You Nearly Did Me In, Ian Hunter, All American Alien Boy (Weary Anger, early version)

The majestic You Nearly Did Me In started off as a song entitled Weary Anger but ultimately featured the members of Queen on backing vocals: Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor. It was all happenstance; Trudi, Ian's wife, met Queen on a flight to New York and invited them to Electric Lady studio that night. Unbelievably, they sat and waited for an hour before Hunter knew they were there waiting and wanting to help. Freddie asked: "Is there anything we can do?" Instead of using backing girl vocals as arranged to sing the boys stepped in. Roger took the really high lines and increasingly sang higher. Mott The Hoople and Queen had a long history together and Ian thought the band was fabulous and wonderful. Hunter said Freddie was sorely missed. 

The first verse is about the lost children of the night and then the chorus builds up to the repeated lines of you nearly did me in. The crescendo comes with the immortal lines:

What ever happened to dignity
What ever happened to integrity
What ever happened to honesty
Well I'll tell you something baby - I feel the pain just like the sea

The song is a standout of the LP portraying a stark American landscape amidst the horrors of addiction. 

There is an early version of the song called Weary Anger on the reissues of the original LP. 

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You Nearly Did Me In

(Ian Hunter)

See lonely shadows - silver needles
Abandoned in the evening war
Lost children of the night - come catch the candle bright
I hear a hollow sound - falling to the ground - she's lost before she's found
Sad broken angels takin' rainbows
Out on the street for all to see
If we are the chosen few - what ever happened to
All those things we knew, if this is being free - I'd rather search for me

CHORUS

You nearly did, you nearly did, you nearly did
You nearly did me in, you nearly did me in
And I need some place to hide - my weary anger down

Out on some misty distant highway
Feel like I though a million miles
Is my search nearly done - I think I see someone
I get the urge to run on blindly through the rain,
and I fool myself again

CHORUS

What ever happened to dignity
What ever happened to integrity
What ever happened to honesty
Well I'll tell you something baby - I feel the pain just like the sea

CHORUS

Weary Anger

5:45

An early version of You Nearly Did Me In is on the 2006 and 2016 (box set) reissues of All American Alien Boy.

Highlight of the album is Irene Wilde (which Ian maintains is a true story), and You Nearly Did Me In (which features Queen's Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor on backing vocals).

Weary Anger, Ian Hunter, An early version of You Nearly Did Me In is on the 2006 and 1016 (box set) reissues of All American Alien Boy

 

Weary Anger

5:45

An early version of You Nearly Did Me In is on the 2006 and 1016 (box set) reissues of All American Alien Boy.

We Gotta Get Outta Here, Ian Hunter, Welcome to the Club

One of the few new songs on the CD is We Gotta Get Outta Here about the New York Club scene. The critique is two sided, one for the hapless crowd who is attracted to the dead end clubs and the other target is the gossip mongers who celebrate the degenerates who frequent the establishments. The song may have targeted Studio 54 since Hunter went to it only once. The timing was right for satire since the disco fad was at its height. Ian did like Donna Summer though. 

It was an attempt at a single and upon retrospect Hunter is not too fond of the attempt. He has said singles just come organically and they are more inspired. The band had been off the road for six weeks and at first tried to record at My Father's Place in Roslyn, New York which didn't work so they went back to try again by recording live in the studio. 

There is an alternate version and a live version from 1980. 

Also recorded at the Rockpalast TV Show, Grugahalle, Essen Germany 19th April 1980 and is on Missing In Action.

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(Ian Hunter)

It's such a small town rodeo
Such famous people here, with nowhere to go
Well it don't get to me, I think it's the pits
I got no friends, I wanna split.

The daily papers seek a desperate face
The television cameras join in the chase
It's so much fun interviewing urban decay
I grab the microphone away

(Dance) No! (Dance) No! (Dance) No! (Dance) No!

We gotta get out of here
We gotta get out of here right now
We gotta get out of here
We gotta get out of here right now

Hey Rock and Roll feel the holes in my brain
I promise you I'll never come here again
It's all so sad, what a waste of a night
Cause nothing's wrong, but nothing's right (hey)

So don't get along, out of my way
I'm not a robot, I've got something to say
It's such a joke, are you ready to go
Here comes that beat again, oh oh oh oh

(Dance) No! (Dance) No! (Dance) No! (Dance) No!
We gotta get out of here
We gotta get out of here right now
We gotta get out of here
We gotta get out of here right now
We gotta get out of, we gotta get out
We gotta get out of here right now
We gotta get out of, we gotta get out
We gotta get out of here right now
[repeat while Ellen speaks]

(Oh please I don't wanna go home yet
Come on, can't you do anything I wanna do?
Lets dance, come on please, just once for me
I never get to do anything like this
You're such a drag, you know that?
Everything for you, everything for you, nothing for me, right
What are we gonna do? Go home and watch the Super Bowl
Re-runs of the Mohammed Ali uh Marlene Dietrich fight, what?
There must be somebody here who wants to dance with me
There must be a lot of people here who would like to dance with me, you know
that?
Come on, one, two, three, four - I'll jump right up and do the bump, come on

Listen this place gets really good, this place gets really.....
I heard that the that the the spoon comes down and the moon comes down and
the stars and all sorts of great stuff happens in a little while).

We Gotta Get Outta Here	3:14	Originally released on Welcome to the Club, and on the compilations The Collection and The Singles Collection 1975-83.
We Gotta Get Outta Here (alternate version)	3:14	An alternate version was released on Shades of Ian Hunter, and on the compilation From The Knees Of My Heart.
We Gotta Get Outta Here (live 19th April 1980)	4:19	This live version (recorded Rockpalast TV Show, Grugahalle, Essen Germany) was released on Missing In Action. It can also be found on Live At Rockpalast. Not on the box set.

Way With Words, Ian Hunter, Man Overboard

One of the keys to a long and successful relationship is communication and that is the topic of Way With Words. And the balance of having the right way to express ideas with words is not easy; the subject here is one that is profound, personal, and extraordinarily difficult to pull off. Hunter does not remember how this song developed but I know; it came after many years being in a close relationship that lasts and ideally is formed with a person who understands even a slow thinker who at times can have a swift tongue. 

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Way With Words

(Ian Hunter)

You don't have to raise your voice every time you talk
I don't hear you screaming down the phone
You ain't no drama queen, you don't make a scene
You don't need no fire or brimstone

You don't have to lose it just to make your presence felt
I've often wondered what it must be like
Without my disposition, if I could only listen
To your sweet words whenever lightning strikes

You got a way with words, you soothe away the anger
You got a way with words when you comfort me
You don't have to shout, it always works out
You got a way with words, calm on a restless sea

Patience is a virtue, vengeance is a vice
I never seem to reconcile the two
I got this restless soul and it's dragging you over the coals
You know I'd be lost if it wasn't for you

You got a way with words, you soothe away the anger
You got a way with words when you comfort me
You don't have to shout, it always works out
You got a way with words, calm on a restless sea

I can get myself hung with one little slip of the tongue
I can put my foot right in my mouth
I don't know how you do it, I kinow I always blew it
Every time I'd sit with you and try to work things out

You don't force your opinions down other people's throats
That ain't in your personality
You only got to whisper and everyone gets the picture
I think it's fair to say, we all agree

You got a way with words, you rock me just like a lullaby
You got a way with words, it's extraordinary
'Cos you never shout, you just let them slip out
You got a way with words, calm on a restless sea

Way With Words

4:15

Originally issued on Man Overboard.

Waterlow, Ian Hunter, Wildlife, Strings Attached

Waterlow is a simple song nonetheless it is poignant, painful, and emotionally heart-felt about Hunter's divorce and loss of his children, son Steven, and daughter Tracie. Originally a Mott The Hoople track on Wildlife, it was written in 1970. Waterlow Park is a 26-acre space in the south east of Highgate Village in north London. It is near Suicide Bridge where the family went and fed the birds. Hunter married young and had two children by the time he joined Mott which no doubt caused a rift in the family. Ian grew his hair out for the band and his music and domestic life was not in the cards. Hunter's ex-wife was dead set against the change in Ian. However, Hunter feels that this song is the best thing he ever did. 

Torstein Flakne was exceptional on the Strings Attached effort and gave Hunter chills with his contribution on guitar. 

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterlow_Park

Waterlow Park is a 26-acre (11 ha) park in the south east of Highgate Village, in north London. It was given to the public (i.e. the London County Council^[1]) by Sir Sydney Waterlow, as "a garden for the gardenless" in 1889

Waterlow

(Ian Hunter)

I followed the night till the morning sunlight
And I thought of the changing times
And I followed the child with the evergreen smile
And the blue broken tears start to cry
Blue broken tears hide away the years
Misty highway seems colder today
And I saw a Waterlow where the evergreen grows
And the wise man knows why he crys
And I heard a child call 'You're away from us all'
And the blue broken tears start to rise
Blue broken tears ain't nobody here
Lost in the sun my only young one
Blue broken tears our love disappears
The evergreen dies drowned in my eyes

Waterlow (live 29/30th January 2002)	3:48	Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was issued on Strings Attached.
Waterlow (live October 2010)	3:56	Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded at an unknown UK venue) was issued on Live In The UK 2010.
Waterlow	3:11	Described as a 'Trio studio version', this is on Sampling In Reality and on Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only).

Wasted, Ian Hunter, bonus EP with initial copies of Shrunken Heads

Wasted is a bonus song is reminiscent of God (Take 1) and could have fit the regular CD release if there had been enough space. Initially, this song was to be included but Andy York insisted on Read 'em 'n' Weep. What a song of lament and lost opportunities! This is Hunter in underdog mode as is fairly common as a theme of his. Buff, Mott The Hoople drummer, told Ian he made a career out of being an underdog and Hunter agrees there is something to that notion. Ian's early life was difficult including a great deal of rejection and he had to overcome those barriers to make it. You have to use your gifts to flourish and Hunter has. 

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Wasted*

(Ian Hunter)

We hold on to memories
You hold on to time
But something is stealing me
Right out of your mind
You chose your enemies
You chose your friends
Wasted, wasted, wasted again

You hang on to what you were
You hang on to dreams
But something is pulling me 
Apart at the seams
You cling to the wreckage but
You can't pretend
Wasted, wasted, wasted and then
You get wasted, wasted, wasted again

I don't want to be the one to worry you
And I don't want to be the one to carry you
And I don't want to be the one to bury you
'Cos you're wasted, wasted away

You're fresh out of something that
You still hold dear
You're fresh out of alibis
And you're fresh out of tears
Only one thing that bothers me
I hate it when
You get wasted, wasted, wasted again

I ain't gonna be the one that ferries you
And I ain't gonna be the one that marries you
And I sure don't want to be the one to bury you
Wasted, wasted

We all got our weaknesses
And we all make mistakes
And we all got those habits that
Are so hard to break
I hate to see your gift
Flushed down the drain
Wasted, wasted, wasted and then
You get wasted, wasted, wasted again

Wasted, wasted, wasted again

It will be interesting to see how much of this material come across live (I suspect 'very well'). Initial copies of this album come with a 3-track bonus CD - for once the "limited edition" tag is accurate, as bonus-less versions are already in the shops. The tracks are as strong as on the main album (ie definitely not demo tracks). Your Eyes in particular would not have been out of place on the main album, while Wasted has more than a touch of Ian's own God (Take One) about it. At about 50 minutes the album is the right length and the production is very clean.

Wasted

5:05

Originally released on the bonus EP with initial copies of Shrunken Heads.

Wash Us Away, Ian Hunter, Rant, Acoustic Shadows

The framework for Wash Us Away is historical but Hunter relates it to his generation and makes it more personal by abstractly describing how his youth impacted him. During the transition from blues, rhythm and blues, and early rock 'n' roll the aforementioned reference to the Dead Sea Scrolls were found during this same period from 1946-1956. The wash us away line was used as a vocal tool for melody over the chords as Ian felt the song came looking for him. A succession of liaisons take place throughout life as we become adult and ultimately pass. Coming at two days before the end of the sessions the clever wordplay "the heart and the arrow, the rattle and the snake" added to the mostly live recordings. Drummer Mickey Currey suggested a change and it added a great deal to finishing the song well according to Hunter.  

There are three live versions, from 2002, 2008, and 2010. 

In 2005 the song was performed live and broadcast exclusively on KGSR Broadcasts vol. 13.

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The Dead Sea Scrolls (also the Qumran Caves Scrolls) are ancient Jewish and Hebrew religious manuscripts discovered between 1946 and 1956 at the Qumran Caves

Wash Us Away

(Ian Hunter)

On the very first decade that we got to dream in
Our fathers were angry, our mother's were screamin'
At the clothes we were wearin' and the music we got off on
Hitler was dead, welcome to Babylon

Carved our initials out across the sand
The heart and the arrow, no-one understands
Then the tide rolled in and everything ran
And washed us away, washed us away, washed us away

Up in the attic ambition was burning
Now my fingers were bleedin' but the tables were turning
Down in the city the future was beckoning
And I hated myself on the day of reckoning
(Oh yeah)
Carved our initials on top of the cake
The heart and the arrow - the rattle and the snake
How was I to know that the Earth was gonna break
And wash us away, wash us away, wash us away

Everything's temporary in this world
Ain't it a shame when you lose someone
Here tomorrow, gone today
Wash us away, wash us away, wash us away

There was never a fool like a young fool alone in
A world without someone he can find a home in
And for all the wrong reasons we rescued each other
You bandaged my heart I never would recover
(ohhhh)
No river runs true, it always takes a twist
Hearts can be broken, arrows gonna miss
How was I to know that it was gonna come down to this
And wash us away

And we wrote our names on the Dead Sea Scrolls
The young and the restless, the brave and the bold
How was we to know it was gonna get outta control
And wash us away, wash us away, wash us away, wash us away, wash us away,wash us away, wash us away

Wash Us Away	3:57	Originally released on Rant, also on the compilation The Journey.
Wash Us Away (live 29/30th January 2002)	4:27	This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was issued on Strings Attached.
Wash Us Away (live 2nd March 2008)	4:26	This live version (recorded at the Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford England) was issued on Acoustic Shadows (box set only).
Wash Us Away (live October 2010)	4:29	This live version (recorded at an unknown UK venue) was issued on Live In The UK 2010.

Walkin' With a Mountain, Ian Hunter, Mad Shadows & Welcome to the Club (with Rock and Roll Queen), Wait

The Walkin' With a Mountain rocker was released on Mad Shadows, featured often in live sets, on Welcome to the Club and is an up tempo song with a segue into The Rolling Stones track Jumpin' Jack Flash. The original release for Mott The Hoople needed something fast and the song was written in about ten minutes. In Olympic Studios Guy Stevens said a rocker was needed so Ian immediately launched into this two-chord obvious song and Stevens was delighted. Mick Ralphs wrote Rock and Roll Queen on demand for the band in 1969 and this one came similarly. One day, Hunter saw a guy leaning up against a lamp post on his bike with a little radio strapped to his crossbar listening to Half Moon Bay which inspired Ian. Another related memory for Hunter was a letter to Rolling Stone claiming that Bob Dylan was trying to sound like Mott. Early on, Mott didn't think that highly of themselves but these songs were inspiring these chaps and rockers such as this are the result. 

On Welcome to the Club two songs are stitched together both Walkin' and Queen. 

There are three live versions from 1979 and one from 1981. 

Also recorded at the Park West, Chicago IL 22nd June 1979 on Collateral Damage. It is a medley with Rock 'n' Roll Queen. 

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Walkin' With a Mountain

(Ian Hunter)

A mountain train's coming down the track
She ain't wasting time
She's carrying me cause I'm going back
Right to the Delaware line
She knows well I ain't been anywhere
Because I crawl back every time to her
Walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain

Troubles and tears
I'll take it in years
I left so many behind
I may be a train rearranged
Who knows what I'll find
But everything's better in my life I know
I can face any grades that I'm on
Walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
(alright)
(hey hey hey)

(oh) I'm walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
When she talks to me I know she sees
Where I'm heading to
She sits winks takes it all in
Just admires the view
And if I had a choice in life
I'd take that mountain for my wife
I'm walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
Walkin' with a mountain
Jumping Jack Flash it's a gas
Jumping Jack Flash it's a gas
Jumping Jack Flash it's a gas
Jumping Jack Flash it's a gas
Jumping Jack Flash it's a gas
Jumping Jack Flash it's a gas

Walkin' With A Mountain is another rocker that would feature in the live set almost till the end and includes an impromptu segue into the Stones Jumpin' Jack Flash.

Walkin' With a Mountain (live 22nd June 1979)	(4:22)	Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded at Park West, Chicago IL) was released on Collateral Damage. Not on the box set.
Walkin' With a Mountain (live 5-11th November 1979)	(4:17)	This live version (recorded at The Roxy, Los Angeles CA) was released on Welcome to the Club, and on the compilation From The Knees Of My Heart.
Walkin' With a Mountain (live 22nd November 1979)	(5:45)	This live version (recorded Hammermith Odeon, London England) was originally issued on If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale (box set only).
Walkin' With A Mountain (live 26-28th October 1981)	4:21	This live version (recorded at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco CA) was originally issued on If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale (box set only).

Walk On Water, (Ian Hunter/McNasty) Ian Hunter, The Artful Dodger

Hunter co-wrote Walk On Water with Robbie Alter as an oblique narrative along the cryptic style of Shallow Crystals and Silver Needles. The Caledonian swing of the introduction gives sway to a heavy drum beat and sparkling guitar while a tormented soul gets lost in rock 'n' roll and does not come out alive. Ian echoes the spirit of Guy Stevens in this song and could refer to Kurt Cobain who died in April 1994; Hunter has not identified a specific individual. 

Pushed too far artists find themselves inexperienced and not ready for prime time. The point of the song is that they are not Jesus who can walk on water and they are a lamb for the slaughter. It could  have happened to Hunter "but for the grace of God." It is a warning not to push the limits too soon. Hunter says this is not a favorite of his. He did have similar thoughts about the New York Dolls and they could have been bigger if they were allowed to develop and not pushed too soon. 

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Walk On Water

(Ian Hunter/McNasty)

Little flame tormented soul
tried to get lost in all that rock and roll
Came crashing through here like some hurricane
too much too soon for you little flame

[chorus]
You can't walk on water
you can't walk on water, don't try
like a lamb to the slaughter
oh! but for the grace of God go I

Little flame caught that savage sound
he liked to turn it upside down
well I think I know what you were talking about
I'm just so sorry that your flame went out

Fun with no conscience, tracks with no tears
the rich get richer and the devil's got no fears
Sounds his call, political lies
there ain't no virtue without sacrifice

You can't walk on water
You can't walk on water
You can't walk on water
You can't walk on water
You can't walk on water
You can't walk on water

You can't walk on
[repeat and fade]

Walk On Water

3:50

Originally issued on The Artful Dodger.

Wake Up Call, Ian Hunter, demo Tilting The Mirror - Rarities

This song was one of three done with Arthur Baker in the 1980s, Good Man in a Bad Time, this song for The Wraith film, and a demo Professional Lover for Tina Turner which Hunter thought was well done but most likely not pursued for release. Ian enjoyed the sound of his work with Baker and the task was easier than an entire album. The artist can place all their energy into one song for a film and the work is done in two days. The song is one of the most pumped up that Hunter ever wrote, ideal for a morning to get the blood pumping, and could fit well for an exercise tape. 

Wake Up Call

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnV68tzpwdc

Wake Up Call

4:51

This demo can be found on Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only).

Violence (Ian Hunter/Mick Ralphs), Mott LP

This Hunter-Ralphs track was originally released on the Mott LP and a live track is available from 1981. 

Violence

(Ian Hunter/Mick Ralphs)

I'm a missing link, poolroom stink, I can't talk
(Well that's too bad)
What's going on, something's wrong, I can't work
Can't go to school, the teacher's a fool, the preacher's a jerk
(Well that's such a drag)
Got nothing to do, street-corner blues, and nowhere to walk

Violence, violence
It's the only thing that'll make you see sense
(Repeat)

Gotta fight, nothing's right, livin' nowhere
(That's so sad)
Watch out for the gun, snake on the run, hide in my hair
You keep your mouth shut, or you'll get cut. Haha - I like to scare (Bet you're so mad)
I'm a battery louse, a superstar mouse, I don't care

Get off my back or I'll attack, 'n I don't owe you nothin' (OK)
Head for your hole, you're sick and you're old
'N I'm here to tell you something

Violence, violence
It's the only thing that'll make you see sense
(Repeat several times )

Violence (live 26-28th October 1981)

4:56

Originally a Mott The Hoople track. This live version (recorded at the Old Waldorf, San Francisco CA) was originally issued on If You Wait Long Enough For Anything, You Can Get It On Sale (box set only).

Venus In The Bathtub, Ian Hunter, Long Odds and Outtakes

This outtake sounds like it was a work in progress until released on Long Odds and Outtakes. Work needs to be done on the mix and almost seems like a jam or a demo for what was to follow as developed. 

Venus In The Bathtub

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7HNhrDhNpw

Venus In The Bathtub

4:29

Originally issued on the outtakes CD Long Odds and Outtakes. It can also be found on the compilation From The Knees Of My Heart and on Tilting The Mirror - Rarities (box set only).

Up And Running, Ian Hunter, Man Overboard

Up And Running expresses the difference between the rich and poor which is consistently a concern for Hunter. This is a strong guitar track that could be done well live and is reminiscent of Arms and Legs. The song appears to be about someone who is down and out but seeking to get up and running. Yes, the world is off-kilter but interestingly Hunter invokes the Mott The Hoople juice as a band that was down and out yet fought back. It's a you can do it type of statement. Ian says of it that it is an underdog song, it certainly is, and life is easier when you have money. 

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Up And Running

(Ian Hunter)

Down in the basement wondering where the money went
I got no insurance, I can't afford to pay the rent
Outside creditors banging on the front door
It's easy when you're rich, poor ain't gotta future

I'm sick and tired of being pushed around
I ain't gonna take this lying down

I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running

(Let's rock, c'mon)

World sitting on a fence, greed and ignorance
Nothing making any sense, they tamper with the evidence
Living on the outside, never looking in
All beef and body work, no imagination

I'm sorry if the wine ain't to your taste
Maybe there's just a hint of sour grapes

I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running

(C'mon, rock)

I still got a screw loose, agony when not in use
I think I need another boost
O' Mott The Hoople juice, I still got the legs

Tyrants despots techies hit the jackpot
100 dollar robots taking all the jobs we got
People making money out of other people's misery
If I'm going down, I'm going to take you with me

You only know what you're supposed to know
And things are smelling bad on rotten row

I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running
I'm up and running

(C'mon)

I'm up and running

 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.

Up And Running

3:47

Originally issued on Man Overboard.

Twisted Steel, Ian Hunter, (live 29/30th January 2002) Unreleased in studio form, Strings Attached, from Shrunken Heads, Vol. 2

Thank goodness for the Strings Attached project since Twisted Steel is unreleased in studio form and it was performed for the first time. The song was also considered for Shrunken Heads but it didn't make the cut and it was not fully completed. 

The song is an incisive observation about the tragic events of 9/11. Hunter said no one should write a song about this tragic incident so he did just that. It is a simple and honest sentiment written as a letter to a cousin's mom. Trudi's second cousin, Cookie, was on the phone to her mum as the planes hit. Hunter rang somebody a few days later and by mistake reached Cookie's mum; she could hardly speak. Trudi awakened Ian to see the second plane hit and son Jesse sat on a roof a quarter of a mile away from his job on 23rd Street. 

The song came too late for Rant, although it may have fit well on that release, and didn't fit Shrunken Heads. Hunter states:

And if I cry, it makes no difference
And if I don't, I lose my innocence

These are terrific lines and Ian makes it much more personal and impactful with the lines:

I can't imagine how a mother must feel 

             [With] twisted steel, twisted steel twisted Steel

Boldly, Hunter rejects a religious justification:

This wasn't sacred, this was profane
You took off and you took aim
I saw you laughin' on the newsreel
Twisted steel, twisted steel

The lyrics are much more personal with the idea of realizing the pain of loss for a mother: 

Twisted people, twisted minds
Twisted logic, twisted times
I can't imagine how a mother must feel
Twisted steel, twisted steel

Hunter says the song came to him as a simple and honest sentiment. Perhaps the reason that the song seems so personal is that it was written about wife Trudi's second cousin, Cookie, who was killed. The song is written as a letter to Cookie's mother. 

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Twisted Steel

(Ian Hunter)

Well, there ain't nothin' I can do
To take the pain away from you
Another one lost on the battlefield
of twisted steel, twisted steel

There ain't nothin' I can say
To help you take the hurt away
I can't believe that this is real
Twisted steel, twisted steel

And if I cry, it makes no difference
And if I don't, I lose my innocence
I can't imagine how a mother must feel
[With] twisted steel, twisted steel

Can you hear your mother callin'?
Can you hear your mother callin'?
Can you hear your mother ca-- she kneels
Twisted steel, twisted steel

This wasn't sacred, this was profane
You took off and you took aim
I saw you laughin' on the newsreel
Twisted steel, twisted steel

Can you hear your mother callin'?
Can you hear your mother callin'?
Can you hear your mother, she kneels
Oh, twisted steel, twisted steel

Twisted steel, twisted steel
Twisted steel, twisted steel
Twisted steel, twisted steel

Twisted people, twisted minds
Twisted logic, twisted times
I can't imagine how a mother must feel
Twisted steel, twisted steel

Twisted Steel(which is about the events of 9/11) shows Ian as incisively observant as ever,

Twisted Steel (live 29/30th January 2002)	3:10	Unreleased in studio form. This live version (recorded Sentrum Scene, Oslo Norway) was originally issued on Strings Attached.
Twisted Steel (live 19th May 2002)	4:03	This live version (recorded Life Cafe, Manchester England) was issued on Bag Of Tricks (Vol 2) (box set only).
Twisted Steel (live 28th May 2004)	3:47	This live version (recorded The Astoria, London England) was released on The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nuthin' But The Truth. Not on the box set.
Twisted Steel (live 2007)	3:41	This live version (recorded at an unknown venue) was on the CD-single version of When The World Was Round.
Twisted Steel (live 2nd March 2008)	3:20	This live version (recorded at the Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford England) was issued on Acoustic Shadows (box set only)/