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.
Twisted Steel
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well, there ain't nothin' I can do
To take the pain away from you
Another one lost on the battlefield
of twisted steel, twisted steel
There ain't nothin' I can say
I can't believe that this is real
Twisted steel, twisted steel
And if I cry, it makes no difference
And if I don't, I lose my innocence
I can't imagine how a mother must feel
(With) twisted steel, twisted steel
Can you hear your mother callin'?
Can you hear your mother callin'?
Can you hear your mother ca-- she kneels
Twisted steel, twisted steel
This wasn't sacred, this was profane
You took off and you took aim
I saw you laughin' on the newsreel
Twisted steel, twisted steel
Can you hear your mother callin'?
Can you hear your mother callin'?
Can you hear your mother, she kneels
Oh, twisted steel, twisted steel
Twisted steel, twisted steel
Twisted steel, twisted steel
Twisted steel, twisted steel
Twisted people, twisted minds
Twisted logic, twisted times
I can't imagine how a mother must feel
Twisted steel, twisted steel
In "Twisted Steel," Ian Hunter sings about the devastation and pain caused by war. He begins by acknowledging that there is nothing he can do to ease the pain of those who have lost loved ones on the battlefield. He describes the harrowing images of twisted metal and the death it brings, calling it a battlefield of "twisted steel." Hunter then ponders the futility of his emotions, recognizing that whether he cries or doesn't, it will not change the tragedy that has occurred. He imagines the pain of a mother who has lost her child on the battlefield of twisted steel, and he continues to reflect on the absurdity and profanity of war.
Hunter's use of the phrase "twisted steel" is metaphorical, mirroring the twisted logic and twisted times associated with war. The image of twisted metal represents not only the wreckage created by bombs and machines, but also the emotional and psychological damage inflicted on the soldiers and their loved ones. The repetition of the phrase throughout the song emphasizes the lasting impact of war on those who experience it.
Overall, "Twisted Steel" is a powerful and heartbreaking commentary on the senseless nature of war and the toll it takes on humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, there ain't nothin' I can do
The singer feels powerless as there is nothing they can do to alleviate the pain that others feel.
To take the pain away from you
The singer acknowledges the pain of the person who has suffered a loss due to the war and they wish they could remove it.
Another one lost on the battlefield
The singer reflects on a life taken on the battlefield, how it affects the family and friends of the fallen soldier.
of twisted steel, twisted steel
They are referring to the battlefield as twisted steel, as if it is a wicked, destructive force that leaves behind only grief and pain.
There ain't nothin' I can say
The artist acknowledges that words are inadequate to heal the pain that the family feels.
To help you take the (pain) away
The singer wishes they could help take the emotional pain away from the person who has suffered a loss.
I can't believe that this is real
The singer is in disbelief about the pain and suffering caused by war, as if they are in a nightmare.
And if I cry, it makes no difference
The artist feels helpless and powerless, knowing that their tears will not change anything.
And if I don't, I lose my innocence
The artist feels that showing empathy for the families of soldiers killed in action has become too hard and overwhelming, and that losing their innocence in this matter is inevitable.
I can't imagine how a mother must feel
The artist is in awe of the pain mothers of soldiers killed in action must feel, and how it must be insufferable.
(With) twisted steel, twisted steel
The battlefield is referred to as twisted steel, a metaphor for the destruction it creates.
Can you hear your mother callin'?
The artist imagines the call of a mother who has lost her child in battle, searching for him/her.
Can you hear your mother callin'?
The singer repeats the question for emphasis, highlighting how unbearable it must be for a mother to lose her child.
Can you hear your mother, she kneels
The mother is on her knees, devastated and praying for her child's safe return, unaware of their fate.
This wasn't sacred, this was profane
The singer believes that war is not a noble cause, but a destructive and profane act that causes immense pain and suffering.
You took off and you took aim
The artist refers to the act of soldiers being trained to kill, which makes war inhumane.
I saw you laughin' on the newsreel
The artist is in disbelief of the news, shocked that people can laugh at the destruction that war causes.
Twisted steel, twisted steel
The singer repeats the metaphor of 'twisted steel' to emphasize the devastation that war creates.
Twisted people, twisted minds
The singer draws attention to the fact that the people who cause war have their own twisted logic which they justify as moral.
Twisted logic, twisted times
The artist highlights how war blurs the ethical and moral lines in society, and how it causes confusion about what is right and wrong.
I can't imagine how a mother must feel
The artist repeats the phrase to highlight how incomprehensible the pain of a mother who loses her child is.
Twisted steel, twisted steel
The artist repeats the metaphor to emphasize the devastation and destruction caused by war.
Contributed by Nora L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.