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.
Death Of A Nation
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When Winston Churchill stepped into my dream
His head it was heavy, his voice was shakin'
He said, "Look what they've done: it's the death of a nation."
I followed his shadow right out of the bar
And we talked all night 'neath the light of the stars
He said, "This used to be a cradle of civilization
Everything's illusion now, nothing's what it seems
Money isn't everything when you're turning your back on a dream
I held you together when you were breakin'
You can pull down the flags; it's the death of a nation
Don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye
And we'll never die, no, we'll never die
Don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye
And we'll never die, no, we will never die
From the bottom of this ancient heart
I hate to see you falling apart
'Cause I love you still, I love you still, I love you still
You've been getting away with it far too long
Your promises ain't worth the paper they're printed on
I had a love, but that love's been forsaken
Look what they've done: it's the death of a nation
Don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye
And we'll never die, no, we'll never die
Don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye
And we'll never die, no, we will never die
Don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye
And I'll never die, no, I will never die
Don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye
And I'll never die, no, I will never die
The lyrics of "Death Of A Nation" by Ian Hunter have a clear political undertone. The singer in the song has a drink with Prince Charles and the Queen, but then Winston Churchill steps into his dream. Churchill's head is heavy, and his voice is shaky, as he proclaims the death of a nation. The two then talk all night as Churchill tells him how this used to be a cradle of civilization, but now everything has turned into illusion, and money isn't everything. The singer is torn between holding everything together and watching it all fall apart.
The song suggests a deep nostalgia for a time when there was more loyalty and when honour meant something. The song, however, seems to suggest that those values have been lost in the modern world. The use of Churchill, a revered statesman, underscores the sense of loss that the singer feels.
Overall, "Death Of A Nation" is a song that speaks to the disillusionment and nostalgia of the modern era. The song seems to suggest that we have lost sight of some of the more profound values that we once held, and that as a result, we are experiencing something like a "death of a nation."
Line by Line Meaning
I was having a drink with Prince Charles and the Queen
Ian Hunter had a dream where he was socializing with the British Royal Family
When Winston Churchill stepped into my dream
Ian Hunter imagined the former British Prime Minister in his dream
His head it was heavy, his voice was shakin'
In Ian Hunter's dream, Winston Churchill seemed troubled and nervous
He said, "Look what they've done: it's the death of a nation."
Churchill expressed to Ian Hunter his belief that the country was in great peril and close to collapsing
I followed his shadow right out of the bar
Ian Hunter pursued Churchill in his dream as he left the establishment
And we talked all night 'neath the light of the stars
Ian Hunter conversed with the former Prime Minister through the night
He said, "This used to be a cradle of civilization
Churchill remarked that the nation had once been a great and prosperous civilization
Now look what they've done: it's the death of a nation."
Churchill bemoaned the current state of affairs in the country and predicted its downfall
Everything's illusion now, nothing's what it seems
Ian Hunter laments the lack of authenticity and the prevalence of superficiality in modern society
Money isn't everything when you're turning your back on a dream
A warning that abandoning one's aspirations for financial gain isn't worth it in the end
I held you together when you were breakin'
Ian Hunter helped to keep things from falling apart in times of turmoil
You can pull down the flags; it's the death of a nation
Even the symbols of a country's identity can't save it from ruin
Don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye
A plea to hold out hope and not give up
And we'll never die, no, we'll never die
An optimistic outlook that the nation can survive even in its darkest hour
From the bottom of this ancient heart
An emotional expression of love and devotion to the nation
I hate to see you falling apart
Ian Hunter is distressed to see the nation in decline
'Cause I love you still, I love you still, I love you still
The love for the nation remains despite its troubles
You've been getting away with it far too long
A criticism of those who are responsible for the nation's problems
Your promises ain't worth the paper they're printed on
Distrust of the empty words of those in power
I had a love, but that love's been forsaken
The nation was once cherished but has now been abandoned by those who were supposed to care for it
And I'll never die, no, I will never die
Ian Hunter's belief that his love for the nation will never fade, even in the face of its demise
Don't say goodbye, don't say goodbye
A final call to action to preserve the nation and not give up hope
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Ian Hunter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind