Black Widow
Bruce Dickinson Lyrics


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And here, my prize, the Black Widow.
Isn't she lovely? And so deadly.
Her kiss is fifteen times more poisonous than the rattlesnake.
And you see her venom is highly neurotoxic
Which is to say that it attacks the central nervous system
Causing intense pain
Profuse sweating
Difficulty in breathing
Loss of consciousness
Violent convulsions
And finally death.
You know what I think I love the most about her
Is her inborn need to dominate and possess.
Such power and dignity, unhampered by sentiment.
If I may put forward a slice of personal philosophy
I feel that man has ruled this world as a stumbling dimented child-king long enough!
And as his empire crumbles, my precious Black Widow shall rise as his most fitting successor!

These words he speaks are true
We're all humanary stew
If we don't pledge allegiance to
The Black Widow

The horror that he'll brings
The horror of his sting
The unholiest of kings
The Black Widow

Our minds will be destroyed
And every girl and boy
Will learn to be employed
The Black Widow

Love me
Yes we love me
Love him
Yes we love him
Love me
Yes we love him, oh

He sits upon his throne
And picks at all the bones
Of his husbands and his wives
He's devoured
He stares with a gleam
With a laugh so obscene
and the children and the virgins
He's deflowered

Love me
Yes we love me
Love him
Yes we love him
Love me
Yes we love him, oh

Our thoughts are hot and crazed
Our dreams are webbed in haze
Mindless, senseless daze
The Black Widow

These words he speaks are true
We're all humanary stew
If we don't pledge allegiance to
Ha-ha-ha, the Black Widow





The Black Widow
Sets free, oh, the children to me

Overall Meaning

The first half of the song describes the black widow spider and its characteristics. The singer describes the spider's venom and how it affects the central nervous system, causing pain, sweating, difficulty breathing, unconsciousness, and death. The singer then praises the spider's innate desire to dominate and possess, which he sees as a fitting successor to man, who he believes has ruled the world like a child-king for too long. The singer offers a personal philosophy about the need for a new ruling force to replace man's crumbling empire, with the black widow as the most fitting successor.


The second half of the song speaks to the black widow as a metaphorical ruler, where the spider represents a tyrant who sits on a throne, picking at the bones of his husbands and wives, devouring them. The spider has deflowered children and virgins, showing a true disregard for humanity. The lyrics describe how people have become mindless and senseless under the spider's rule, with their dreams being webbed in haze. The song concludes with a pledge of allegiance to the black widow, symbolically stating that if they don't follow the spider, they will become the humanary stew that he speaks of.



Line by Line Meaning

And here, my prize, the Black Widow.
The singer shows admiration towards the Black Widow, implying that he considers having her to be a grand achievement.


Isn't she lovely? And so deadly.
The singer finds the deadly Black Widow spider to be beautiful, despite the danger it poses.


Her kiss is fifteen times more poisonous than the rattlesnake.
The spider's venom is highly toxic, surpassing even that of the deadly rattlesnake.


And you see her venom is highly neurotoxic
The venom of the spider has nerve-damaging properties, which causes severe and deadly symptoms when introduced into the bloodstream.


Which is to say that it attacks the central nervous system
The spider's venom attacks the central nervous system, which is the most critical part of the human body and essential for all bodily functions.


Causing intense pain Profuse sweating Difficulty in breathing Loss of consciousness Violent convulsions And finally death.
When the venom attacks, it causes a slew of unpleasant side effects such as intense agony, heavy sweating, difficulty breathing, passing out, severe muscle spasms, and ultimately death.


You know what I think I love the most about her Is her innate need to dominate and possess.
The singer admires the Black Widow spider's desire to dominate and control, seeing this drive as a desirable trait.


Such power and dignity, unhampered by sentiment.
The artist has a profound respect for the spider's power and dignity, which he believes is not influenced by emotion.


If I may put forward a slice of personal philosophy I feel that man has ruled this world as a stumbling demented child-king long enough!
The artist believes that humans have been governing the world as foolish, unwise leaders for far too long, and it is time to relinquish power.


And as his empire crumbles, my precious Black Widow shall rise as his most fitting successor!
The artist thinks the reign of human leadership is ending, but in their stead, the Black Widow will rule, which is fitting as the spider embodies the artist's ideals of power and possessiveness.


These words he speaks are true We're all humanary stew If we don't pledge allegiance to The Black Widow
The singer's message is that all humans are at the mercy of the natural order; therefore, they must pledge loyalty to the new supreme ruler, the Black Widow spider.


The horror that he'll brings The horror of his sting The unholiest of kings The Black Widow
The artist describes the power of the Black Widow spider as terrifying while also praising its venomous sting, a weapon by which she will rule as an unholy king.


Our minds will be destroyed And every girl and boy Will learn to be employed The Black Widow
Once under the Black Widow's reign, the singer believes that each person's mind will be taken over, and they will become loyal subjects serving her.


Love me Yes we love me Love him Yes we love him Love me Yes we love him, oh
These lines suggest that the singer is in a position of power and demanding affection from others, likely wanting others to acknowledge the Black Widow's supremacy and his part in it.


He sits upon his throne And picks at all the bones Of his husbands and his wives He's devoured
The singer depicts an image of the Black Widow spider sitting on her throne, surrounded by the bones of her former mates, which she has killed and devoured.


He stares with a gleam With a laugh so obscene And the children and the virgins He's deflowered
The artist portrays the Black Widow spider as a wicked and malevolent ruler, whose laughter and stare are disturbing. Furthermore, she enjoys using children and virgins for her own pleasure.


Our thoughts are hot and crazed Our dreams are webbed in haze Mindless, senseless daze The Black Widow
Under the rule of the Black Widow spider, the people's thoughts and dreams are unclear and tangled, thus causing them to become directionless and confused.


The Black Widow Sets free, oh, the children to me
As the song concludes, the singer leaves listeners with a cryptic sentence that suggests that somehow, the Black Widow spider sets children free. How, and to what end, is left up to interpretation.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ALICE COOPER, DESMOND CHILD, DIANE WARREN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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