=>Beginning History
Ian Stuart Donaldson, formerly of The Rolling Stones cover band Tumbling Dice, formed Skrewdriver after seeing the Sex Pistols in Manchester. Skrewdriver at first had a punk appearance, but they changed their image into a skinhead look in 1977. They also temporarily had a rocker/biker look, around the time they released the EP Built Up Knocked Down. In 1978, Donaldson moved to Salford, where he recruited guitarist Glenn Jones and drummer Martin Smith. This lineup toured extensively, but many venues were reluctant to book the band because of their reputation as a violent skinhead band attracting audience fights.
Performing largely for a skinhead fan-base, the first versions of the band released one album and two singles on the Chiswick label. This version of the band split up in January 1979 after a concert in Warrington, but Donaldson resurrected the name Skrewdriver in 1982 using new musicians. Several past individuals associated with the group, many of them politically left-wing or centrist, have condemned the latter third position incarnation.
=>Band Musicians And More History
As mentioned, Skrewdriver inherited its first line-up from it’s predecessor, the band Tumbling Dice, which Donaldson had formed in 1975. They felt influenced by contemporary hard rock as well as seminal punk contemporaries such as the Ramones and The Clash. They were Ian Stuart Donaldson, Kev McKay, John Grinton and Phil Walmsley. When the band changed from punk to skinhead, Walmsley bowed out and was substituted with skinhead Ron Hartley. The 1977 release All Skrewed Up managed to give the group considerable underground success, and it's been regarded since as an early punk classic. However, by 1978, the band disbanded.
Both moving to Salford’s Cheetham Hill, McKay and Donaldson reformed the band in 1979 with local Manchester talents Glenn Jones and Martin Smith. Skrewdriver became a regular act at the Mayflower club in Belle Vue and toured local gig venues around Greater Manchester. The version of the band was to be short-lived and, after an ill-fated concert in Warrington in 1980, the band fell apart again.
This time, Donaldson left all the others behind and moved on his own down to London. By 1981, Skrewdriver had reformed for the 3rd time, still with Ian Stuart Donaldson of course. The new additions were Mark Neeson, Mark French and Geoff Williams. French and Williams had previously played with The Elite.
It was this line-up that released the 12” EP 'Back With A Bang' on Last Resort Records in 1982. External pressure on the band took its toll, and, by 1984, all three had left the band. Donaldson recruited Mark Sutherland, Adam Douglas, and Murray Holmes. Holmes, an Australian, had previously played with the band Quick And The Dead. Skrewdriver soon released their LP Invasion on the newly-signed West German label Rock-o-Rama Records, which would stay faithful to the band until the tragic end. The line-up was strengthened with Steve Roda coming in the following year.
Touring extensively once again, by 1987 the line-up is described on artwork as Ian Stuart (Donaldson), Mark Sutherland, Martin Cross, Ross McGarry, Merv Shields, and John Burnley who was the brother of No Remorse’s Paul Burnley. Steve Calladine, better known as Stigger, joined Skrewdriver in late 1987. Donaldson also launched a solo career as Ian Stuart with the release of solo material backed by a group known as 'Strikeforce', which essentially was the remaining band. Skrewdriver as a band continued, however, in parallel with Donaldson’s solo career.
In 1990, the sprawling line-up was added to with John Hickson. Over the 80s, the group released a variety of albums, many of them striking a chord with disillusioned British youths unhappy with both Thatcherism and the Labour alternative, much to the alarm of the mainstream press. Skrewdriver concerts were, although planned in advance, highly secretive, and Donaldson faced many attempts on his life. Releases at this time prominently included the albums Boots & Braces, Blood & Honour, and Hail The New Dawn.
On the 24th of September 1993, Ian Stuart Donaldson died from the injuries sustained in a car-crash the previous evening and with him the band Skrewdriver ceased. Although subject to a large variety of conspiracy theories, most fans have agreed that the death was a surprising, sudden accident. Since then, countless benefit and remembrance gigs has been played in his and the band’s honour, with virtually every rock against communism band worth their salt, producing a Skrewdriver cover.
=>Labels
During their 17-year career, Skrewdriver were signed by five labels:
1977 - Chiswick Records
1979 - TJM Manchester
1982 - Last Resort Sounds
1982 - White Noise Records
1984 - Rock-O-Rama Records
(This list does not include compilations and spin-off work)
=>Members List
(Initial Band)
Ian Stuart Donaldson - Vocals & Guitar
Phil Walmsley - Guitar
Ron Hartley - Guitar
Kev McKay - Bass
John "Grinny" Grinton - Drums
(Other Members)
Glenn Jones
Martin Cross
Dave Cording
Bradley Napier
Mark French
Geoff Williams
Mark Neeson
Joseph Smith
Adam Douglas
Merv Shields
Murray Holmes
Dave Wane
Paul Swain
Stiv "Iena" Roda
Stigger
John Burnley
Colin Smith
Mushy
Mike French
Mark Radcliffe
Andrew Skinner
Ford Freemantle
Simple Man
Skrewdriver Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely, to what I say
And if you do this, it will help you some sunny day
Oh take your time now, don't live too fast
Troubles will come, and troubles will pass
Go find a woman, and you'll find love
[Chorus:]
And be a simple kind of man
Oh be something, yeah, you love and understand
And be a simple, yeah, kind of man
Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can
Forget the lust now, for rich man's gold
All that you need is, is in your soul
And you can do this son, if you try
All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied
But don't you worry, you'll find yourself
Follow your heart, and nothing else
And you can do this, if you try
All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied
Skrewdriver's "Simple Man" draws inspiration from the wisdom imparted by a mother to her son, urging him to take life slowly and cherish the simple things. The song encourages the listener to look beyond the pursuit of material wealth and appreciate the inner beauty of life, with relationships and spirituality providing the truest forms of fulfillment.
The song opens with the mother's voice and her plea to her son to listen to her words of advice. The first stanza sets the tone for the song- advising the listener to take things slowly and not rush through life. The second stanza encourages the listener to seek out the love of a woman and to remember their spiritual beliefs. The chorus of the song repeats the titular phrase, emphasizing the importance of remaining a simple man in a world consumed by materialism. The third stanza encourages the listener to dismiss the pursuit of wealth and focus on inner peace and satisfaction. The final stanza reiterates the message of the song, urging the listener to stay true to themselves and follow their hearts to gain satisfaction.
Line by Line Meaning
My mother told me, when I was young
The singer's mother gave him advice when he was a child
Come sit beside me, my only son
The mother wants to have a conversation with her son
And listen closely, to what I say
The mother wants her son to pay attention to her advice
And if you do this, it will help you some sunny day
The mother believes that her advice will benefit her son in the future
Oh take your time now, don't live too fast
The mother advises her son to slow down and not rush through life
Troubles will come, and troubles will pass
The mother acknowledges that there will be difficulties in life, but they will eventually subside
Go find a woman, and you'll find love
The mother suggests that a romantic partner can bring love into the singer's life
And don't forget son, there's someone up above
The mother reminds her son of the presence of a higher power
And be a simple kind of man
The singer encourages simplicity in life
Oh be something, yeah, you love and understand
The singer advises to find joy in something that the listener is passionate about and understands
Oh won't you do this for me son, if you can
The singer urges the listener to follow his advice if possible
Forget the lust now, for rich man's gold
The singer tells the listener to prioritize inner wealth over material possessions
All that you need is, is in your soul
The singer believes that true fulfillment comes from within
And you can do this son, if you try
The singer believes that the listener can achieve inner wealth with effort
All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied
The singer's ultimate hope for the listener is to find satisfaction in life
But don't you worry, you'll find yourself
The singer reassures the listener that they will discover their true identity
Follow your heart, and nothing else
The singer encourages the listener to trust their intuition over external influences
And you can do this, if you try
The singer believes that the listener can find their true self with effort
All that I want for you my son, is to be satisfied
The singer once again expresses his wish for the listener to find fulfillment in life
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP
Written by: BRANDON HEATH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eddy Bluesteel
Met him many times he was always calm and friendly with me no trouble!
Sce cyber plays
Are you white
William Thomas
@Sce cyber plays are you gay?
Sce cyber plays
@William Thomas sick burn
Henrieta Bačova
Must be an joke? You know him Before hi died??
Michał Białas
Zawszę w naszej pamięci bracie...
W1kt00r
Fare well Ian Stuart. Będzie się pamiętać człowieka, tak jak w Polsce "Szczerego"...
𝕯𝖗.𝕻𝖊𝖗𝖚𝖓
14! 44!
Right Music
Ian Stuart 🇷🇺🇬🇧
1957-1993
we remember, honor and take revenge!
𝕯𝖗.𝕻𝖊𝖗𝖚𝖓
So what happend with SKins in UK ? Nobody have will to fight for country any more ? This country is dying from isnide....