Raven
Slade Lyrics


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Tell raven that it's fatal
Chasing everything that glitters
Colored pieces chattering
Doesn't miss a single thing
Gold and silver polished stone
Never leaves a thing alone

Belts away every hour
Flies to his loftly tower
Storing his spoils
Of the fruits of his toils

You beware of the sight
Of the roundabout flight
Often you'll see the raven
Flapping wings and calling loudly

He doesn't care what others feel
Thinks he has the right to steal
Gold and silver polished stone
Never leaves a thing alone

Belts away every hour
Flies to his loftly tower
Storing his spoils
Of the fruits of his toils
You beware of the sight
Of the roundabout flight

Break

Belts away every hour
Flies to his loftly tower
Storing his spoils
Of the fruits of his toils




You beware of the sight
Of the roundabout flight

Overall Meaning

The song Raven by Slade is a cautionary tale about a bird, the raven, who is consumed by his desire for shiny objects. The song's lyrics describe his constant pursuit of these treasures, โ€œChasing everything that glitters,โ€ and his unwavering determination to acquire them, โ€œNever leaves a thing alone.โ€ The raven is depicted as a relentless hoarder who spends every moment collecting and safeguarding his shiny spoils in his โ€œloftly tower.โ€ He is unapologetic and indifferent to the feelings of others and believes he has the right to take what he wants, regardless of who it belongs to.


The song's message is a metaphor for greed and the destructive nature of obsessive materialism. The raven's endless pursuit of shiny trinkets represents our own human desires for material possessions and our propensity for excess. The song warns of the dangers of pursuing wealth and material gain to the exclusion of other values like empathy, kindness, and compassion. The raven ultimately becomes a symbol of human greed and the destructive effects it can have on individuals and the wider community.


Line by Line Meaning

Tell raven that it's fatal
Warning the Raven that its behavior will lead to an unhappy ending.


Chasing everything that glitters
The Raven has an obsession with shiny objects that makes it chase after anything that catches its eye.


Colored pieces chattering
The shiny treasures the Raven chases make noise as they move and clink against each other.


Doesn't miss a single thing
The Raven is incredibly thorough and never overlooks any shiny object it might want to steal.


Gold and silver polished stone
The Raven is only interested in items that are valuable and glow in the light.


Never leaves a thing alone
Once the Raven sets its sights on an item, it will stop at nothing until it has it in its possession.


Belts away every hour
The Raven is constantly on the move, flying from place to place in search of more treasures to add to its collection.


Flies to his loftly tower
The Raven has a place of refuge where it takes all the shiny objects it has collected, keeping them safe in its tower.


Storing his spoils
The Raven is a hoarder, keeping all of its shiny objects in its tower and not sharing with anyone else.


Of the fruits of his toils
All of the shiny objects the Raven collects are the result of its own efforts, but it does not see the harm in stealing from others to obtain them.


You beware of the sight
Others should be careful and wary of the Raven, as it will steal anything that catches its eye, regardless of who it belongs to.


Of the roundabout flight
The Raven's flight patterns are unpredictable, and it may suddenly change direction to swoop down and snatch a shiny object from someone's hands.


He doesn't care what others feel
The Raven has no empathy or concern for others, as it is solely focused on obtaining shiny objects for itself.


Thinks he has the right to steal
The Raven believes it is entitled to take anything that it wants, and sees nothing wrong with stealing from others.


Break
The song pauses briefly at this point.




Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB CREWE, BOB GAUDIO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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