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.
Restless Youth
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He got hostile on his school report - and he leaves his mother cold
His father owned a bakery - one day they found him hanged
It ain`t good to be free in little Italy - his son`s the leader of the gang
[Chorus]
Restless youth - restless youth
Restless youth - restless youth
He soon found out he could not work - the money was no good
This child of the city hit the welfare kitty - did some runnin` for the hoods
And the logic of the street was such - that everything was bent
There`s a lot of white collars - stealing government dollars - wouldn`t notice
Such a little percent.
[Chorus]
Now I went to his graduation - in some Brooklyn overnight jail
He said he was a member of the rock`n roll nation - but his face was drawn `n pale
They gave him a suspended sentence - `n he got straight on the phone
Called a big, big, man with a Miami tan `n said
"hi i`m al capone - the 2nd restless youth"
[Chorus]
Now his first hit came at seventeen - his second was his last
Some dealer ran screaming from the scene - as the bullets whistled past
`n the cop that killed him shook his head `n said "I swear the truth
When I know it was some old, old man `n not a restless youth."
[Chorus]
Now the moral of this story is that all he saw was greed
Legal, illegalities `n all them politician thieves
Good people of the u.s.a. if you want your kids to grow
Then check your harvest carefully - don`t reap; before you sow
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Ian Hunter's song "Restless Youth" narrate the story of a young man from a working-class family who doesn't conform to societal expectations. The song critiques the flaws of society that drive young people to rebel and live a life of crime. The first stanza sets up the story by painting the scene of the young man's past. His father committed suicide, and he is now the leader of a gang in little Italy. The chorus repeats the phrase "restless youth," emphasizing the aimlessness and dissatisfaction of the young man's life.
The second verse describes how the young man turns to a life of crime as he cannot find employment. The "logic of the street" takes over, where everything is "bent" or corrupt. Ian Hunter systematically integrates the social criticisms of the time into his lyrics, with the mention of "white collars, stealing government dollars," a nod to the potent political climate of the time. The third verse provides the climax of the story: the young man is involved in a shootout with a dealer, and a cop kills him. The final chorus is a call to action, urging parents to guide their children carefully so that they don't stray too far off the path, highlighting the responsibility of a society to prevent the upbringing of lost generations.
Line by Line Meaning
He`s much the same as anyone - he don`t do what he`s told
He is not unique in his behavior; he refuses to comply with instructions.
He got hostile on his school report - and he leaves his mother cold
He became aggressive when his school report indicated a poor performance, and he does not have a close relationship with his mother.
His father owned a bakery - one day they found him hanged
His father owned a bakery and later committed suicide by hanging himself.
It ain`t good to be free in little Italy - his son`s the leader of the gang
Living freely in little Italy is not necessarily safe; his son is the leader of a gang and poses a potential threat.
Restless youth - restless youth
Restless youth - restless youth
Refrain of the song, repeating that this young man is restless.
He soon found out he could not work - the money was no good
This child of the city hit the welfare kitty - did some runnin` for the hoods
He learned that working did not pay enough, so he turned to welfare and started doing errands for criminals.
And the logic of the street was such - that everything was bent
There`s a lot of white collars - stealing government dollars - wouldn`t notice
Such a little percent.
The street operates under twisted reasoning where everything is corrupt, and those in power embezzle public funds unnoticed by the public.
Now I went to his graduation - in some Brooklyn overnight jail
He said he was a member of the rock`n roll nation - but his face was drawn `n pale
They gave him a suspended sentence - `n he got straight on the phone
Called a big, big, man with a Miami tan `n said
"hi i`m al capone - the 2nd restless youth"
At his graduation ceremony held in a prison in Brooklyn, where he was spending the night, he claimed to be a member of a rock and roll group, but his look was distressed. After receiving a suspended sentence, he immediately called a powerful man in Miami and introduced himself as the second restless youth, Al Capone.
Now his first hit came at seventeen - his second was his last
Some dealer ran screaming from the scene - as the bullets whistled past
`n the cop that killed him shook his head `n said "I swear the truth
When I know it was some old, old man `n not a restless youth."
He committed two murders, and the second led to his inevitable death. One drug dealer fled the area screaming as he heard the sounds of bullets. The police officer who killed him shook his head and explained that he did not kill a restless youth, but rather an old man.
Restless youth - restless youth
Restless youth - restless youth
Refrain of the song, repeating that this young man was restless.
Now the moral of this story is that all he saw was greed
Legal, illegalities `n all them politician thieves
Good people of the u.s.a. if you want your kids to grow
Then check your harvest carefully - don`t reap; before you sow
The story's message is that he was consumed by his desire for more and saw nothing but greed; politicians at all levels involve themselves in both legal and illegal practices, but it is essential to be careful about what one sows and what the consequences will be.
Restless youth - restless youth
Restless youth - restless youth
Refrain of the song, repeating that this young man was restless.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind