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.
Rollerball
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just another day
When everything goes wrong
You know that feeling you get
When you're done
My best years are behind me
My future is in doubt
Trying to keep me out
Trying to keep me out
I heard the rumors
I hope they're not true
There ain't no depths
That they wouldn't sink to
I've been told, after the corporate wars
Everybody's obsolete
'Cause there ain't no more
No there ain't no more
Rollerball
Rollerball
Rollerball
She's a good woman
But she's easily led
They led her up the garden path
Right out of her head
She's an academic
She's got trophies on the wall
She's got her P.H.D. in hypocrisy
She can't help herself
She's gonna do well
They took away music
They took away art
They took away everything
That was close to her heart
I've been told, after the corporate wars
Everybody's obsolete
'Cause there ain't no more
No there ain't no more
Rollerball
Rollerball
Rollerball
Too many people
Too many people
Too many people
Too many people
Just another loser
Washed up on the sand
Just another winner
With blood on his hands
Just another victim
At the alter of success
Just another victim of
Progress
Progress
Progress
Progress
They cut down the forest
They polluted the sea
They messed up the ozone
Now they're looking for me
I've been told, after the corporate wars
Everybody's obsolete
'Cause there ain't no more
No there ain't no more
Rollerball
Rollerball
Rollerball
You heard it here first
You heard it here first
You heard it here first
You heard it here first
The lyrics to Ian Hunter’s song “Rollerball” explore themes of societal and personal decay, as well as the fear of losing one’s identity in the face of massive corporate power. Hunter details the struggles of a character who feels lost and obsolete in a world where so much is controlled by faceless, powerful forces. The first verse speaks to the sense of hopelessness and frustration the character feels, as things constantly seem to go wrong in their life. They recognize the limits of their own agency and feel excluded from the world around them.
The second verse turns its attention to the character’s partner, who is described as being “led up the garden path right out of her head.” The character is critical of his partner, who is an academic with “trophies on the wall” but who also embodies hypocrisy. Hunter suggests the academic world can be corrupt and one can feel betrayed, without having recourse.
In the final verse, Hunter takes a wider view of the situation, detailing how society as a whole has failed. His criticism is directed at those who prioritize corporate success at the cost of environmental destruction and personal freedom. As the title suggests, the song frames society as a massive rollerball game, in which individuals are at the mercy of forces beyond their control.
Line by Line Meaning
Just another day
It's just another typical day.
When everything goes wrong
Everything in life is going wrong.
You know that feeling you get
The feeling of being overwhelmed with all of the negativity in life.
When you're done
When you feel like giving up and are at your lowest point.
My best years are behind me
The best years of my life are already over.
My future is in doubt
I am uncertain about what my future holds.
They keep on putting those fences up
People keep trying to keep me out and hold me back.
Trying to keep me out
People are doing what they can to prevent me from succeeding.
I heard the rumors
People are spreading rumors.
I hope they're not true
I really hope the rumors aren't true.
There ain't no depths
There is nothing too low for some people to stoop to.
That they wouldn't sink to
These people would do anything to succeed, even if it means hurting others.
I've been told, after the corporate wars
I have been informed that after the corporate wars,
Everybody's obsolete
Everyone is considered outdated.
'Cause there ain't no more
Because there is no more of anything valuable or useful.
No there ain't no more
There is nothing left.
Rollerball
This is a reference to the movie Rollerball, which takes place in a dystopian future where corporations have taken over.
She's a good woman
She is a kind and decent person.
But she's easily led
However, she can be easily persuaded to do things.
They led her up the garden path
They deceived and lied to her.
Right out of her head
Until she could no longer think clearly.
She's an academic
She is an intellectual and studies a lot.
She's got trophies on the wall
She has accomplished a lot and has awards to show for it.
She's got her P.H.D. in hypocrisy
Despite her intelligence, she is a hypocrite.
She can't help herself
She can't stop herself from being a hypocrite.
She's gonna do well
Despite it all, she is still going to be successful.
They took away music
People have taken away music and the joys of life.
They took away art
People have taken away art and beauty from life.
They took away everything
People are taking away everything that makes life worth living.
That was close to her heart
The things that were dear to her are being taken away.
Too many people
There are too many people in the world.
Just another loser
A person who failed at something.
Washed up on the sand
Left stranded and forgotten.
Just another winner
Someone who has succeeded.
With blood on his hands
But they have resorted to doing bad things in order to succeed.
Just another victim
Someone who got hurt while trying or succeeding.
At the alter of success
They were a victim of success because it took over their life and sense of morality.
Of progress
Victims of the societal need to keep pushing forward no matter the cost.
They cut down the forest
People are destroying the environment.
They polluted the sea
The oceans are being contaminated by waste and pollution.
They messed up the ozone
People have caused the depletion of the ozone layer.
Now they're looking for me
They are blaming me for their own environmental destruction.
You heard it here first
The person is sharing information that they believe to be true.
You heard it here first
They really want people to know what they are sharing.
You heard it here first
They want people to understand that this is important information.
You heard it here first
This is exclusive news that has not been reported anywhere else.
Contributed by Aiden J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.