Queen Discussion Thread

[talon]

Surrender

Written by: Roger Taylor

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals, drums, keyboards
Treana Morris - vocals
Steve Barnacle - bass guitar
Jonathan Perkins - keyboards, vocals
Jason Falloon - guitars

Same cycle happen every day
Same characters, same play
My game plan's become clear
Gotta find a way out of here
There ain't no place to run
No welcome mat in my home
No love here, no life
He want a punch bag, not a wife

You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
I'm gone from you

You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
You can't reach me where
I'm gone to

I surrender
I surrender

No hope left, just pain
Whisky on his breath, violence in his brain
Scared kids, with scarred minds
Surrender reason, love is blind
Surrender life, surrender love
Surrender belief in God above
Surrender hope, bow down to fear
Surrender life, there ain't much here

You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
I'm gone from you

You can't hurt me now
You can't hurt me now
You can't reach me where
I'm gone to

I surrender
I surrender
I surrender
I surrender

You can't reach me, you can't reach me
You can't reach me, you can't reach me
You can't reach me, you can't reach me
You can't reach me, you can't reach me

I surrender, you can't hurt me
I surrender, you can't hurt me
I surrender, you can't reach me
I surrender, you can't reach me
I surrender, you can't hurt me

Surrender

- Features Treana Morris on co-lead vocals with Roger.

- Played throughout the Electric Fire tour with live versions featuring on Live At The Cyberbarn which was also issued as a single backed by ‘No More Fun’ and ‘Tonight’ from Live At The Cyberban in 1999 in the UK. Treana was on tour with Roger so she was able to join him for a few tracks including this one. The Cyberbarn gig however was sans Treana so Roger had to do it all.

QUOTES:

“’Surrender’ is all about domestic violence. And it’s really sung from the woman’s point of view, I suppose, of the battered wife or girlfriend. Which is quite a poignant point of view. And I suppose it’s quite depressing, really! I think it’s a subject which is hardly touched, and it is a subject which does affect a lot of people all over the world, is rarely talked about and is very hard to deal with.” – Roger Taylor – Retro Countdown with Mark Dennison

“I experienced some of that in my formative years, yes.” – Roger Taylor

ALTERNATE VERSIONS

RADIO MIX

- NECESSARY
- Quite a different mix. The production is different, so vocals are different. Overall QUITE different sounding, but equally as good and in some ways even better as it's a bit more crisper.

ORIGINAL UNRELEASED ACETATE VERSION

- NOT NECESSARY
- Another QUITE different take with Jonathan Perkins, a friend of Roger's on lead vocals. Roger is still on backing vocals. Jonathan is a unique voice which is not bad but I prefer Rog.

LIVE IN ASTORIA


LIVE AT THE CYBERBARN


Both exceptional live versions.

PERSONAL NOTES: I LOVE this track. It's about something important, yet is a powerful singalong with some great vocals. Next? Rog gets a bit middle eastern with...People On Streets

[talon]

People On Streets

Written by: Roger Taylor

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals, drums, bass guitar, keyboards
Jonathan Perkins - keyboards
Jason Falloon - guitars
Arty - vocals

I said a hey Michael Jackson and the politician
You wanna get out on the street and see what you can
I said a hey Mr. President and senators too
I said a Mr. Prime Minister it's good for you
I said all the Queen's women and all the Queen's men
Better get it together 'cos its real broken
I said a whatta you need is a lesson in reality
Because the way it stands you're a real liability

Get out and meet people on streets
Get out and meet people on streets
You know and I know we're brothers in time
You know that truth is the right of mankind

I said a hey all you music stars and DJ's too
You'd better get real quick or it's up for you
And you quiz show hosts who think you're so fine
You talk to people like they're stupid and a waste of your time

And all you movie stars who think you're so cool
Maybe you're time is up and it's time for the truth
There's a lot of lessons needed in humility
Because the way it stands you're a real liability

Get out and meet people on streets
Get out and meet people on streets
You know and I know we're brothers in time
You know that justice is for all mankind

I said a hey Madonna and Roseanne Barr
Well you think that you're big, you're too big by far
If you think that you're important in the scheme of things
You'd better get real quick 'cos reality stinks
I said a hey Ayatollah you're a real big cheese
However much you talk it's just words in the breeze
If you're one of the people can't you prove it's true
Get out on the street and let reality come to you

Get out and meet people on streets
Get out and meet people on streets
You know and I know we're brothers in time
You know that justice is for all mankind

Get out and meet (you know and I know) people on streets (we're brothers in time)
Get out and meet (you know that justice) people on streets (is for all mankind)
Get out and meet (you know and I know) people on streets
Get out and meet (you know that justice) people on streets (is for all mankind)

Get out and meet (you know and I know) people on streets
Get out and meet (you know that justice) people on streets (is for all mankind)
You know and I know people on streets
Get on meet people on streets

- Another sort of lyrical sequel to Under Pressure - TWO in one album? This was one of the original titles to that track.

- A middle eastern dirge at celebrities.

- Played live on a few occasions at the beginning of the tour but dropped before too long.

- Arty.  Who is the mysterious Arty?  Well take the two letters in the middle of the name.  Just say the syllables of the name slowly....Got it?  Why?  No real idea...but Arty makes an appearance later on in the 2000s as well.

ALTERNATE VERSIONS

MASHED MIX

- NOT NECESSARY
- A dance remix of sorts used as a B-side.

PERSONAL NOTES: Definitely not my favorite track on the album. There are a lot of interesting things happening during the track but the overall is not something I listen to very much to be honest. NEXT? Another track I don't listen too very much but definitely has merit and you may love it - The Whisperers

[talon]

The Whisperers

Written by: Roger Taylor and Nicholas Evans

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
Keith Prior - drums
Jonathan Perkins - keyboards
Matthew Exelby - guitars

Between men, between horses there is mistrust and fear
And it's only got deeper with the passing of years
We know this from paintings, we know this from books
Some men had real magic while others just took

There were gypsies and showmen, and charlatan shamans
There were men who could softly whisper the devils away
John Solomon Rary tamed a horse of the Queen
Laid it down on the ground
Then he lay down beside it, put his head on it's hooves
You can imagine the scene

For secrets uttered softly into pricked and troubled ears
These men were known as whisperers
These men were known as whisperers

An Indian charm bought for the price of a meal
Was the secret of Sullivan that died with him for real?
We know this from paintings, we know this from books
Some men had real magic while others just talked

For secrets uttered softly to soothe all troubled fears
These men were known as whisperers
These men were known as whisperers

(Softly spoken secrets live in)
(Troubled fears are disappearing)
(With the passing of each year)

For secrets uttered softly to soothe all troubled fears
These men were known as whisperers
For secrets uttered softly into pricked and troubled ears
These men were known as whisperers
(Can you hear the whisperers)
These men were known as whisperers
(Can you hear the whisperers)
These men were known as whisperers
(Can you hear the whisperers)
These men were known as whisperers
(Can you hear the whisperers)
These men were known as whisperers

- Taken from the novel, The Horse Whisperer written by Nicholas Evans, this song was written for the film starring Robert Redford, but went unused.

- It was never attempted live - no surprise as it doesn't lend itself to a staging.

QUOTE:

“I read the book way before the movie came out, which I thought was disappointing. I thought it was a very elegantly written book and if I wanted a good ambient, wide-open spaces, Montana kind of feel to a song, I could not improve on that. I sent Nicholas Evans a copy of the song and he thought it was great and when I said would he like a credit on the song, I just lifted some of the words from the book,” – Roger Taylor


PERSONAL NOTES: I admit that since getting The Lot I've listened to it a bit more and it's grown a little on me. I definitely have to be in the mood to listen to it, but it's got some highlights. NEXT? Roger gets back on track with a highlight of the album! Is It Me?

[talon]

Is It Me?

Written by: Roger Taylor

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals, drums
Steve Barnacle - bass guitar
Mike Crossley - keyboards
Keith Airey - guitars

So lonely, I'm so lonely
Is it me? Or is it you?
And I feel
And I feel
And I feel
So lonely
Only lonely
Without you

How many times must I sit by the phone
Must I feel so alone, must I stay in at home
I feel lonely

How many times can we patch up a fight
Can we stay home at night, try to keep out of sight
I feel blue

How many times can we drive ourselves mad
End up just feeling sad with a love turning bad
I'm so lonely
Only lonely
A without you

And I feel
And I feel
And I feel
So lonely, I'm so lonely
Is it me? Or is it you?

And I feel
And I feel
And I feel
So lonely
Only lonely
Without you

How many tears must we cry in the night
Must we needlessly fight
Can't see no light
There's no hope left

How many pleas does it take to appease
When you're down on your knees
Seems that nothing can please
So hopeless

How many storms can the two of us take
When there's so much at stake
Something must break
No rope left
A hopeless home left
Without you

And I feel
And I feel
And I feel
So lonely
Feel so lonely
Is it me now?
Or is it you?

And I feel
And I feel
And I feel
So lonely
Lonely only
A without you

And I feel
And I feel
And I feel
So lonely
Is it me?
Or is it you?

- Midtempo rocker that for whatever reason never was attempted live

ALTERNATIVE VERSION

ACETATE VERSION

- ESSENTIAL
- Ignore the intro - The main difference in the earlier version of the track is an additional verse and chorus. So basically more of a good song!

PERSONAL NOTES: One of my favs on the album. I always came back to this one for some reason. It's sweet, yet good to drive to. It kind of reminds me a bit of Touch The Sky from Happiness? This definitely should have been on the set lists.

NEXT? Roger's ode to the old days before computer, autotune, etc...and plays every instrument again (with some extra guitar by Jason Falloon) in No More Fun

[talon]

No More Fun

Written by: Roger Taylor

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals, drums, guitars, bass guitar, keyboards
Jason Falloon - guitars

From the stairway to heaven to the laughing gnome
It's a mighty long way down rock 'n' roll
We got no more, no more fun

Age before beauty, pearls before swine
And whatever happened to the wild, wild times
From the Memphis God to the Liverpool boys
And the guitar kings made a lot of noise

We got no more, no more fun
No more fun
We got no more, no more fun
No more fun

I said age before beauty pearls before swine
Whatever happened to the wild, wild times
No more fun

And they were dressing like hookers
And they were dressing like queens
It had nothing to do with New Orleans
We got no, no more, no more fun
No more fun
We got no, we got no, no more fun
No more fun

It don't seem like fun and it ain't necessary
Never wanted to be no shorthand secretary
Now they're punching their keyboards, kiss their machines
It ain't got much soul and it's squeaky clean

We got no, we got no, no more fun
No more fun
We got no more, no more fun

We got no more, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun
No more fun, no more fun, no more fun

- A retro rocker of sorts with Roger playing all the instruments.with a little help from Jason Falloon.

- Played live throughout the Electric Fire tour with a live version featuring on Live at Cyberbarn as well as the B-Side of ‘Surrender (live)’.

- The lyrics include all sorts of plays on rock gods...

From the stairway to heaven to the laughing gnome
It's a mighty long way down rock 'n' roll.

Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin, The Laughing Gnome - David Bowie, Mighty long way down rock 'n' roll - a quote from All The Way From Memphis by Mott The Hoople.

From the Memphis God to the Liverpool boys
And the guitar kings made a lot of noise

Memphis God - Elvis
Liverpool boys - Beatles
Guitar kings - well just about anyone but it starts with Hendrix

AND possibly, the New Orleans and dressing like Queens was reference to Queen's infamous wild Jazz release party in New Orleans with dwarves wearing cocaine trays at hats (since debunked but...in a "I don't remember that but..." kind of way), women wearing body paint, and women stationed in bathrooms for "pleasure duty", and of course the meat covered man, and the stripper smoking with her crotch.

LIVE VERSIONS

LIVE B-SIDE VERSION

- AUDIO only.
- Taken from his famous Cyberbarn concert.

LIVE ON TFI

- Live on a UK TV program.

PERSONAL NOTES: Love it. It sums up what I feel about modern music in general to be honest. A fun tongue in cheek Roger rocker! NEXT? Roger goes gentle and acoustic...Tonight

[talon]

Tonight

Written by: Roger Taylor

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals, drums, keyboards
Keith Prior - drums
Jason Falloon - acoustic guitar, bass guitar

Tonight, we're painting this town red
Tonight, we legislate on blue
Tonight, we paint your mother green
Act out all our dreams
And we'll celebrate me and you
Yeah we'll celebrate me and you

Tonight, with all things possible
Tonight, we'll fly beyond all cares
Tonight, we'll tear down all the walls
Ride down waterfalls
And we'll celebrate me and you
Celebrate me and you
Across the skies, into the void, we'll disappear
Oooohh

Celebrate me and you
Yeah we'll celebrate me and you

Tonight, we're drinking this town dry
Tonight, we'll see the tables turned
Tonight, we'll see our bridges burned
Tonight, we're painting this town red
Tonight, we'll see the tables turned
Tonight, we're painting this town red

Tonight
Cha, cha, cha

- Gentle acoustic number that is kind of Latin in origin.
- Some great harmonies
- Played live throughout the tour

ALTERNATE VERSION

DUB SANGRIA MIX

- NECESSARY
- MOSTLY instrumental, but plays on the Latin beat. Some vocals though and it works really well as a laid back track

LIVE VERSION

LIVE AT CYBERBARN

- NICE live version

PERSONAL NOTES: It's a very relaxed track, but very nice. I love the cha cha cha ending - very cute. Great song!

NEXT? At some points, my favorite track on the album, Where Are You Now

[talon]

Where Are You Now

Written by: Roger Taylor

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals, drums
Steve Barnacle - bass guitar
Mike Crossley - keyboards
Jason Falloon - guitars

Don't have much education
Not much anyhow
Just believed what they told me
And oooeee, look at me now

Must be more to life than this bum deal
Some direction somehow
Some kind of a reason
Yeah, I wanna know

Tell me where are you now
Tell me where are you now

Don't have much of religion
Not much anyhow
Don't have much to look up to
We killed all your sacred cows

Just trying to file a flight plan
Need some direction, need it now
Some kind of a reason
Yeah, I wanna know

Tell me where are you now (that we need you)
Tell me where are you now

You don't have to be, you don't have to seem
You don't have to scream, for any big deal, for yourself
You don't have to bleed, you don't have to believe
You don't have to pretend to know what's right
Or what's real

Tell me where are you now (we need you)
Where are you now
Tell me where are you now
Tell me where are you now (that we need you)

- For who knows what reason, this track was never attempted live.
- Great piano interlude to a very spiritual song.
- Roger has been very vague about who this is about - some believe it is the usually anti-religious Rog bringing that to song...some think it could be about Freddie and missing Queen at that point in his life.

PERSONAL NOTES:
I always thought it was a spiritual song and not Freddie but I could be wrong...either way though it's a very well crafted track and I love when the instruments cut out a bit and it's just the electric guitar. I also love the piano interlude. All in all a phenomenal track.

NEXT? Roger takes on John Lennon with his cover of Working Class Hero

[talon]

Working Class Hero

Written by: John Lennon

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals
Keith Prior - drums
Steve Barnacle - bass guitar
Mike Crossley - keyboards
Keith Airey - guitars

As soon as you're born, they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
'Til the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
'Til you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they are telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
Yes, a working class hero is something to be

If you want to be a hero then just follow me
If you want to be a hero then just follow me

- A more industrial sounding track than Lennon’s original organic piece.

- Surprisingly RT did not try this live.

QUOTE:

“I am a big John Lennon fan. I could go on about him forever. I think the Plastic Ono Band album wasn’t a big hit when it was first released…This song is probably not so well known by a whole generation so we decided to do a different kind of rock band variation on it.” - Roger Taylor - 1998

PERSONAL NOTES: Roger tries a more brooding, grinding version of the track and it works well for it. Well sung, well crafted.

NEXT? The finale of the album, the epic genre twisting London Town, C'mon Down

[talon]

London Town, C'mon Down

Written by: Roger Taylor

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals
Treana Morris - vocals
Keith Prior - drums
Steve Barnacle - bass guitar
Mike Crossley - keyboards
Jason Falloon - guitars

I got it down, I got it down
I got it down in London Town
I got it down, I got it down
I got it down in London Town

Dig this and dig that
Dig the thin and dig the fat
Dig the boys and dig the girls
Dig the straights and dig the curls
Dig the future, dig the past
Dig the audience and cast
Dig the sights, dig the sounds
Yeah, dig this London Town

C'mon down (c'mon down)
To London Town
C'mon down (c'mon down)
To London Town (to London Town)

Electric light surrounding me
Feel the electricity
Feeling up, getting higher
Feed on my electric fire
If you wanna get up, you gotta go down
Get your fix on London Town
So c'mon down
To London Town

C'mon down (c'mon down)
To London Town
C'mon down (c'mon down)
To London Town (to London Town)

C'mon down, I got it down, I got it down in London Town
I got it down, I got it down, I got it down in London Town

I got it down
I got it down
I got it down
I got it down
I got it down
I got it down, I got it down, I got it down in London Town
I got it down, I got it down
I got it down, I got it down
I got it down, I got it down
Down

But for the fact that the eye can cease to respond
The brain to absorb, the heart to miss a beat
The spirit to launch itself at hazardous speculation
That surely the weird creatures that make up
This dark hive called London, or for that matter the world
It would lie spread before us every day such it seemed
It haunts the brains of magnates
The delirium of heads and brains and hands
The camalcade hardly to be suffered
The very implessness of its inventive fantasy

C'mon down
C'mon down
Come on down
C'mon down
Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on
C'mon down
Come on
Come on down
Come on down

Clay miracles float by in a hundred lights
The eyes of constellations swarm through London
Sight becomes cluttered, there is no end to it
Beneath the electric glare and the fog
In downpouring sunlight and fire light
In wind and sun rise are at dusk
There is no end

One night stand

- An epic track with shifts in genre and tempo. Unlike most songs Roger has written before.

- Includes a spoken verse from Mervyn Peake’s London Fantasy novel.

- Performed live throughout the tour - used as the introduction to the band.

ALTERNATE VERSIONS

SINGLE VERSION

NOT NECESSARY
- Cuts about half the song, but admittedly is very effective!

LIVE VERSION

LIVE IN MANCHESTER 1999

AUDIO ONLY

PERSONAL NOTES: This is a great track. Reminiscent of Queen of old in some fashions with the tempo shifting, and the genre bending at times. At some parts very funky/dancy and at other times Pink Floydian!

NEXT? I could go into the Internet Download bonus track One Night Stand but considering it was revisited and made a part of Fun On Earth in 2013, I'll keep that as an alternate version then. SO we'll tackle the B-Side cover that Roger did of Little Richard's Keep A Knockin'

[talon]

Keep A Knockin'

Written by: Penniman/Williams/Mays

Probable musicians:

Roger Taylor - vocals, drums
Steve Barnacle - bass guitar
Mike Crossley - keyboards
Keith Airey - guitars
? - saxophone

Oooh-ee

Knockin'

You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
Come back tomorrow night and try it again

You said you love me but you can't come in
You said you love me but you can't come in, wow
You say you love me but you can't come in
Come back tomorrow night and try it again, oh yeah

Wooh, yeah

You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
Come back tomorrow night and try it again

You say you love me but you can't come in
You say you love me but you can't come in
You say you love me but you can't come in, wow
Come back tomorrow night and try it again, yeah

Knockin'
Keep knockin'
Oooh, yeah
Oooh

You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
Come back tomorrow night and try it again

You say you love me but you can't come in
You said you love me but you can't come in
You said you love me but you can't come in
Come back tomorrow night and try it again

Oooh, yeah
You keep a knockin'
You keep a knockin'
You keep a knockin'

Knockin'

You keep a knockin'
You keep a knockin'
You keep a knockin'
Oooh, yeah

One more time now

You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
You keep a knockin' but you can't come in
You keep a knockin' but you can't come in, wow
Come back tomorrow night and try it again

- Released as a B-Side to Roger's single supporting Manchester United's attempt to prevent Rupert Murdoch from buying the team.

- It is unknown who plays the sax.

PERSONAL NOTES: A fun if repetitive track. It seems made for live performance but Roger never tried it even with the SAS band! NEXT? 1998 live....