Slade may have never truly caught on with global audiences (often narrow-mi… Read Full Bio ↴Slade may have never truly caught on with global audiences (often narrow-mindedly deemed "too British-sounding"), but the group became a sensation in their homeland with their anthemic brand of glam rock in the early '70s, as they scored a staggering 11 Top Five hits in a four-year span from 1971 to 1974 (five of which topped the charts). Comprised of singer/guitarist Noddy Holder (born Neville Holder, June 15, 1946 in Walsall, Staffordshire, England), guitarist Dave Hill (born April 4, 1946, in Fleet Castle, Devon, England), bassist Jim Lea (born June 14, 1949, Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England), and drummer Don Powell (born September 10, 1946, Bilston, Staffordshire, England), the group originally formed in the spring of 1966 under the name the In-Be-Tweens, playing out regularly with a mixture of soul and rock tracks. But besides a lone obscure single, "You Better Run" (penned by future Runaways svengali Kim Fowley), the band never issued any other recordings. By the end of '60s, the group had changed their name to Ambrose Slade and signed on with the Fontana label. They released Beginnings in 1969. Soon after, the quartet hooked up with Animals bass player-turned-manager Chas Chandler (who had discovered Jimi Hendrix a few years prior), who promptly suggested the group shorten the name to just Slade and assume a "skinhead" look (Dr. Martin boots, shaved heads) as a gimmick.

After several albums featuring few original compositions from the quartet came and went (1969's Beginnings, 1970's Play It Loud), the group began to write their own tunes, grew their hair long, and assumed the look of the then-burgeoning glam movement, joining the same cause championed by such fellow Brits as David Bowie and T. Rex. This new direction paid off in 1971 with the number 16 U.K. single "Get Down and Get With It," which soon touched off a string of classic singles and led to Slade becoming one of the most beloved party bands back home. They released Slayed? in 1972. Slade also utilized another gimmick, humorously misspelled song titles, as evidenced by such singles as "Coz I Luv You," "Look Wot You Dun," "Take Me Bak 'Ome," "Mama Weer All Crazee Now," "Gudbuy t'Jane," "Cum on Feel the Noize," "Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me," and "Merry Xmas Everybody" (the latter of which re-entered the charts every holiday season for years afterward). Several attempts at cracking the U.S. market came up empty (with track listings between their U.K. and U.S. full-lengths differing), although such albums as Slade Alive! and Slayed? are considered to be some of the finest albums of the glam era.

Slade continued to score further hit singles back home, including such correctly spelled tracks as "My Friend Stan," "Everyday," "Bangin' Man," "Far Far Away," "How Does it Feel," and "In for a Penny," but with glam rock's dissolution and punk's emergence by the mid-'70s, the hits eventually dried up for the quartet. Despite the change in musical climate, Slade stuck to their guns and kept touring and releasing albums, as the title to their 1977 album, Whatever Happened to Slade, proved that the group's humor remained intact despite their fall from the top of the charts. A large, dedicated following still supported the group as they offered a performance at the 1980 Reading Festival that was considered one of the day's best, resulting in sudden renewed interest in the group back home and Slade scored their first true hit singles in six years with 1981's "We'll Bring the House Down" and "Lock up Your Daughters."

Slade received a boost stateside around this time as well, courtesy of the U.S. pop-metal outfit Quiet Riot, who made a smash hit out of "Cum on Feel the Noize" in 1983 that resulted in a strong chart showing for Slade's 1984 release Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (issued as The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome in the U.K. a year earlier). Slade then enjoyed a pair of U.S. MTV/radio hits, "Run Runaway" and "My Oh My." Holder and Lea also tried their hand at producing another artist around this time as well, as they manned the boards for Girlschool's 1983 release Play Dirty. Despite another all-new studio release, Rogues Gallery, and Quiet Riot covering another classic Slade tune ("Mama Weer All Crazee Now"), Slade was unable to retain their newfound American audience or rekindled British following and they eventually faded from sight once more, this time without a comeback waiting around the corner. During the '90s, a truncated version of the group dubbed Slade II was formed (without Holder or Lea in attendance), while Holder became a popular U.K. television personality as well as the host of his own '70s rock radio show. A 21-track singles compilation, Feel the Noize: The Very Best of Slade, was issued in 1997 (re-released under the simple title of Greatest Hits a couple of years later), which proved to be a popular release in England.

Discography
Beginnings (as Ambrose Slade, 1969)
Play It Loud (1970)
Slayed? (1972)
Slade Alive! (1972)
Old New Borrowed and Blue (1974)
Slade in Flame (1974)
Nobody's Fools (1976)
Whatever Happened to Slade (1977)
Return to Base (1979)
We'll Bring the House Down (1981)
Till Deaf Do Us Part (1981)
The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome (1983), re-released in 1984 as:
- Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply (1984)
Rogues Gallery (1985)
Crackers - The Christmas Party Album (1985)
You Boyz Make Big Noize (1987)

Keep on Rockin' (1994) (as Slade II), is the only studio album by Slade II. The album was released in 1994 and has seen various re-issues and guises under alternative names such as Wild Nites (1999), Cum on Let's Party! (2002) and Superyob (2003).

There are other artists with the same name:

2. Slade less commonly refers to Grady Slade, Jr, a Rap artist

3. Slade also refers to a rapper who made music from 2013-2016 under the label, Chapter 9. He currently makes music under a new alias, Dante Oasis.

Hey Ho Wish You Well
Slade Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hey ho wish you well, wish you well, wish you well...
Hey ho wish you well, wish you well...

Hey ho wish you well
Everybody wanna yell
High fly touch the sky
Over the moon
Here there everywhere

Any grumble going spare
High fly touch the sky
Over the moon
Over the moon

Mad dogs and Englishmen
Going out in the midday sun
Come on and join the fun
Do you know what I mean
Are you a ladies man
Gypsies kiss in a caravan
Drinking the black and tan
Do you know what I mean

Hey ho wish you well
Everybody wanna yell
High fly touch the sky
Over the moon
Here there everywhere
Any grumble going spare
High fly touch the sky
Over the moon
Over the moon

Turn on your Dictaphone
Take your secretary home
Break down in a parking zone
Do you know what I mean
Riff raff I need a bath
Try and look good on a photograph
I'm on a crazy path
Do you know what I mean

Hey ho wish you well
Everybody wanna yell
High fly touch the sky
Over the moon
Here there everywhere
Any grumble going spare
High fly touch the sky
Over the moon
Over the moon

Mad dogs and Englishmen
Going out in the midday sun
To hot to jump the gun
Do you know what I mean
Are you a ladies man
Gypsies kiss in a caravan
Drinking the black and tan
Do you know what I mean

Hey ho wish you well
Everybody wanna yell
High fly touch the sky
Over the moon
Here there everywhere
Any grumble going spare
High fly nice and high
Over the moon

Hey ho wish you well
Hey ho wish you well
Hey ho wish you well
Hey ho wish you well

Hey ho wish you well
Hey ho wish you well

Hey ho wish you well
Hey ho wish you well

Hey ho wish you well
Hey ho wish you well...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Slade's "Hey Ho Wish You Well" are full of random phrases that don't seem to have any cohesive meaning. The song starts out with the repeated phrase "Hey ho wish you well, wish you well, wish you well…" and this line is heard throughout the song, almost like it's a chant or a mantra. The rest of the lyrics seem to randomly string together phrases about high flying, being over the moon, grumbling, and crazy paths. The second verse talks about "mad dogs and Englishmen," which is a phrase that comes from a Noël Coward song and refers to people who are out in the midday sun when it's too hot to do anything productive. The last verse talks about turning on a Dictaphone, taking a secretary home, and riff raff needing a bath, which all seem to be unrelated incidents.

Overall, the meaning behind the song is unclear, but it seems to be a celebration of living life to the fullest and embracing spontaneity. The repeated phrase "Hey ho wish you well" could be interpreted as a wish for good luck and good times, and the random phrases throughout the song could represent the different experiences and adventures that life has to offer. "Hey Ho Wish You Well" is a playful and upbeat song that encourages listeners to let loose and enjoy the ride.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey ho wish you well, wish you well, wish you well...
Sending good wishes, good luck to someone

Hey ho wish you well, wish you well...
Repetition of sending good wishes, good luck to someone

Hey ho wish you well
A greeting of good intentions

Everybody wanna yell
Everyone wants to express themselves

High fly touch the sky
To achieve great heights, dreams or goals

Over the moon
To be extremely happy or overjoyed

Here there everywhere
In many places and varied situations

Any grumble going spare
Any annoyances or complaints you want to share

Mad dogs and Englishmen
People doing things in the sun which are not particularly sensible

Going out in the midday sun
Being outside during the hottest part of the day

Come on and join the fun
Invitation to join with others for an enjoyable time