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.
Traitor
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Traitor, you don't know your mind
It says hi, you walk straight by
Missing person, you can't take
A look in your book 'cause it makes you shake
Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor
Traitor, you don't ever change
Same mistakes, again and again
You're so shallow, you try to get
Your feet in your mouth but they never get wet
Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor
I gave you love, I gave you love, I gave you love
What's the matter, ain't that enough?
I gave you love, I gave you love
See you later, traitor
Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor
You're so clever, you can see
I've known all along you were hassling me
Tell those faces on your head
As far as I'm concerned, you're dead
Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor
I gave you love, I gave you love, I gave you love
What's the matter, honey, ain't that enough?
I gave you love, I gave you love
See you later, traitor
Traitor, traitor
She just hears what she wants to fill
She can't help it, the girl can't help it
Destroys her brain, she's out of touch
Just what do you do that's worth so much
She had to run, know what I mean?
You and your convenient dream
Did she hurt, you bet she hurt
She left me naked, she just lost her shirt
Ain't no letter of revenge
Every line has got to end
You're just one woman I can't depend
See you later, traitor
Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor
Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor
Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor
...
The song "Traitor" by Ian Hunter highlights the frustration and betrayal that comes from a relationship with someone who cannot be trusted. The use of the word "traitor" repeatedly throughout the song emphasizes the feeling of being stabbed in the back. The person in question is flighty and inconsistent, unable to commit or follow through on promises. They are always looking for something better, something more exciting, and they leave a trail of disappointment and hurt in their wake.
The chorus of the song, "I gave you love, I gave you love, I gave you love. What's the matter, ain't that enough?" captures the exasperation the singer feels with this person. The repetition of this line serves to reinforce just how much effort was put into the relationship, and yet it was still not enough. The singer ultimately decides that this person is not worth the trouble and says, "See you later, traitor" in the final lines of the song.
Overall, "Traitor" is a raw and honest portrayal of the feelings that come with being in a relationship with someone who cannot commit. It conveys a message of self-worth and knowing when to walk away from a toxic situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor
The singer is calling out someone as a traitor multiple times.
Traitor, you don't know your mind
The singer accuses the person of being indecisive and not knowing what he/she wants.
It says hi, you walk straight by
The person ignores greetings and doesn't care about others.
Missing person, you can't take
The person is missing something in his/her life and can't handle it.
A look in your book 'cause it makes you shake
The person is afraid of confronting his/her problems and avoids them.
Traitor, you don't ever change
The person is stubborn and doesn't learn from his/her mistakes.
Same mistakes, again and again
The person repeats the same actions and doesn't grow or learn from them.
You're so shallow, you try to get
The person is superficial and only cares about materialistic things.
Your feet in your mouth but they never get wet
The person talks a big game, but doesn't follow through with his/her promises.
I gave you love, I gave you love, I gave you love
The singer gave the person a lot of love and affection.
What's the matter, ain't that enough?
The singer is asking the person what else he/she wants from him.
See you later, traitor
The singer is leaving the person and calling him/her a traitor.
You're so clever, you can see
The person is manipulative and sees through others.
I've known all along you were hassling me
The singer knew that the person was causing trouble for him/her.
Tell those faces on your head
The person has multiple personalities and acts differently around different people.
As far as I'm concerned, you're dead
The singer wants nothing to do with the person and considers him/her dead to him.
She just hears what she wants to fill
The person only hears what he/she wants to and ignores everything else.
She can't help it, the girl can't help it
The person is incapable of changing his/her behavior.
Destroys her brain, she's out of touch
The person's actions are damaging her/his own mind and makes him/her disconnected from reality.
Just what do you do that's worth so much
The singer is questioning the importance of the person's actions.
She had to run, know what I mean?
The person had to leave because of something he/she did.
You and your convenient dream
The person has unrealistic expectations and lives in a convenient fantasy.
Did she hurt, you bet she hurt
The person's actions caused hurt to someone else.
She left me naked, she just lost her shirt
The person's actions caused damage to the singer and the person lost something valuable in the process.
Ain't no letter of revenge
The singer doesn't want to seek revenge and is moving on from the situation.
Every line has got to end
Every story has a conclusion and this is the end of the line for this situation with the person.
You're just one woman I can't depend
The singer can't count on the person and doesn't need him/her in his/her life.
See you later, traitor
The singer is saying goodbye to the person and calling him/her a traitor one last time.
Traitor, traitor
The song ends with the repetition of the word traitor, reinforcing the singer's disdain towards the person.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: IAN HUNTER, R. ALTER, TOMMY MANDEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind