![[hand]](/hs-pics/portraits/hands/gillan7.jpg)
![[face]](/hs-pics/portraits/faces/mcbride2.jpg)
“Charlie, we’ve got to get the numbers right next time”
Ian Gillan gives a track-by-track rundown of the Splat! lyrics for his hometown newspaper The Portugal News:
“Arrogant Boy”
Billy is an ordinary guy who sticks his head up above the parapet and says to the political elite: “Hey do something, stop arguing, just get on with it, make life better for us”.
And they look down and go: “who are you? Get back in your hole, you arrogant boy”.
Continue reading in The Portugal News.
[Update June 10]: For those of you who can’t prefer not to read, the interview has been posted in video format:
Thanks to steve4422 and Uwe for the illiterate addendum.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
fantastic lyrics for fantastic music.
July 7th, 2026 at 06:18I’ve always liked Gillan’s lyrics.
So true in this modern world, also as the politicians argue with each other and can’t agree with anything the little people are the ones that suffer while they seem to get more wealthy. 😖
July 7th, 2026 at 12:11@1
AndreA, I would so much enjoy if the great Ian Gillan would put most of his songs (I would actually prefer them all, but don’t wanna seem greedy….) in a book, with some pics here and there 😃
And not just the lyrics, but more informal thoughts about them too – I mean more informal than it appears to be at Caramba 😃
July 7th, 2026 at 17:36#3 Karin
Karin there is a similar book, quite rare nowadays,
It is called “Ian Gillan Smoke This”
I should go and get it on the noticeboard, but if I remember correctly the lyrics go from his youth and end up at the Dreamcatcher era,
There are many beautiful photos that you can’t find on the internet, including some of Ian practically naked, for example running from behind, and other crazy photos.
you might find it on ebay
July 8th, 2026 at 23:14@4
Thank you Flávio, I will look for it 😊
July 9th, 2026 at 05:01I have the book Child In Time but after about 20 years I have not finished to read..
July 9th, 2026 at 07:40Fla 76
I hate to be a big headed , obnoxious, prat ( cor I’m really turning into Uwe ! Lol ) …but , I actually have that book and it’s personally signed to me by the great man himself ( it was from when I met him in Bookers book store in Bournemouth in April 2007 ….I’ve told the story on here before ….he was just the most incredible, humble and fantastic , generous with his time …kid of guy ! )
Ps
Forgot to say before
Many congratulations and health and happiness to you and your wife ❤️ 😊
July 9th, 2026 at 19:25#7 Steve:
wow, then your copy of the book could be worth 1000 euros!
When I met Purple at Monsters of Rock on the Abandon tour I had them autograph my Italian “Purple Glow” fan club card because it was the only thing I had with me!
I only remember that it was as if I had seen Jesus and I didn’t understand anything anymore!
Thank you very much for your good wishes!
July 9th, 2026 at 23:04Cheers Flav
I’m never selling it …I’ve got that and a couple of plectrums from Roger and Steve …and that’s about all my DP memorabilia that’s come from the guys themselves
I notice Roger is very careful about what he signs …cus it ends up on e bay !
July 10th, 2026 at 12:26Oh my, Steve, what did I do now to deserve your – from your immaculate 20/20 perception of course totally valid – scorn?
https://youtu.be/nfWlot6h_JM
Anything else up your sleeve except insults?
July 10th, 2026 at 16:30Not sure whether the NHS really wants to prohibit Ian from either referring to himself or his friends – none of who have true psychological conditions I assume – as “lunatics”, I think they just put a term to rest (it has been outdated for some time) which does not express accurately any type of medical condition anymore and hasn’t for a while. Telling your friend what a “lunatic” he is – we all are here for instance – is perfectly ok, referring to someone suffering from schizophrenia as a “lunatic” is not.
I’m sure Ian is aware of the difference, he has a way with words.
July 10th, 2026 at 23:13#9, Robbie Krieger said the same thing – every time he arrives at a hotel or an airport, there are crowds of e-bay sellers with stacks of albums, trying to get his autograph before he dies so they can cash in.
July 14th, 2026 at 00:32