With No Hard Feelings Hunter situates himself historically, first the World Wars, then Elvis, then Ian! He says: "A pre-war gift, a post war pest" since he was born in June 1939 before the invasion of Poland on 1 September. Most importantly, if ever there was a song that could be filled with rant and rage this is it. However, Hunter brilliantly dissects his relationship with his father Walter along the lines of Ships, Following In Your Footsteps, and as extended in 23A Swan Hill. Ian has come full circle; first, he left home at a young age, detailed the distance he felt, now no hard feelings after his parents passing. Hunter is at peace but the song is not simply introspective but Ian expresses a life lesson similar to a song by Mick Ronson, Hard Life. Here is the key line which reminds me of the humorous song by Johnny Cash, A Boy Named Sue:
When I was down, out on the skids
You were there with your obnoxious kid
I will always remember what you did
Trying to make a man out of me
Belatedly, his father's harshness led to Ian's survival instinct and rejection prompted his ability to be someone someday; now at a mature age it is clear to his musical peers that he attained legendary status in particular with the release of Defiance Part. 1.
Ian Hunter On Track for Sonicbond Publishing, TheDoctorOfDigital@pm.me
John Dillon
Mike, can you shed some light on the last verse. Is it referrering to an area where his father fought during the war?
"It wasn't exactly Custer's last stand
But I shed a tear about the battle lands
Fifteen mile from where it all began
Gonna make a man out of you."
None of the other distances work: Shrewsbury to Butlins, Shrewsbury to Northampton, Northampton to London.
Custer's Last Stand
https://www.ushistory.org/us/40b.asp
No Hard Feelings
https://youtu.be/SKpyYDCaXp8
"A Pre war gift, a post war pest" as that makes sense with Ian being born in June 39 before the break out of hostilites in Sept.
No Hard Feelings Lyrics
————————————
Gonna make a man out of you Gonna make a man out of you
Gonna make a man out of you
I'm gonna make a man out of you
I'm gonna make a man out of you
I'm gonna make a man out of you
If it's the last thing I ever do
I'm gonna make a man out of you
They said, "Don't open that box, it's full of tears
A lot of heavy stuff from my fighting years
So I opened the box and he boxed my ears
I’m gonna make a man out of you
My ears were ringing, I started to cry
I remember thinking, "Who is this guy?"
Said "I'm gonna try, I'm gonna try
Gonna make a man out of you"
I'm gonna make a man out of you
I'm gonna make a man out of you
Well that's what I'm gonna do
I'm gonna make a man out of you
I'm on shifts, I can't sleep
I got problems every day of the week
And you're right up there at the top of the heap
I'm gonna make a man out of you
A pre-war gift, a post-war pest
I could smell the medals on his chest
It’s like livin’ with a traffic light stuck on red
Gonna make a man out of you
No hard feelings, no hard feelings
No hard feelings, no hard feelings, yeah
I said I'm gonna make a man out of you
I'm gonna make a man out of you
If that's the last thing I ever do
I'm gonna make a man out of you
When I was down, out on the skids
You were there with your obnoxious kid
I will always remember what you did
Trying to make a man out of me
I said I'm gonna make a man out of you
I'm gonna make a man out of you
If that's the last thing I ever do
I'm gonna make a man out of you
But it wasn't exactly Custer's last stand
But I shed a tear about the battle lands
Fifteen mile from where it all began
Gonna make a man out of you
Said I'm gonna make a man out of you
I'm gonna make a man out of you
If that's the last thing I ever do
I'm gonna make a man out of you
But I said
No hard feelings, no hard feelings
No hard feelings, no hard feelings
No hard feelings, no hard feelings
No hard feelings, no hard feelings