Chariots of Silk
T. Rex Lyrics


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The toad road licked my wheels like a sabre
Winds of the marsh lightly blew
Stone jars stacked with stars on her shoulders
Hunters of pity she slew.

Chariots of silk she rode
Stallions of gold she owned.
A mad Mage with a maid on his eyebrows
Hunteth the realm for a God
Who could teach him the craft of decanting
The glassy entrails of a frog.

The Bard of my birth with his ballet
Walked the wild worlds in the chase




For the black chested canary
Who as a moose can sing bass.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to T. Rex's song "Chariots of Silk" paint a vivid, imaginative picture of a mystical, almost otherworldly place. The first verse describes a journey, with the singer's "wheels" encountering the "toad road" and a gentle "wind" blowing. The second half of the verse introduces a mysterious figure, "she," who carries "stone jars stacked with stars" on her shoulders and is a "hunter of pity." Although her exact identity is unclear, her presence suggests that the world the song describes is full of magic and wonder.


The second verse continues the theme of magic and mystery. A "mad Mage" and his "maid" are searching for a god who can teach them how to "decant" the "glassy entrails of a frog." The use of this grotesque image contrasts with the beautiful, almost fairy tale-like quality of the rest of the song, adding a darker edge. The final lines of the verse introduce the character of a "Bard" who is hunting for a "black chested canary" that can "sing bass like a moose." The absurdity of this image adds to the sense of the world being a surreal, fantastical place.


Overall, the lyrics to "Chariots of Silk" suggest a world that is at once beautiful, mysterious, and unsettling. The use of vivid imagery creates a sense of a place that is both tangible and dreamlike, and the focus on characters who are searching for something adds to the feeling of a world full of hidden secrets and untold stories.


Line by Line Meaning

The toad road licked my wheels like a sabre
The bumpy, rough road made it feel as if the toads were cutting into the wheels of the vehicle.


Winds of the marsh lightly blew
Gentle winds from the marshy areas that are near the singer blew softly.


Stone jars stacked with stars on her shoulders
The woman held jars made of stone on her shoulders. The jars had stars inside them.


Hunters of pity she slew.
The woman was so ruthless that she killed even those who were pitiful or helpless.


Chariots of silk she rode
The woman rode in carriages that were made of soft and shiny silk fabric.


Stallions of gold she owned.
The woman possessed horses that were not only fast, but also glimmered bright like gold.


A mad Mage with a maid on his eyebrows
A crazy magician is searching for a goddess with long eyebrows.


Hunteth the realm for a God
The magician is searching far and wide for a god to help him with his magic.


Who could teach him the craft of decanting
The magician wants to learn how to carefully pour or transfer liquid from one container to another, but in a magical way.


The glassy entrails of a frog.
The magician wants to learn how to perform magic with frog's internal organs.


The Bard of my birth with his ballet
The singer's birthplace had a talented musician who could flawlessly dance while playing an instrument.


Walked the wild worlds in the chase
The musician traveled around and pursued new opportunities for his music.


For the black chested canary
The musician was searching for the songbird with a black chest.


Who as a moose can sing bass.
The songbird's voice had a deep quality (bass), similar to that of a moose.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MARC BOLAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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