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.
Boy
Ian hunter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
After all you're still quite small you don't know where you've been
You was only swearing yesterday
Oh you want to win the world away
But now you got nothing to say-ay-ay
Boy you're getting out of hand
You've got to make a stand
So put the coke away
Got to let the people know
You got the strength to stay
I can see you run
I can see you hide
Oh your heart is aching
Lost in a dream of what might have been
You're the guide
You're the number one
And your knees are shaking
Stand and deliver in an endless dream
Schizophrenic, photogenic, aggravates me so
Only yes-men
Have a guess man
Watch the spirit go
Batman zips the monster as he bleeds
And gets up on the buzz he needs
And a kid on the street just reads
And reads, and reads, and reads
And reads, and reads, and reads
Boy it's them hard case city blues
Cagney is the news
Does the giant ring a bell
Boy it's the Hudson East river cruise
It's the Empire State buffoons
Oh you know the story well
Do you have to run
Do you have to hide
There's a new tomorrow
Yes you're a mess
But you're more than less
When this battles won
You can look inside
Oh you did not borrow
Yes you're the best
But you still can't rest
You know, you know
The carnival is closed
Your street's alive with ghosts
But a friend says don't look back
Don't look back, don't look round
Your vision is your fate
Through long electric nights
When a woman helps you write
Na na na, na na na
Na
Na na na, na na na
Cheer up mate, put the dramas in the past
See you did not have to fast
Euphemism lasts and lasts and lasts
And lasts, and lasts, and lasts
And lasts, and lasts
Boy if you've got an axe to grind
Be thankful for this time
For it gives you what you need
Boy you've got an eighty-eight to play
It'll tell you what to say
It'll tell you when to breathe
Boy take a turnpike heading West
Turn the people on to Beau Geste
'Cause that's what you did the best
Boy play the pipes 'til they're old and worn
Sing the words 'til they fall forlorn
Like the pieces of a jigsaw jet
Boy don't let the Earth get in your face
Its a middle-aged displace
Its the middle ages snide
Boy we're a million miles away
And to think its so insane
Take a chance on a one way ride
Boy shoot a rocket clean out of your mind
Oh these people ain't your kind
No they ain't your kind at all
Boy shoot a rocket clean out of your brain
No these people ain't the same
You can hear another call
Boy the other book starts with no
They don't show us how to grow
They only show us how to win
Boy the secret's in the bicycle shed
Ain't no answers now they're dead
To seek is a mortal sin
Hey you know boy let your madness be the clue
In the lyrics of Ian Hunter's "Boy," he seems to be addressing a young person who is struggling to find their place in the world. The opening lines caution against genocidal tendencies, which the singer views as extreme and pointless. Despite the young person's desire to win the world away, they have nothing to say. The singer implores the boy to put the coke away and make a stand. They need to showcase their strength and let people know that they are here to make a difference.
The lyrics continue to address a number of themes, including struggling with mental health issues, feeling like an outsider, and navigating the city streets. The singer suggests that the boy is schizophrenic and photogenic, which aggravates them. They lament that the only people who seem to be around are yes-men who do not challenge the boy. They compare the boy's life to being in a carnival that has closed down and a street that is full of ghosts. However, the singer encourages the boy to keep moving forward, to turn the people on to Beau Geste, and to never let the Earth get in their face.
Overall, the song seems to be a sort of pep-talk to someone who is struggling to find their way in life. The singer urges the boy to keep pushing forward, keep trying new things, and never give up on their dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Genocidal tendencies are silly to extreme
It's foolish to have such extreme desires as genocide
After all you're still quite small you don't know where you've been
You're still young and inexperienced, so you don't know everything about life
You was only swearing yesterday
You were cursing only yesterday
Oh you want to win the world away
You want to be very successful in the world
But now you got nothing to say-ay-ay
Now you don't have anything to say
Boy you're getting out of hand
Boy, you're behaving badly
You've got to make a stand
You must take a firm position
So put the coke away
Stop using cocaine
Boy you got the do the show
Boy, you have to perform for the audience
Got to let the people know
You have to let others know what you're capable of
You got the strength to stay
You have the strength to persist
I can see you run
I can see you trying to escape
I can see you hide
I can see you trying to conceal yourself
Oh your heart is aching
Oh, you're feeling deep emotional pain
Lost in a dream of what might have been
You're consumed with thoughts of what might have been if things had gone differently
You're the guide
You're the one leading the way
You're the number one
You're the most important person
And your knees are shaking
And you're feeling very nervous
Stand and deliver in an endless dream
Hold your ground and persevere despite the challenges
Schizophrenic, photogenic, aggravates me so
Being schizophrenic and photogenic is irritating to me
Only yes-men
Only people who agree with you
Have a guess man
Are able to guess what you want
Watch the spirit go
Watch the mood change
Batman zips the monster as he bleeds
As a monster bleeds, Batman uses a zip line to move quickly
And gets up on the buzz he needs
And he gets motivated for what he needs to do
And a kid on the street just reads
And a kid on the street is reading a book
Boy it's them hard case city blues
Boy, it's the difficult and unsolvable problems of the city
Cagney is the news
Cagney is in the headlines
Does the giant ring a bell
Does the name "giant" sound familiar?
Boy it's the Hudson East river cruise
Boy, it's a cruise on the Hudson and East rivers
It's the Empire State buffoons
It's the idiots in the Empire State
Oh you know the story well
Oh, you're well aware of this story
Do you have to run
Do you really need to flee?
Do you have to hide
Do you need to hide yourself?
There's a new tomorrow
There's a better future ahead
Yes you're a mess
Yes, you're having difficulty
But you're more than less
But you're still better than before
When this battles won
When this battle is over
You can look inside
You can explore your feelings and thoughts
Oh you did not borrow
Oh, you didn't take a loan from anyone
Yes you're the best
Yes, you're very good
But you still can't rest
But you shouldn't relax yet
You know, you know
You understand.
The carnival is closed
The fun is over
Your street's alive with ghosts
Your street is full of memories
But a friend says don't look back
But a friend advises not to dwell on the past
Don't look back, don't look round
Don't spend too long looking back or reminiscing
Your vision is your fate
Your goals and aspirations determine your destiny
Through long electric nights
Through long nights filled with excitement
When a woman helps you write
When a woman assists you with writing
Na na na, na na na
Lyrics without significant meaning
Cheer up mate, put the dramas in the past
Cheer up, forget about your troubles
See you did not have to fast
You didn't have to endure deprivation
Euphemism lasts and lasts and lasts
Euphemisms are persistent and long-lasting
Boy if you've got an axe to grind
Boy, if you have an issue to be resolved
Be thankful for this time
Be grateful for this moment
For it gives you what you need
It provides what you require
Boy you've got an eighty-eight to play
Boy, you have a piano to play
It'll tell you what to say
It will guide you in what to say
It'll tell you when to breathe
It will instruct you when to breathe
Boy take a turnpike heading West
Boy, take the turnpike westward
Turn the people on to Beau Geste
Get people interested in a novel called Beau Geste
'Cause that's what you did the best
Because that's what you excelled at doing
Boy play the pipes 'til they're old and worn
Boy, play the bagpipes until they're very old
Sing the words 'til they fall forlorn
Sing the words until they become sad and lonely
Like the pieces of a jigsaw jet
Like the pieces of a puzzle scattered everywhere
Boy don't let the Earth get in your face
Boy, don't let the world bring you down
Its a middle-aged displace
It's a place for people who are middle-aged
Its the middle ages snide
It's a place of cynicism common to the middle-ages
Boy we're a million miles away
Boy, we're very far apart
And to think its so insane
And it's crazy to think about it
Take a chance on a one way ride
Take a risk and go in one direction
Boy shoot a rocket clean out of your mind
Boy, shoot a rocket out of your imagination
Oh these people ain't your kind
Oh, these people aren't like you
No they ain't your kind at all
They're not the same type of person at all
Boy shoot a rocket clean out of your brain
Boy, send a rocket out of your mind
No these people ain't the same
No, these people are not equal to you
You can hear another call
You can hear a different calling
Boy the other book starts with no
Boy, the other book begins with a negative attitude
They don't show us how to grow
They don't teach us how to develop and mature
They only show us how to win
They only teach us how to be victorious
Boy the secret's in the bicycle shed
Boy, the solution is in the bicycle shed
Ain't no answers now they're dead
There are no answers now that they're gone
To seek is a mortal sin
To search for answers is a risky decision
Hey you know boy let your madness be the clue
Hey, you know, boy, let your craziness guide you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN HUNTER, MICK RONSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind