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.
Women's Intuition
Ian Hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You don't know-but you got the judas in you babe
You can't trust
You can't deliver
Always whinin' you were sold down the river
I gave you-the best years of-your miserable life
Where did you go wrong girl, where did you go wrong
You're gonna wind up on your ass-you should have listened to your
Women's intuition
You can come (run)-but you can't hide-something messed you up inside
Ain't my fault-don't blame me-if you're dazed and confused
You're a lie, you're a television, tryin't drag into your prison
Had enough o'sleepin' rough-its over with you
Where did you go wrong babe
Where did you go wrong
Where did you go wrong girl
Nice try
Goodbye
You're gonna wind up on your ass-you should;ve listened to your
Women's intuition
Tarred by the same old feathers-guess we got to stick together
But I say to you-don't ever invade-my destiny
Bad enough I ain't normal, give up tryin't make me formal
What I need when I bleed
Don't mean nothing to you
Where did you go wrong babe, where did you go wrong
Where did you go wrong girl
Dumb moves, no class
You're gonna wind up on your ass-you should 've listened to your
Women'sintuition
The lyrics to "Women's Intuition" by Ian Hunter and Mick Ronson depict a person who is reflecting on a failed relationship with a woman who did not follow her instincts, called "women's intuition." The lyrics suggest that the woman did not trust, could not deliver, and had a tendency to whine. The singer of the song gave her the best years of her life, but in the end, she is going to wind up on her ass because she did not listen to her intuition.
The song also explores the idea of being true to oneself and not invading somebody else's destiny. The singer makes it clear that he does not want anyone interfering with his life and what he needs when he bleeds. He suggests that the woman in the song was trying to make him formal and did not understand what he needed.
Overall, the song is a cautionary tale that urges the listener to listen to their instincts, as it can save them from making poor decisions that will lead to failure.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the haze the mirror cries-hits you right between the eyes
You see yourself clearly in the mirror even though you're not completely sober, and the image is not a pretty one.
You don't know-but you got the judas in you babe
You're not aware, but you have the ability to be disloyal and turn on people close to you.
You can't trust
You're not reliable and people can't count on you to follow through.
You can't deliver
You promise things you can't fulfill and let people down.
Always whinin' you were sold down the river
You constantly complain and feel victimized even when it's your own bad choices that lead to your troubles.
I gave you-the best years of-your miserable life
I invested my time and effort into this relationship, but you didn't appreciate it and made it a miserable experience.
Where did you go wrong girl, where did you go wrong
You've made some serious mistakes in your life, and it's unclear at what point you took the wrong turn.
Where did you go wrong babe-nice try, wrong guy
You tried to make it work with the wrong person, but your effort was wasted.
You're gonna wind up on your ass-you should have listened to your
Women's intuition
You will suffer negative consequences for not following your instincts and relying on someone who was not trustworthy.
You can come (run)-but you can't hide-something messed you up inside
You can try to avoid dealing with your problems, but deep down, you know you're struggling with some personal issues.
Ain't my fault-don't blame me-if you're dazed and confused
I am not responsible for your confusion and lack of clarity in decision-making, so don't try to place the blame on me.
You're a lie, you're a television, tryin't drag into your prison
You're deceitful and manipulative, and you try to bring people into your toxic and limiting lifestyle.
Had enough o'sleepin' rough-its over with you
I am tired of going through the difficulties and hardships associated with being with you, so it's time to move on.
Tarred by the same old feathers-guess we got to stick together
We have a similar background and face similar challenges, so we should support each other.
But I say to you-don't ever invade-my destiny
Don't try to control or influence my life path and decisions.
Bad enough I ain't normal, give up tryin't make me formal
I'm unconventional and don't conform to societal norms, so stop trying to change me.
What I need when I bleed
Don't mean nothing to you
You don't understand or empathize with my emotional needs, even when I'm vulnerable.
Dumb moves, no class
You make poor decisions and lack manners or dignity.
Nice try
You made an unimpressive attempt.
Goodbye
I'm done with this toxic relationship.
You're gonna wind up on your ass-you should 've listened to your
Women's intuition
You will suffer negative consequences for not following your instincts and relying on someone who was not trustworthy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: IAN HUNTER, MICK RONSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joecerisano6874
One of my faves! I had the honor of singing background on this with Ian at the Power Station. Seems like a dream now. First time I heard it to work out our harmony I said to myself "Holy shit does this song rock!" Listening back to it for the first time in 20 years I feel the same way. "Holy shit does this song rock!" JoeC
@Stenove1957
I'm so jealous, what a memorie!!!!!
@ronnoten
+Joe Cerisano Great story, great song.....
@ronh.798
I got to see Ian and Mick on this tour in Pittsburgh, they were playing this song and Ian broke a string. His trusty guitar tech was there to give him another guitar and then proceeded to restring the guitar with the broken string. He took that broken string off the guitar and threw it in a garbage can, which I promptly pulled out and have to this day. Ian is my rock and roll hero.
@arthurcrabtree8612
Truly great track...just discovered it.....brilliant lyrics .....Ian Hunter....rock hero.....
@kelvin29011950
Never tire of listening to this track. Mick Ronson, what a legend.
@SkeebWilcox
Possibly the last great rock and roll song ever written...
@marvalstith2749
I'm on a roll and loving' it! Fabulous music/lyrics that challenge thought.
@francesharris429
Heard this today on Jonesy's Jukebox. Blew me away. Of course it was Hunter and Ronson. Absolutely amazing Rock n Roll. Love this
@petergriffith3887
Ditto Frances-don't know how I missed this one back in the day.