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.
To Rule Britannia From The Union Jack
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With the Body of the unknown soldier and the best of the brave
I have known you ever since I was a child
How come you don't salute me now when I smile
You was always so young and on all o' that money
How come new mourners pass you by and think it's so funny
I'd be there with you but I'm chained unto this stake
I looked down on a bunch of amusements, I looked down walls
I've looked on hangings 'n parades 'n city halls
And I've seen love in so many living rooms
And I've seen rich men slowly die inside their tombs
I know we're just two charms but it's heavy on my mind
Have faith in me I said, now, look at time
I know you're just a victim of your history but
Have faith in me, I said and you would be free
You pull me up and you pull me down
And when the Queen's in residence I hang around
I don't wave madly 'cos the climate's civilized
Just flutter sadly 'cos I'm old 'n I'm wise
And you-you been up, and you, you been down
You been through many things I know you been around
I have fought armies for you in the conflicts of the past
Britannia, I implore you, do not lower me by half.
In this song by Ian Hunter, he addresses Britannia, a personification of Great Britain, expressing his concerns about the country's state. He describes Britannia as drowning in her waves, with the body of the unknown soldier and the best of the brave. Hunter reminisces on his childhood, where he remembers Britannia being young and on all the money, but now she is ignored by new mourners who think it's funny. He expresses his loyalty to Britannia but feels as if he is chained to a stake and cannot leave, portraying a sense of being trapped. Hunter has observed many things throughout his life, ranging from parades, city halls, and love in living rooms, to the slow death of rich men inside their tombs.
Hunter tries to comfort Britannia, asking her to have faith in him and that she would be free. Hunter acknowledges that Britannia is a victim of her history, but he asks her not to lower him by half, imploring her not to give up on her core values. Throughout the song, Hunter speaks about how Britannia has been through many things and has been up and down, but he is worried about her current state. Hunter is not waving madly when the Queen is in residence; instead, he is fluttering sadly because of his age and wisdom.
Overall, Hunter is critical of the way Britain has changed and calls for a return to traditional values, such as loyalty and respect for the unknown soldier. He expresses his desire for Britannia to have faith in him, believing that holding onto those values will restore Britain to its former glory.
Line by Line Meaning
Poor Britannia, drowning in your waves
I feel sad for you, Britannia, because you are struggling
With the Body of the unknown soldier and the best of the brave
You have sacrificed so many courageous individuals
I have known you ever since I was a child
I have been familiar with you from a very young age
How come you don't salute me now when I smile
Why do people no longer show respect to me when I smile at them?
You was always so young and on all o' that money
You were always portrayed as youthful and wealthy
How come new mourners pass you by and think it's so funny
Why do people now ignore you and find humor in your struggles?
I'd be there with you but I'm chained unto this stake
I want to support you, but I am unable to do so due to my current situation
For I am loyalty but my mast I cannot forsake
I am loyal to you, but I cannot abandon my beliefs
I looked down on a bunch of amusements, I looked down walls
I have observed various forms of entertainment and structures from above
I've looked on hangings 'n parades 'n city halls
I have seen executions, celebrations, and government buildings in my time
And I've seen love in so many living rooms
I have witnessed love in many households
And I've seen rich men slowly die inside their tombs
I have witnessed wealthy individuals suffer emotionally despite their material possessions
I know we're just two charms but it's heavy on my mind
We may seem insignificant, but our relationship is weighing heavily on my thoughts
Have faith in me I said, now, look at time
Trust in me, as time will prove my loyalty to you
I know you're just a victim of your history but
I understand your struggles are due to your past experiences
Have faith in me, I said and you would be free
Believe in me and I can help you overcome your troubles
You pull me up and you pull me down
You have both uplifted and brought me down at times
And when the Queen's in residence I hang around
I am present when the Queen is staying nearby
I don't wave madly 'cos the climate's civilized
I don't excessively wave because it is not deemed appropriate in modern times
Just flutter sadly 'cos I'm old 'n I'm wise
I simply wave gently because I am aged and experienced
And you-you been up, and you, you been down
You have experienced many highs and lows in your history
You been through many things I know you been around
You have been through numerous challenges and have persevered
I have fought armies for you in the conflicts of the past
I have defended you in battles of previous generations
Britannia, I implore you, do not lower me by half.
I beg of you, Britannia, do not diminish my worth or loyalty
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@markvaught9510
Loved Ian in Mott as a boy. Loved him when he went solo and got Ronson to go with him. Saw him live in '89 in San Juan Capistrano, with Ronno still on guitar, making it all good again. Saw him last year at The Roxy. At 70+ his voice and wry asides in between songs took me all the way back to my youth ( I just turned 49 last week. lol). At one point during Roxy show last year, I closed my eyes and just listened. It was during the encores. They were knee deep in the middle of "Roll Away the Stone", a great Mott the Hoople song. For a brief moment, just a second, I was transported, not back to '74, or '75, or any year for that matter. I was in a place where time didn't exist, still I couldn't escape it, anymore than Ian can. But for that moment, the music was perfect and time mattered not. Just the moment, that perfect moment, I don't even have the right words for, but you know it if you've ever been there. Seems only music can get you there. And only when done by the best, the ones gifted by God with the magic, us mere mortals just don't have it.....
Ian Hunter has it, always has, and I pray always will.
Ian, simply put, one of the best.....
@ronh.798
Awesome, Mark. He hits a certain nerve with me as well, without doubt one of the best.
@iaincameron4867
What a great reply Mark Vaught.
@SheilaStJohn-rt9fp
Ian's voice reaches to my soul and heals me every time. Thank you Ian for being there when I need you the most.
@cosmiccat6708
Just love this song. Love the album from whence it came. Love the beautiful Ian Hunter. They really don't make 'em like this anymore. 😎💙
@Ramiknow
could listen to this ten times in a row, bring me a kind of blue mood, great great song , thanks for uploading this !
@phillyman5000
Jaco Pastorious on Bass!!  :)
@52philman
i got this album in '76 still listen to it ian is the man
@mrfunball5204
Nobody does a ballad like Ian Hunter
@peteythetiger
Some songs take you in the moment they begin. Thank you Ian.