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.
The Journey
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a man on a bridge, called suicide
And he hangs his head while the coast is glad
Halfway to a borderline
I can see the end for the very first time.
Well, I know I’ve lost just a little bit on the journey
You know I’ve lost just a little bit on the journey
Tried so hard to get home.
No ways to ride, no ways to travel
No tracks to tell on down
No ………………….
But I must still go on.
…… I hear ………..
……………………….
…………….. my ………
….. the tears I cried.
And I could find the …. way to get to you, you know
Nobody …………………………………
I guess you know that ………………
And I can’t …………………………
…………………
You nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did me in
Oh, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did me in
Oh, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did me in
And I need some place to hide my weary anger
‘Cause I can feel, I say I can feel, I say I can feel, oh I can feel
Oh, I can feel, I can feel ...
The lyrics to "The Journey" by Ian Hunter describe a man on a bridge contemplating suicide. The man is overwhelmed with the burdens of life and cannot find a reason to go on. Hunter's lyrics paint a picture of a desolate and lonely place, with no ways to ride or travel, no tracks to follow, and no clear path forward. The bridge becomes a metaphor for the man's life, as he sees the end in sight for the first time.
Throughout the song, Hunter laments the hardships and struggles he's encountered on his journey through life. He's lost just a little bit on the way and tried so hard to get home. The journey has taken a toll on him, and he's looking for someplace to hide his weary anger. Despite the difficulties, Hunter decides to press on, even though he doesn't know what lies ahead. He hears a voice calling out to him, and he weeps for the tears he's cried. Although he's lost sight of his destination, he continues to move forward and search for a way home.
Overall, "The Journey" is a poignant and powerful song that speaks to the human experience of pain, loneliness, and the struggle to find meaning in life. Hunter's lyrics capture the emotional weight of these experiences, and his melody adds a haunting and melancholy tone to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a man on a bridge, called suicide
On a bridge stands a man who is contemplating suicide
And he hangs his head while the coast is glad
The man on the bridge is sad while everyone around him is happy
Halfway to a borderline
The man on the bridge is at a crossroads in his life
I can see the end for the very first time.
The man sees the end of his life for the first time
Well, I know I’ve lost just a little bit on the journey
The singer has lost something during his journey
Oh, you know I’ve lost just a little bit on the way
The singer has lost something on his journey
You know I’ve lost just a little bit on the journey
The singer has lost something on his journey
Tried so hard to get home.
The singer has tried hard to return to a place he considers home
No ways to ride, no ways to travel
There are no means of transportation available
No tracks to tell on down
There are no paths or roads to follow
No ………………….
Unknown line, cannot provide meaning
But I must still go on.
Despite the lack of options, the singer must continue on his journey
…… I hear ………..
Unknown line, cannot provide meaning
……………………….
Unknown line, cannot provide meaning
…………….. my ………
Unknown line, cannot provide meaning
….. the tears I cried.
The singer is reminded of the pain he has experienced
And I could find the …. way to get to you, you know
The singer knows the way to get to someone he cares about
Nobody …………………………………
Unknown line, cannot provide meaning
I guess you know that ………………
The person he cares about knows he wants to see them
And I can’t …………………………
Unknown line, cannot provide meaning
…………………
Unknown line, cannot provide meaning
You nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did me in
Someone almost caused the singer great harm
Oh, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did me in
Someone almost caused the singer great harm
Oh, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did me in
Someone almost caused the singer great harm
And I need some place to hide my weary anger
The singer needs a place to vent his frustrations
‘Cause I can feel, I say I can feel, I say I can feel, oh I can feel
The singer is expressing the intensity of his emotions
Oh, I can feel, I can feel ...
The singer continues to express the intensity of his emotions
Contributed by Owen O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.