.
I move and feel like a snake, I've been through tough times, and sometimes I have to force myself to sleep when I'm not tired.
All my body's achin', I know they're tryin' to break me, but that's a chance I Gotta take.
My body is in pain, I realize that people are trying to break me, but I'm willing to take a chance on this.
Oh, don't wait up, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now 'cause I'm Dancing, dancing, dancing (dancing on the moon) dancing, dancing, dancing on The moon All right.
I'll be home soon, but right now, I'm going to keep enjoying myself and dancing in the moonlight.
I'm outside a Memphis, my motors little danger(? ) she gives me Pharmaceuticals.
I'm outside Memphis, my car is unreliable and dangerous, and my friend offers me drugs.
Knowin' my friends, they help me beat the hangman, they know I'm innocent. Well that's all right, I'll be home soon, but I can't come now 'cause I'm Dancing, dancing (dancing, dancing) on the moon (dancing, dancing on the moon).
My friends help me escape the authorities, and they know I'm not guilty. I'll be heading home soon, but for now, I'm still enjoying myself and dancing in the moonlight.
I can see your house in between the trees I can feel your body shakin' in between my knees.
I can see your house from where I am, and I feel the intense energy of our connection.
You know it feels so low, I come so far I always love to have some fire on me You're looking so good
We've been through a lot, and it's amazing to see how far we've come. I love to have a fiery passion around me, and you look fantastic.
Well I got me a room, can't say where it is, you can guess the address.
I got myself a room, but I can't disclose its location. You can try to guess the address if you want.
Well I need some money, need it in a special place, not try the weaknesses(? ).
I need some money, but I need it discreetly and in a unique manner. I don't want to exploit anyone's weaknesses.
Wake up (? ) , nursin' my wounds, I told you I was comin, I was comin' home soon. yeah. (want you, want you, want you, want you right away, ) ((to fade))
I'm lying in bed, recovering from my injuries, and letting you know that I'll be home soon. I want you badly and can't wait to be with you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Darryl Bath, Ian Hunter, John Plain, Ian Patterson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind