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.

Let's Call It Quits
Slade Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You keep me straight, I'll keep you narrow,
You get the magic that can chill me to the marrow,
But I got something here for you
It's big enough for two

Chorus

You want me, let's call it quits, let's call it quits

Before we break a one another into bits
Let's call a tie - let's call a tie
Before we make a one another start to cry

You want me sweet, I want you pretty,
You got some funny lines
That make you sound so witty,
But I got something here for you
It's big enough for two

Chorus
R E P E A T

You get the why, I got the wherefore,
You got me trapped hook line
nd sinker and so therefore,
I still got something here for you
It's big enough for two

Chorus
R E P E A T

Overall Meaning

The lyrics for Slade's "Let's Call It Quits" is a conversation between two individuals who have a complicated and unbalanced relationship. The first verse sets up the dynamics between the two - "You keep me straight, I'll keep you narrow" - suggesting that one person is an anchor to the other. The next line - "You get the magic that can chill me to the marrow" - implies that the other person has a special ability to move the other to the core emotionally. The singer then acknowledges that they too have something to offer - "But I got something here for you, it's big enough for two." The chorus is a call to end things before there is irreparable damage: "You want me, let's call it quits, before we break one another into bits/Let's call a tie, before we make one another start to cry." The second verse has a different tone in that it highlights the physical attraction both parties have for each other - "You want me sweet, I want you pretty." The singer is also impressed with the other person's wit - "You got some funny lines that make you sound so witty." However, the chorus remains the same, emphasizing their desire to end things before it's too late. The final verse shows the cyclical nature of their relationship - "You get the why, I got the wherefore/You got me trapped hook, line, and sinker and so therefore." The singer, once again, asserts that they have something to offer - "I still got something here for you, it's big enough for two." The song ends with a repeat of the chorus, emphasizing the need to put an end to things.

Line by Line Meaning

You keep me straight, I'll keep you narrow,
You help me stay focused and grounded, while I help you stay disciplined and restrained.

You get the magic that can chill me to the marrow,
You possess a spark of uniqueness that touches me at a deep emotional level.

But I got something here for you It's big enough for two
I have something to give you that is substantial enough to be shared by both of us.

You want me, let's call it quits, let's call it quits Before we break a one another into bits Let's call a tie - let's call a tie Before we make a one another start to cry
Rather than continuing this relationship that might cause us emotional harm, let's end it on good terms before irreparably damaging each other.

You want me sweet, I want you pretty, You got some funny lines That make you sound so witty,
You appeal to my softer side, while I am attracted to your physical appearance and wit.

You get the why, I got the wherefore, You got me trapped hook line and sinker and so therefore,
You understand the reason behind things, while I am more focused on the practical steps needed to achieve success. Even though you have a strong hold on me, I still have something valuable to give.

REPEAT
Repeat the chorus.

Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Media Sucks

4y↑6

That voice, I bet Noddy could shatter a glass with it. One of my favorite vocals of all time.

bigmagic96

11y↑16

A great bluesy, boozy Slade sing along from a magnificent album. Long live The Mighty Slade!!

moreheff

7y↑16

I never tire of hearing this song and it always makes me smile. The bluesy groove is more infectious than the most infrctious thing on the planet LOL Great tune and Dave Hill delivers possibly his best guitar lines on this. Fan flipping tastic :-)