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.
Rain
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's dying just to be like me
He was fighting everything in sight
Died when he was twenty-three
I used to meet him down at his cafe
He had one eye on the door
And the other on the writing on the wall
'Cause we weren't really scared
We was his friends, he wouldn't hurt us at all
And all he'd say was rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
We gotta leave this town
And glover was a dancer
Imitating Eddie Cochran by the jukebox
In the corner of the room
'Til he was lost
Barry'n me, we used to escape, playing I go ape
Wearing italian clothes, drinking cider, talking in the rain
Hey babe, come over here, let me buy you a beer, what's your name?
She said "boy, it doesn't really matter, don't you see?"
You ain't what I want, you ain't what I need
You ain't what I fancy, you ain't what I dream of n'I'd silently leave
[?] you're ugly
Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
I gotta leave this place
My history is a cop-out
Somewhere in the dark I got scared 'cause I knew I was gonna lose
You know that feeling you get in your guts, all that frustration when you know
You're going nuts
You gotta make a move
There was Billy and Glover and Pacer and Taylor and Valerie and Barry
I remember what he said about that town
He said "I went to London once, came back
Wiped the tears from my eyes, looked out the window
And it was still pouring down
More of that rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
Rain, rain, rain
I'm gonna get a train
Never coming back again
'Cause if I did it would be the same
Boy, you really messed up my brain
All of that rain rain rain
Rain rain rain
Rain rain rain
Rain rain rain
Take your washing off the line
Take your washing off the line
Take your washing off the line
Take the washing off the line
It's gonna rain
It's gonna rain
The song "Rain" by Ian Hunter is about a group of young people who are disillusioned with their small town and dream of leaving it behind. The opening verse tells the story of Billy, who saw the town dying and wanted to leave it. Despite his anger and restlessness, his friends were not afraid of him and would laugh it off whenever he got agitated. The chorus repeats the word "rain" several times, symbolizing the stormy and depressing atmosphere of the town. In the second verse, the lyrics describe the characters of Glover, who lost himself while imitating Eddie Cochran, and Barry, who would chat up girls in the rain while drinking cider. The third verse is more introspective, as Ian Hunter sings about his own fears and doubts. He knows that he needs to make a move, but feels scared and frustrated. The song ends with the repeated refrain of "rain" and the call to take the washing off the line, implying that the rain will continue to fall and life will go on as usual unless they take action.
Line by Line Meaning
Billy said this town is dying
Billy stated that the town was losing its vitality.
It's dying just to be like me
The town is deteriorating to resemble Billy.
He was fighting everything in sight
Billy's aggression was directed towards everything he encountered.
Died when he was twenty-three
Billy passed away at the young age of twenty-three.
I used to meet him down at his cafe
The artist used to meet Billy at his establishment.
He had one eye on the door
Billy was always attentive to the door.
And the other on the writing on the wall
Billy was keeping an eye on the graffiti on the wall.
He'd get restless and angry and we'd all laugh
Billy's restlessness and anger elicited laughter from the artist and their friends.
'Cause we weren't really scared
The group of friends was unafraid of Billy's outbursts.
We was his friends, he wouldn't hurt us at all
Since they were Billy's friends, he wouldn't hurt them.
And all he'd say was rain, rain, rain
Billy repeatedly muttered about rain.
Rain, rain, rain
Billy continued his chant for rain.
We gotta leave this town
The group of friends believes that it is time to leave the town.
And glover was a dancer
Glover was a dancer.
Imitating Eddie Cochran by the jukebox
Glover danced to Eddie Cochran's music by the jukebox.
In the corner of the room
Glover danced in a corner of the room.
'Til he was lost
He danced until he became lost in the dancing.
Barry'n me, we used to escape, playing I go ape
The singer and Barry used to escape by playing 'I Go Ape'.
Wearing italian clothes, drinking cider, talking in the rain
The two friends conversed in the rain while wearing Italian clothes and drinking cider.
Hey babe, come over here, let me buy you a beer, what's your name?
The artist attempted to buy a woman a drink and asked for her name.
She said "boy, it doesn't really matter, don't you see?"
The woman dismissed the artist's question since it was irrelevant.
You ain't what I want, you ain't what I need
The woman stated that the artist didn't meet her requirements.
You ain't what I fancy, you ain't what I dream of n'I'd silently leave
The woman declared that the singer wasn't her type and that she would have silently left.
[?] you're ugly
The woman insulted the artist's appearance.
My history is a cop-out
The singer's past is subpar.
Somewhere in the dark I got scared 'cause I knew I was gonna lose
The singer became terrified after sensing their imminent defeat.
You know that feeling you get in your guts, all that frustration when you know
The singer is referring to the feeling of frustration that arises when one knows they are about to be defeated.
You're going nuts
The artist is experiencing insane thoughts.
You gotta make a move
The artist has to do something to change the situation.
There was Billy and Glover and Pacer and Taylor and Valerie and Barry
The singer mentions the names of their friends.
I remember what he said about that town
The singer recollects what one of their friends said about the town.
He said "I went to London once, came back
The friend shares a story about their trip to London.
Wiped the tears from my eyes, looked out the window
The friend wiped their tears and gazed out the window.
And it was still pouring down
It was still raining heavily.
More of that rain, rain, rain
The friend uttered the phrase 'rain, rain, rain' once again.
I'm gonna get a train
The artist is going to board a train.
Never coming back again
The singer has no intention of returning.
'Cause if I did it would be the same
The singer believes that nothing would be different if they returned.
Boy, you really messed up my brain
The singer expresses that their brain has been disturbed.
Take your washing off the line
The artist tells someone to remove their laundry from the clothesline.
It's gonna rain
It's going to rain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind