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.
When the Daylight Comes
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo, Ooooo
Sweet woman what's your name?
You smell as fresh as the rain
Instead of leaving you came
Let me feel your hair
The hungry years are so nice
Shadows shake in the lamplight
No writer could explain
But when the daylight comes
But when the daylight comes
But when the daylight comes
I'll be on my way
Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo, Ooooo
Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo, Ooooo
Oo-Oo-Oo, Oo-Oo-Oo, Ooooo, yeah!
Please share my bed and I swear
That I won't touch you nowhere
Just need your warmth and your care
Don't want to mess around
And when the daylight comes
Yeah when the daylight comes
Oh when the daylight comes
I'll be on my way
Yeah when the daylight comes
Yeah when the daylight comes
Yeah when the daylight comes
I'll be on my way
But there's a song in the air
And it knows that you're there
'Cause it's making me share
You with my life
I know I know I know that
I want to weave you in words
Want to paint you in verse
Want to leave you in someone else's dreams
It seems the only way, Hey!
I can thank you, thank you baby
Some people say that we're sinners
Some people say that we're winners
We make good gossip at dinners
They try to pin us down
But when the daylight comes
Yeah when the daylight comes
Oh when the daylight comes
I'll be on my way
Yeah when the daylight comes
Yeah when the daylight comes
Oh when the daylight comes
We'll be on my way
[Repeat]
"When the Daylight Comes" by Ian Hunter is a song that depicts a passionate night between two lovers. The stanzas primarily express the man's desire for the woman he's spending the night with. He admires her physical features, such as her hair and her fresh smell, and begs her not to leave his bed. He knows that their relationship is fleeting and that he has to leave when the daylight comes. However, the man is spiritually moved by the experience, and he seems to want to remember the passion forever. He wants to immortalize the woman through his art, and he yearns to express his gratitude to her for this experience.
Hunter's composition is unique in that it is a love ballad with a sense of urgency. His lyrics soar with emotional depth and are emotionally charged with an open-ended finish. He uses poetic language to express his ideas, which gives the song an ethereal, almost otherworldly, quality. The metaphor of the light creates an atmosphere of hope, and the song implies that even though the man must leave, he will never forget the experience.
In conclusion, "When the Daylight Comes" is a song about passion and the fleeting nature of love. Hunter conveys the theme with a sense of urgency and a mellifluous tone. He uses poetic language to create an ethereal atmosphere, and this ultimately gives the song a timeless quality.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet woman what's your name?
Ian Hunter expresses his curiosity about the woman he meets and asks for her name.
You smell as fresh as the rain
The woman has an alluring scent that reminds Ian of the freshness of the rain.
Instead of leaving you came
Ian is surprised that the woman decided to stay with him rather than leave after their initial encounter.
Let me feel your hair
Ian is drawn to the woman's physical beauty and asks to touch her hair.
A light shines in your eyes
Ian comments on the light that he sees in the woman's eyes, which is possibly a reflection of her personality.
The hungry years are so nice
Ian mentions the enjoyable nature of the hard times that they are going through together.
Shadows shake in the lamplight
The shadows that the lamp casts tremble, giving an aesthetic quality to the surroundings.
No writer could explain
Ian acknowledges that the beauty of the environment is hard to describe in words.
But when the daylight comes
Ian knows that he has to leave when it gets light outside.
I'll be on my way
Ian will depart when morning arrives.
Please share my bed and I swear
Ian pleads with the woman to sleep beside him and promises not to try anything.
That I won't touch you nowhere
Ian assures the woman that he won't make any advances on her.
Just need your warmth and your care
Ian desires her company, and her warmth and caring nature.
Don't want to mess around
Ian does not want their relationship to be physically involved because it might spoil their experience together.
But there's a song in the air
Ian is inspired by the woman and feels there's a romantic tune in the atmosphere.
And it knows that you're there
The song is aware of the woman's presence and influences Ian.
'Cause it's making me share
The music makes Ian want to share his life with the woman.
You with my life
Ian wants the woman to be a vital part of his life.
I know I know I know that
Ian is confident in his desire to express his feelings for the woman.
I want to weave you in words
Ian wants to describe the woman by weaving beautiful words.
Want to paint you in verse
Ian wants to create a picture of the woman in poetic language.
Want to leave you in someone else's dreams
Ian wishes to express his admiration for the woman in his writing, which will allow her to become part of someone else's thoughts.
It seems the only way, Hey!
Ian concludes that writing is the only way to express his emotions for the woman.
I can thank you, thank you baby
Ian expresses gratitude for the experience he had with the woman.
Some people say that we're sinners
Ian acknowledges that society might see their relationship as taboo.
Some people say that we're winners
Ian views their relationship as successful and fulfilling.
We make good gossip at dinners
Ian admits that people enjoy talking about their involvement at social gatherings.
They try to pin us down
Ian recognizes that some people try to control their relationship and make it conform to their ideas.
We'll be on my way
Ian acknowledges that both he and the woman will be leaving together when daylight arrives.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ron Harris
Ian is my favourite artist and this one again displays his ability as a wordsmith of the highest order.
Segeln Natur
This song is one of the best ever written. It made my summer living on Block Island back in 1979. 🎶🎻
Chris Cook
I remember this album 1979, getting heavy airplay on WMMS ( "the Buzzard" ) in Cleveland. A solid career revival album for Ian. Without the song "Cleveland Rocks" it might not have gotten much notice...
John Efaw
Back in the carefree days of youth, when my biggest worry was if I could score a bag of weed for the weekend. Lol
song&danceman
great song & album...gold. ian still play live with a great band, still plays great music
Bums Harvest
Great song, puts me back in high school when Detroit rock radio was sooo good.
Gary Boyer
You will like our programming at www.885fm.org Playing this very song on Monday around noon, PST
John Payne
Damn I forgot about this one, loved it, 28 yrs. later I love again!
bill caldwell
This was the first song from this album they played on the radio here in Chicago. Love this song.
Bob Kozinski
bill caldwell Amen. Love that time in our town - The Loop. Great album- wore it out!