Mott the Hoople formed when Silence, a not-too-successful group from the Welsh borders, was joined by session pianist and rock and roll hopeful Ian Hunter along with musicians Mick Ralphs, Verden Allen, Pete Overend Watts, and Dale Griffin . They developed from Dylan obsessives to their own character over the course of four albums for Island. They were a very popular live act but only achieved brief commercial success.
In 1971, the band was close to splitting up but continued to record track "All the Young Dudes", a song written for them by up and coming pop star and fan David Bowie. Three more albums and several pop hits later, the group fell apart after Ian Hunter left in 1974. The remaining members mutated into Mott, an 'also-ran' band which released two albums before disbanding in 1976. Original guitarist Ralphs had a massive boost in his fortunes as a member of rockers Bad Company.
Griffin died in his sleep on 17 January 2016 at the age of 67 and Watts died, almost exactly a year later, on 22 January 2017, from throat cancer.
Movin' On
Mott the Hoople Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pack up my belongings cause I gotta get away
Jump into a taxi and the time is getting tight
Heading for the airport cause I got a show tonight
And I'm movin' on, movin' on from town to town
I'm movin' on, my feet are never on the ground
Well I check into the ticket desk with half an hour to go
Fifteen minutes later and I'm sitting on a plane
Fastening my safety belt I'm taking off again
And I'm movin' on, movin' on from town to town
Yeah I'm movin' on, my feet are never on the ground
Yeah I'm movin' on, movin' on from town to town
Yeah I'm movin' on, my feet are never on the ground
Mott the Hoople's song Movin' On is a reflection of the life of a touring musician, constantly on the move from one location to another, always on the go. The opening lines of the song establish the daily routine of the singer, getting up in the morning and packing his belongings, knowing that he has to leave the town he is in and head for the airport to catch a flight to another town where he has a performance that night. The urgency of the situation is conveyed through the lyrics describing the time being tight, and the need to jump into a taxi to hasten the journey to the airport.
The singer's mood is one of weariness and exhaustion as he describes feeling low while walking towards the boarding gate. However, he takes comfort in the fact that he knows the routine all too well, having done it many times before. As he fastens his seatbelt and the plane takes off, he is once again filled with the thrill of anticipation and the undeniable excitement of performing for a live audience. The chorus of the song, "I'm movin' on, my feet are never on the ground," is a poignant reference to the transient nature of the touring musician's life, with the feet constantly in motion, moving from town to town.
Overall, Movin' On is a song about the highs and lows of a life on the road. The song expresses the weariness and loneliness that often accompanies long periods of travel, while also expressing the thrill of the performance, the adrenaline rush of being in front of a crowd, and ultimately, the satisfaction of a hard day's work.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I get up in the morning and it's just another day
Every day is the same for me, nothing new begins.
Pack up my belongings cause I gotta get away
I have to leave now, quickly packing my things.
Jump into a taxi and the time is getting tight
I'm in a hurry and getting into a taxi to make it on time.
Heading for the airport cause I got a show tonight
I'm rushing to catch a plane for my performance tonight.
And I'm movin' on, movin' on from town to town
I keep moving from one place to another very often.
I'm movin' on, my feet are never on the ground
I never have time to rest, I'm always on the move.
Well I check into the ticket desk with half an hour to go
I arrived at the check-in counter just in time, with 30 minutes left.
Heading for the boarding gate I'm feeling pretty low
As I'm walking to the gate, I'm feeling down and tired.
Fifteen minutes later and I'm sitting on a plane
After 15 minutes, I'm already on the plane and ready to go.
Fastening my safety belt I'm taking off again
I'm fastening my seat belt and the plane is taking off once more.
And I'm movin' on, movin' on from town to town
I'm constantly travelling, never staying in one town for too long.
Yeah I'm movin' on, my feet are never on the ground
My life is always on the move and I never give myself time to rest.
Yeah I'm movin' on, movin' on from town to town
I'm always in transit, going from place to place.
Yeah I'm movin' on, my feet are never on the ground
I never stop to take a break, always on the go.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICK RALPHS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gene Ferguson
I didn't know Mott did this. I was only aware of the Bad Company version. It's not bad. But I much prefer the Bad Company version. The vocals are far better.
ASEN
vientossss
lorraine ballard
hmmm....could have become the hit single they needed back in the day !
papa John
Bad company made it later..
Mr. Magister
Should've been a single....
kris s
weird. like sum kinda variety show version of boogie...bad co's take much bettr.