The Beauty of Queen Lyrics

One of the reasons why I supported Queens inclusion on this site was their lyrical content, which I think is absolutely superb. A lot of their lyrics have "prog rock" written all over them. Here are just a few examples of songs which I feel show their inclination for fantasy and prog adventurism.

1. My Fairy King Words and music by Freddie Mercury In the land where horses born with eagle wings And honey bees have lost their stingsThere's singing forever Lions den with fallow deerAnd rivers made from wines so clear Flow on and on foreverDragons fly like sparrows thru' the air And baby lambs where Samson daresTo go on on on on on on My fairy king can see thingsHe rules the air and turns the tides That are not there for you and meOoh yeah he guides the winds My fairy king can do right and nothing wrongThen came man to savage in the night To run like thieves and to kill like knives To take away the power from the magic hand To bring about the ruin of the promised landThey turn the milk into sour Like the blue in the blood of my veinsWhy can't you see it Fire burnin' in hell with the cry of screaming rain Son of heaven set me free and let me goSea turn dry no salt from sand Seasons fly no helping handTeeth don't shine like pearls for poor man's eyes Someone someone just drained the colour from my wingsBroken my fairy circle ring And shamed the king in all his prideChanged the wings and wronged the tides Mother mercury mercuryLook what they've done to me I cannot run I cannot hide

 

1. The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke Words and music by Freddie MercuryHe's a fairy feller Ah ah the fairy folk have gatheredRound the new moon's shine To see the feller crack a nutAt night's noon timeTo swing his axe he swears As he climbs he daresTo deliver the master stroke Ploughman wagoner will' and typesPolitician with senatorial pipe He's a dilly dally ohPedagogue squinting wears a frown And a satyr peers under lady's gownHe's a dirty fellowWhat a dirty laddie-oh Tatterdemalion and the junketerThere's a thief and a dragonfly trumpeter He's my hero ahFairy dandy tickling the fancyOf his lady friend The nymph in yellow (can we see the master stroke)What a quaere fellow Ah ah ah ah ah ahAh ah ah ah ah ahSoldier sailor tinker tailor ploughboy Waiting to hear the soundAnd the arch magician presidesHe is the leader Oberon and Titania watched by a harridan Mab is the queen and there's a good apothecary manCome to say hello Fairy dandy tickling the fancyOf his lady friendThe nymph in yellow What a quaere fellowThe ostler stares with hands on his knees Come on mister fellerCrack it open of you please

 

1. March Of The Black Queen Words and music by Freddie Mercury Do you mean it do you mean it do you mean it Why don't you mean it why do I follow youAnd where do you go? Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ahYou've never seen nothing like it No never in your lifeLike going up to heavenAnd then coming back alive Let me tell you all about itOooh give me a little time to choose Water babies singing in a lily pool delight Blue powder monkeys praying in the dead of night Here comes the Black Queen poking in the pile Fi fo the Black Queen marching single file Take this take that bring them down to sizeMarch to the Black Queen Put them in the cellar with the naughty boys Little nigger sugar then a rub-a-dub-a-baby oil Black on black on every finger nail and toeWe've only begun - begun Make this make that keep making all that noiseOoh march to the Black Queen Now I've got a belly fullYou can be my sugar babyYou can be my honey chile A voice from behind me reminds meSpread out your wings you are an angel Remember to deliver with the speed of lightA little bit of love and joy Everything you do bears a willAnd a why and a wherefore A little bit of love and joyIn each and every soul lies a man And very soon he'll deceive and discoverBut even to the end of his life He'll bring a little loveAh ah ah ah ah I reign with my left hand I rule with my right I'm lord of all darkness I'm queen of the nightI've got the power now to do The march of the Black QueenMy life is in your hands I'll fo and I'll fie I'll be what you make me I'll do what you like I'll be a bad boy I'll be your bad boyI'll do the march of the Black Queen Ah ah ah ah ahWalking true to style she's vulgar abuse and vile The Black Queen tattoos all her piesShe boils and she bakes And she never dots her I'sLa la la la la la la la la la la laLa la la la la Forget your sing a-longs and your lullabies Surrender to the city of the firefliesDance to the devil in beat with the band To hell with all of you hand in handBut now it's time to be gone La la la la forever foreverAh ah ah ah ah

1. Killer Queen Words and music by Freddie Mercury She keeps Moet et Chandon in her pretty cabinet'Let them eat cake' she says Just like Marie AntoinetteA built in remedy for Khrushchev and Kennedy And anytime an invitation you can decline Caviar and cigarettes well versed in etiquetteExtr'ordinarily nice She's a killer queen gunpowder gelatineDynamite with a lazer beam Guaranteed to blow your mindRecommended at the price Insatiable an appetite wanna try?To avoid complications She never kept the same addressIn conversation she spoke just like a baroness Met a man from China went down to Geisha Minah Then again incidentally if you're that way inclined (she's a killer queen) Perfume came naturally from Paris (naturally)For cars she couldn't care less Fastidious and preciseShe's a killer queen gunpowder gelatine Dynamite with a lazer beamGuaranteed to blow your mindRecommended at the price Insatiable an appetite wanna try? Drop of a hat she's as willing as a playful as a pussy cat Then momentarily out of actionTemporarily out of gas To absolutely drive you wild - wildShe's out to get you She's a killer queen gunpowder gelatineDynamite with a lazer beam Guaranteed to blow your mindRecommended at the price Insatiable an appetite wanna try?Wanna try

 

1. You Take My Breath Away Words and music by Freddie Mercury Oooh oooh take it take it all awayOooh ooh take my breath away Oooh ooh yoooo take my breath away Look into my eyes and you'll see I'm the only one You've captured my love stolen my heartChanged my life Every time you make a move you destroy my mindAnd the way you touch I lose control and shiver deep insideYou take my breath away You can reduce me to tears with a single sighEv'ry breath that you take Any sound that you make is a whisper in my ear I could give up all my life for just one kiss I would surely die if you dismiss me from your loveYou take my breath away So please don't goDon't leave me here all by myself I get ever so lonely from time to timeI will find you anywhere you go I'll be right behind youRight until the ends of the earth I'll get no sleep until I find youTo tell you that you just take my breath away I will find you anywhere you goRight until the ends of the earth I'll get no sleep until I find youTo tell you when I've found youI love you Take my breath take my breath ... away

1. The Prophet's Song Words and music by Brian MayOh oh people of the earth Listen to the warning the seer he saidBeware the storm that gathers here Listen to the wise manI dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair Spreading his hand to the multitude thereA man who cried for a love gone stale And ice cold hearts of charity bareI watched as fear took the old man's gaze Hopes of the young in troubled graves'I see no day' I heard him say So grey is the face of every mortalOh oh people of the earth! 'Listen to the warning' the prophet he saidFor soon the cold of night will fall Summoned by your own handAh ah children of the land Quicken to the new life take my handFly and find the new green bough Return like the white doveHe told of death as a bone white haze Taking the lost and the unloved babesLate too late all the wretches run These kings of beasts now counting their days From mother's love is the son estrangedMarried his own his precious gain The earth will shake in two will breakAnd death all round will be your dowry Oh oh people of the earthListen to the warning the seer he said For those who hear and mark my wordsListen to the good plan Oh oh oh oh and two by two my human zooThey'll be running for to come Running for to come out of the rainOh flee for your lives who heed me not Let all your treasures make you fear for your life Deceive you not the fires of hell will take youShould death await you Ah people can you hear me?And now I know and now I know And now I know and now I knowThat you can hear meAnd now I know and now I know And now I know now I knowNow I know now I knowNow I know now I knowNow I know The earth will shake in two will breakDeath all around around around around Around around around aroundNow I know now I knowNow I know now I know Now I know now I knowNow I know now I knowNow I know now I knowNow I know Wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo Listen to the wise listen to the wise listen to the wise Listen to the wise listen to the wise manLa laLa la la la la laLa la la la la la La la la la la laLa la la la la laLa la la la la laLa la la la la laLa laLa la La laCome here I hear youCome here I hear youCome here I hear youAh ah ah ah ah Listen to the man listen to the man listen to the man listen to the mad man God gave you grace to purge this placeAnd peace all around may be your fortune Oh oh children of the landLove is still the answer take my hand The vision fades a voice I hearListen to the madman! But still I fear and still I dare notLaugh at the madman!

1. Seaside Rendezvous Words and music by Freddie Mercury Seaside whenever you stroll along with me I'm merely contemplating what you feel inside Meanwhile I ask you to be my Clementine You say you will if you could but you can'tI love you madly Let my imagination run away with you gladlyA brand new angle highly commendable Seaside rendezvousI feel so romantic can we do it again? Can we do it again sometime I'd like that Fantastic c'est la vie mesdames et messieursAnd at the peak of the season The MediterraneanThis time of year it's so fashionable I feel like dancing in the rainCan I have a volunteer?Just keep right on dancing What a damn jolly good ideaIt's such a jollification as a matter of fact So 'tres charmant' my dearUnderneath the moonlight Together we'll sail across the seaReminiscing every night Meantime I ask you to be my Valentine You say you'd have to tell your daddy if you canI'll be your Valentino We'll ride upon an omnibus and then the casino Get a new facial start a sensationalSeaside rendezvous so adorable Seaside rendezvous oohSeaside rendezvousGive us a kiss!

 

1. Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon Words and music by Freddie Mercury I go out to work on Monday morningTuesday I go off to honeymoon I'll be back again before it's time for sunnydown I'll be lazing on a Sunday afternoonBicycling on every Wednesday evening Thursday I go waltzing to the ZooI come from London townI'm just an ordinary guy Fridays I go painting in the LouvreI'm bound to be proposing on a Saturday night There he goes againI'll be lazing on a Sunday lazing on a Sunday Lazing on a Sunday afternoon

BTW the compilation albums still need to be added to the site

you're all kidding, right?

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

You say black I say white
You say bark I say bite
You say shark I say hey man
Jaws was never my scene
And I don't like Star Wars
You say Rolls I say Royce
You say God give me a choice
You say Lord I say Christ
I don't believe in Peter Pan
Frankenstein or Superman
All I wanna do is

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my
Bicycle races are coming your way
So forget all your duties oh yeah!
Fat bottomed girls they'll be riding today
So look out for those beauties oh yeah
On your marks get set go
Bicycle race bicycle race bicycle race
Bicycle bicycle bicyI want to ride my bicycle
Bicycle bicycle bicycle
Bicycle race

You say coke I say caine
You say John I say Wayne
Hot dog I say cool it man
I don't wanna be the President of America
You say smile I say cheese
Cartier I say please
Income tax I say Jesus
I don't wanna be a candidate
For Vietnam or Watergate
Cos all I want to do is

Bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride my bike
I want to ride my bicycle
I want to ride it where I like

I have a tricycle myself, so I like to ride my trike

meurglysIII wrote: I like that song

more time-signature and chord changes than in Supper's Ready squeezed in 3 minutes

Queen rule. Early Queen at any rate. Before the 80's finally struck

chopper wrote: I'd agree with you about the early stuff but Lazin' On A Sunday Afternoon and Seaside Rendezvous (which are both good songs) are in no way prog. Yes, they are very well written and the "brass section" is fantastic but that doesn't make them prog IMO. Anyway, I'm bored with discussing Queen now.

HAHAHAHA......Once again I reiterate....those two songs are most certainly prog. I mean what would you call them? You can't call them pop, because Vaudeville is not pop. You could in fact just call them Vaudeville or music hall inspired tunes. But if you are a rock band and, you are clever enough and have the intelligence and the writing ability to compose vaudeville tunes, wouldn't you call that progressive?.....I would!!

Proglover wrote: chopper wrote: I'd agree with you about the early stuff but Lazin' On A Sunday Afternoon and Seaside Rendezvous (which are both good songs) are in no way prog. Yes, they are very well written and the "brass section" is fantastic but that doesn't make them prog IMO. Anyway, I'm bored with discussing Queen now. HAHAHAHA......Once again I reiterate....those two songs are most certainly prog. I mean what would you call them? You can't call them pop, because Vaudeville is not pop. You could in fact just call them Vaudeville or music hall inspired tunes. But if you are a rock band and, you are clever enough and have the intelligence and the writing ability to compose vaudeville tunes, wouldn't you call that progressive?.....I would!!

"You could in fact just call them Vaudeville or music hall inspired tunes." Yes - that's exactly what I would call them. They are very clever pastiches of music recorded around 50 years in the past (at the time) - how does that make them prog? They may be "progressive" in being intelligent and writing clever songs, but then that would make Abba prog as well.


Edited by chopper

I think that conjouring up an atmosphere of a far away land populated by mythical folk is fairly standard lyrical fare for prog of the 1970s - not every song, but many bands strolled down that hooded and wooded path once or twice. It's a fairly reasonable stereotype - one that both Queen and Spinal Tap fondly ripped the pea soup out of...

maani wrote: Proglover: ...And exactly what does a "prog lyric" look like? The question is rhetorical.  Prog encompasses lyrics of all types - and so does non-prog.  This makes the lyric question vritually meaningless when it comes to determining who is prog and who is not. Sorry, but I don't buy your entire line of reasoning here... Peace.

OH Good Lord Maani.....DO YOU EVER BUY MY LINE OF REASONING?????????.....I'll answer that, NO!!!!!..........By the way your response does not surprise me in the least. I didn't expect you of all people to TRY to say a positive thing about Queen or my writings....SO MOVING ON!!!!!

The main point here is, the songs are extremely cleverly written. I remember Freddie Mercury saying one thing in regards to how the band approaches their music...he said..."we always try to attack music in a very intelligent way...intelligent music is GOOD music"......I could not have said it better myself. Is that not ONE of the things which seperates prog from ordinary pop/rock music?...Itelligence!!

And yes,......Lyrics are a HUGE part of prog rock, lyrical content has always been important. I would think you would know that.

Oh by the way....are you giving out any more warnings, or was that just for me???