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.
Still the Same
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lost in time, shackled to the past for ever, stung by love
Still weaving, still believing yesterday's dreams
If life is real then so is my imagination
All I feel is who I am? Who I am? Who I am?
And if I wished so hard I bled, would you come true?
All I need's a bottle and the memories come flooding back
They say you can never go back
What if my love's still the same?
Still the same, still the same, still the same
Still the same, still the same
When love goes right, it's the ultimate high you can be on
Oh, baby, I've lost count of the times when things went wrong
Bit I pick myself up and I carry on, on, and on, and on, and on
And on, and on it goes
I can't pretend imaginary friends are better
All I know is people change, people change, people change
They say I'm supposed to forget and go on
What if my love's still the same? Still the same
Still the same, still the same, still the same
Still the same, still the same, still the same
Still the same, still the same, still the same
(Oh, baby, now)
What if your love, what if your love is still the same
What if your love, what if your love is still the same
What if your love, what if your love is still the same
What if your love, what if your love is still the same
What if your love, what if your love is still the same
The lyrics of Ian Hunter's song Still the Same explore themes of nostalgia, memory, and the persistence of love. From the opening lines, Hunter introduces the idea that some people never grow up, remaining "shackled to the past" and "still weaving, still believing yesterday's dreams." The singer questions whether life is real, suggesting the power of the imagination to shape one's experience of reality. The chorus emphasizes the singer's desire for stability and consistency in a changing world: "Still the same, still the same, still the same." The second verse furthers the theme of resilience, with the singer noting that "when love goes right, it's the ultimate high," but also acknowledging that "things went wrong." However, despite the challenges, the singer vows to "pick [oneself] up and carry on." The song concludes with the repeated question "What if your love is still the same?", emphasizing the power of love to persist and endure over time.
Throughout the song, Hunter's lyrics express a sense of longing for the past and fear of change. The singer is caught between a desire to cling to what they know and a recognition that people inevitably change. The chorus's repetition of the phrase "still the same" suggests a longing for consistency and stability in a changing world. Similarly, the closing lines emphasize the fear that love may not endure, even as the singer desires that it will. The imagery of rain and memories ("And I see you through the rain") adds to the nostalgic tone of the song, evoking a sense of yearning for a lost past.
Line by Line Meaning
They say that some people never grow up
Some people remain trapped in the past, never maturing.
Lost in time, shackled to the past for ever, stung by love
These individuals feel stuck in the past, unable to move on from past loves and experiences.
Still weaving, still believing yesterday's dreams
Even though time has passed, these people still hold onto hopes and dreams from the past.
If life is real then so is my imagination
The person believes their imagination is just as important and valid as their real experiences.
All I feel is who I am? Who I am? Who I am?
The individual is struggling to define their identity.
And if I wished so hard I bled, would you come true?
The person is so focused on their wishes and dreams that they are willing to suffer for them.
All I need's a bottle and the memories come flooding back
The person turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism to relive memories and emotions.
And I see you though the rain, through the rain, through the rain
The individual remembers a past love through the act of reminiscing while drinking.
They say you can never go back
Society holds the belief that one cannot return to the past.
What if my love's still the same?
The person questions if their love for someone from the past remains the same.
When love goes right, it's the ultimate high you can be on
Successful love is an unparalleled experience.
Oh, baby, I've lost count of the times when things went wrong
The individual has experienced many failed, negative relationships.
Bit I pick myself up and I carry on, on, and on, and on, and on
Despite past failures, the person seeks the strength to move on and continue searching for successful love.
And on, and on it goes
The search for successful love continues.
I can't pretend imaginary friends are better
The individual recognizes that living in the past is not a healthy way to live.
All I know is people change, people change, people change
To recognize growth, the individual accepts that people evolve and change.
They say I'm supposed to forget and go on
Society implies that people should forget about past loves and move on to new ones.
What if your love, what if your love is still the same
The person questions if a past love has remained unchanged over time.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind