Siffre released his first six albums of songs between 1970 and 1975, and a further three albums between 1988 and 1998. During this period he had several solo hits, including "It Must Be Love" (No. 14, 1971) (later covered by and a No. 4 hit for Madness, for which Siffre himself appeared in the video); "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" (No. 11, 1972); and "Watch Me" (No. 29, 1972). In 1978 two of his songs, "Solid Love" (performed by Siffre) and "We Got It Bad" (co-written and performed by Bob James) reached the UK finals of the BBC's A Song for Europe. His 1987 hit "(Something Inside) So Strong", which reached No. 4, was an anti-Apartheid anthem that won the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically", and has since been used in Amnesty International campaigns, a television advertisement and Alice Walker's film against female genital mutilation: Warrior Marks.
In 1997, Siffre's play "DeathWrite" was staged at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and later televised.
His song "I Got The..." was sampled in rapper Eminem's hit single "My Name Is," Siffre, who is openly gay, said in an interview that he turned down the offer to approve the song at first until the original sexist and homophobic lyrics were removed: "Dissing the victims of bigotry – women as bitches, homosexuals as faggots – is lazy writing. Diss the bigots not their victims." Siffre eventually allowed its usage when he was sent a censored "clean" version, not realizing that he was also allowing the riffs use on the alternative "dirty" versions with the original lyrics.
In 1984 Siffre began writing poetry and has since released three books of poetry: "Blood on the Page" 1995 and "Monument" 1997. His poetry addresses a variety of themes, from theology and childhood to sociology, love, hate, language, critical thinking, and communication. In 2006, he released a new album, The Last Songs.
The Vulture
Labi Siffre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I fly high, around the town, looking for game
Any girl who's lost her man i'm by her side, as fast as i can
And i tell her things that she wants to hear, i'm an evil man
Oh oh oh i'm a vulture
I say, now that is over what you gonna do I'm so sad that you're on your own
And your heart is a shelter
That man is gone and is gone for good
He's gone and he's never coming back
And the love that you had that was beautiful
But it's dead that is a fact
If you're looking for consolation you don't have to look no more
And i fold my wings around the girl i've made it for sure
Oh oh i'm a vulture
When i fly into town the work is around
The vulture's here you'd better tie your baby down
Take a girl for a drink, take her out for something to eat
Leave her just for a little while, take a nature retreat
By the time, i've made it back, i've got a name, address and a date
And you can see by the far away look in her eyes
That you've made it there much too late
Oh oh oh i'm a vulture
Vulture's got class, vulture's got style
Vulture can heal her, with a look or a smile
Vulture's in town, so you'd better beware
Married or single, i just don't care
Oh oh oh i'm a vulture
Labi Siffre's song "The Vulture" is a catchy tune with a dark undertone. The lyrics describe the vulture as a charming but evil man who preys on women who have lost their partners. He provides them with the consolation that they want to hear, but in reality, he is just looking for his next conquest. The vulture is portrayed as a manipulative and heartless person who takes advantage of vulnerable women. Despite his reprehensible behavior, the vulture is confident in his ability to charm and seduce women.
The chorus "Oh oh oh, I'm a vulture" is a haunting repetition that emphasizes the sinister nature of the character. The verses describe his tactics in detail, such as taking women out for drinks and then leaving them alone for a few minutes to gather their personal information. The vulture's ultimate goal is to add these women to his list of conquests.
The overall message of the song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of trusting the wrong people. It also highlights the importance of being aware of manipulative individuals who often hide behind charm and charisma to accomplish their goals. The vulture is a character who should be avoided at all costs.
Line by Line Meaning
They call me the vulture cause that's my name
My reputation as a seducer precedes me, people call me the vulture.
I fly high, around the town, looking for game
I scourge the town, searching for women who are vulnerable and likely to fall for my deceitful charms.
Any girl who's lost her man i'm by her side, as fast as i can
I take advantage of girls who are going through a tough time after losing their partners, I pounce on them immediately.
And i tell her things that she wants to hear, i'm an evil man
I manipulate my victims by saying whatever they want to hear and I'm aware that my actions are wicked and immoral.
I say, now that is over what you gonna do
I say things like, 'What now?' or 'What are you going to do?' to the vulnerable women I seduce, indicating that I can be their new lover since their partner is gone.
I'm so sad that you're on your own
I feign sadness to win the sympathy of these women so that they will be attracted to me and see me as someone they can depend on.
And your heart is a shelter
I flatter my victim by assuring her that her heart is pure and capable of loving again.
That man is gone and is gone for good
I indirectly tell the woman that her former partner is never coming back, so she should move on with someone like me.
He's gone and he's never coming back
I explicitly inform the woman that her lover is gone for good.
And the love that you had that was beautiful
I acknowledge that her past relationship was sweet and beautiful.
But it's dead that is a fact
I don't want her to dwell on her past relationship because it's dead and over, so I offer myself as an alternative.
If you're looking for consolation you don't have to look no more
I assure my victim that, if she is looking for comfort, she need not look further because I will take care of her.
And i fold my wings around the girl i've made it for sure
I take advantage of the woman's vulnerability and seduce her; she is now trapped with me.
When i fly into town the work is around
Every time I'm in the town, people know that I'm there to lure women and make them fall for me.
The vulture's here you'd better tie your baby down
People know I'm a predator, so if they don't want their women to fall for me, they should secure them.
Take a girl for a drink, take her out for something to eat
I invite women out for a dinner or a drink to keep them engaged and enchanted.
Leave her just for a little while, take a nature retreat
Sometimes I take a brief vacation and leave the woman alone to make her miss me and want me more.
By the time, i've made it back, i've got a name, address and a date
While I'm away, I scheme and research my victim to get as much information about her as possible.
And you can see by the far away look in her eyes
When I return from my vacation, it's evident that she's already started developing feelings for me because she has a distant look in her eyes.
That you've made it there much too late
At this point, my victim is already under my spell, and anyone who tries to intervene is too late.
Vulture's got class, vulture's got style
I take pride in being a seducer and believe that I have both etiquette and panache.
Vulture can heal her, with a look or a smile
I believe I have the power to heal my victim's pain by using my charming smile, looks, and words.
Vulture's in town, so you'd better beware
People must beware of me because, when I come to town, I will hunt and seduce their women.
Married or single, i just don't care
I'm a ruthless seducer, and whether a woman is married or not, I will still do my best to make her my victim.
Oh oh oh i'm a vulture
I take pleasure in being a seducer, and the repetition of the phrase 'Oh oh oh' is to emphasize that I am damn proud of it.
Contributed by Abigail F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Melanie
on Cannock Chase
So beautiful :)