A Rowdy Call to Arms: “Lock Up Your Daughters” by Slade
By 1981, Slade had already carved out their legacy as one of Britain’s loudest and most electrifying rock acts. Known for their anthemic choruses, raw energy, and sheer ability to ignite a crowd, they had dominated the 1970s glam rock scene with stadium-sized hits. But as the music landscape shifted into the 1980s, Slade refused to fade away. “Lock Up Your Daughters,” the second single from their tenth studio album, Till Deaf Do Us Part, was proof that the band still had plenty of fire left to burn.
Written by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea, this track is classic Slade—big, bold, and unapologetically raucous. The title alone drips with mischief, setting the tone for a song that’s all about reckless abandon and rock ‘n’ roll bravado. When it was released, it climbed to number 29 on the UK Singles Chart, sticking around for a respectable eight weeks. While it didn’t reach the chart-topping heights of their earlier anthems, it solidified their continued presence in the hard rock scene at a time when younger bands were vying for dominance.
From the first blistering guitar riff, “Lock Up Your Daughters” charges forward like an out-of-control freight train. The song’s production, handled by Slade themselves, is a thunderous mix of heavy drums, scorching guitar work, and that unmistakable Noddy Holder growl—a voice that sounds like it was made to shake the walls of every sweaty rock club from London to Los Angeles. It’s a no-nonsense, riff-driven rock song that sticks to the band’s roots while embracing the harder-edged sound they were exploring in the early ’80s.
Lyrically, the song plays into the wild, rebellious energy that defined Slade’s persona. It’s a rallying cry to youthful chaos, a warning (or an invitation) to let loose, have fun, and embrace the wild side of life. There’s a cheeky arrogance to it, something only Slade could pull off without sounding overdone. Even as the music world moved into slicker, more polished rock productions, Slade clung to the raw, fist-pumping energy that had always set them apart.
Though “Lock Up Your Daughters” may not be the first song people associate with Slade, it remains a hidden gem in their catalog—a high-octane blast of pure, undiluted rock ‘n’ roll. It was a statement that the band wasn’t ready to be written off, and in hindsight, it’s one of the songs that showed their adaptability in the changing rock landscape.
For fans of hard-hitting, anthemic rock, this track is a reminder of why Slade was never just another band—they were a force, a movement, and above all, a party that never ended.