About Arms and Legs which is a catchy heartfelt love song Ian says "A good song!" It is and he is honest with his work when some songs don't make it but this one does. It's a song of being all in at 100% and you've given the relationship your all. The deftly structured track possesses a killer chorus describing "a ghostly shadow of a man," unsteady of his feet, pondering a lost opportunity, performed in a most reflective manner.
This song is one of those should have been a hit sensitive love songs that Ian excels in. Hunter has enough maturity to be self-reflective, vulnerable, and sensitive all at the same time.
Ian confesses that his poor unfocused sleep is caused by not taking a chance since he "walked away from love." He questions himself: "I don't know know what I was thinking of."
Yet, he emboldens himself and looks for a second chance repeating: "If you want to know what love is" he is saying hey, here I am! The core of the song is here are my arms and legs because my thoughts are "I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do, 'Cause nothing really matters but you." Hunter convincingly exclaims that the beloved is his "illness" and "disease." He continues: "You're up there on that pedestal and I'm down here on my knees. You are my obsession every waking hour. All I do is think of you, wondering where you are." Hunter plumbs the depths of emotion and not only expresses his love but romantically embraces his love. Talk about a turnaround!
The song still seems to be about unrequited love despite his devotion since he is "watching from a distance, can't believe you're smiling without me." The singer asks for that second chance because he repeats the conditional clause "If you want to know what love is" I am available.
Hunter hits some high points in his lyrical creativity that remind me of the classic Temptations hit Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong from 1971 as in both songs the singer doesn't even really know the object of his affection. Ian sings:
"I still got your picture hanging in my soul
Every time I look at it tears start to roll
I still got your laughter buried in my brain
Every time I hear it I start tearing up again
I'm the guy you never seemed to notice
A passer-by, our eyes never meet."
There is also a live version of the song on Live In The UK 2010.
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The first time I heard it live was in NYC (https://bpca.ny.gov/place/rockefeller-park/) and even in the rain-soaked park the lyrics pierced through the drizzle.
After two albums that were somewhat political in nature (2001's Rant and 2007's Shrunken Heads), 2009 find Ian in a more mellow frame of mind. After a long and successful career he has time to look back on his life and say "Yeah... I've no complaints..."
The album opens strongly with The Great Escape, which tells of the singer's narrow escape after a "lack of respect" for a local thug. Indeed, several songs seem to be telling tales of the rougher side of life, such as the title track which informs us "They say crime doesn't pay, well take a walk down my way..."
Ian doesn't forget his working-class roots either, with the delightful Girl From The Office, which is reminiscent of the Kinks at their best and has a very English feel to it, and tells the story of a factory-floor romance. As always with Ian's songs of this nature, it has a happy ending (he gets the girl).
Ballads have always been a strong point with Ian, and these are prominent especially on the second half of the album. Not all work, however, with These Feelings being a particular weakness.
More up-tempo songs are on the first half of the album. I hesitate to say "rockers", as medium-pace is about the best we get these days (I did say Ian is more mellow these days) and guitars, although present, are rarely high in the mix any more. Those expecting another Just Another Night or Cleveland Rocks should perhaps look elsewhere. That was then and this is now... That said, Arms And Legs is a strong guitar-led song that will really work well in a live setting, as is the next track Up And Running.
Ian hopes to tour with the album both in the USA and UK, so we will wait and see how the songs work in a live setting. Reports from the two gig so far (at the time of writing, end July '09) are positive. As for where this album fits in Ian's extensive back catalogue time only will tell. It is more immediately likeable than its predecessor (sometimes it takes a few plays to "get" an Ian Hunter album, but I liked this straight away), but ulimately I feel it may end up a notch or two down from his very best.
Arms And Legs
(Ian Hunter)
Up in the morning, unsteady on my feet
I can't seem to focus, didn't get much sleep last night
I look in the mirror, what do I see?
There's a ghostly shadow of a man staring back at me
I'm the one that walked away from love
Couldn't take that chance, I don't know what I was thinking of
If you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is
These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the thoughts running 'round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'Couse nothing really matters but you
You are my illness, you are my disease
You're up there on that pedastal and I'm down here on my knees
You are my obsession every waking hour
All I do is think of you, wondering where you are
I'm the one watching from a distance, can't believe you're smiling without me
If you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is
These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the words running round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'cos nothing really matters but you
I still got your picture hanging in my soul
Every time I look at it tears start to roll
I still got your laughter buried in my brain
Every time I hear it I start tearing up again
I'm the guy you never seemed to notice
A passer-by, our eyes never meet
But if you want to know what love is
If you want to know what love is
These are my arms, these are my legs
These are the words running round in my head
I wanna be where you are, I wanna do what you do
'cos nothing really matters but you
| Arms And Legs | 4:34 | Originally issued on Man Overboard. |
| Arms And Legs (live October 2010) | 4:37 | This live version (recorded at an unknown UK venue) issued on Live In The UK 2010. |
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