The band was formed in Nashville by co-leads Gary Bennett and Chuck Mead. Their music, referred to as alternative country or neotraditional, contains elements of western swing and rockabilly. They eschew modern Top 40 pop-country for a more raw, honky-tonk sound, with songs about 50s pin-up/dominatrix Bettie Page and The Ramones. They took their name from a telephone number regularly used in a Junior Samples sketch on the television show Hee Haw.
BR549 toured with Bob Dylan, the Mavericks, Junior Brown, the Black Crowes, and Brian Setzer. Whike on hiatus, multi-Instrumentalist Don Herron is touring with Bob Dylan, and lead vocalist Chuck Mead is performing with the honky-tonk country supergroup The Hillbilly All-Stars, along with Robert Reynolds and Paul Deakin of the Mavericks and solo recording artist/actor Mark Collie. Former co-lead vocalist, and co-founder, Gary Bennett released his solo debut, Human Condition, in February of 2006, and former bassist Geoff Firebaugh is a member of the Nashville based rockabilly outfit Hillbilly Casino. Despite shows in Europe in 2007 it's unclear if the band will return to its capacity as a full-time touring band.
The group disbanded, and Chuck, Shaw and Donnie returned to Lower Broadway to play weekly gigs with musical collective The Hillbilly All-Stars. The three were soon revitalized to again play music within an unpredictable scene, leading them to reform BR549 in 2004 with bassist Geoff Firebaugh and singer/guitarist Chris Scruggs for their Dualtone debut Tangled In The Pines. But following victorious tours of the U.S. and Europe (marred only by two separate thefts of their instruments and gear), BR549 was faced with their ultimate challenge when Donnie Herron was invited by Bob Dylan to become the new fiddle and steel guitar player in his band.
“It was a real test of our abilities as a family,” admits Mead. “Donnie went on the road with Dylan. Shaw moved to Arizona. I’d moved on to other projects. But for us, BR549 had always been something that needs to be respected and nothing we could ever take lightly.” Following months of heart-to-heart phone calls, plate-spinning scheduling and the addition of new bassist Mark Miller, the band finally convened in Athens to record in a way they never had before. “In the past, we’d always made a record coming off the road, with songs we’d been played for weeks and sometimes months on tour,” Chuck remembers “But this time, we were all coming in fresh, making the record then and there. It’s an album that’s truly in the moment.”
BR549 released six albums and two EPs, including three albums on Arista Nashville and two on Dualtone Records. The band's self-titled debut album produced three singles on the Billboard country charts in 1996. The band was nominated three times for the Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
You Are The Queen
BR5-49 Lyrics
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My loyal subjects raise a glass and send a pint my way
But when I leave my throne to the castle I go home
I stroll across the drawbridge and this is what I say
You are the queen and you're the only queen
That there has ever been
You rule my very soul, I'm worthless on my own
And I don't deserve the pleasure and the privilege to serve
Yeah, they might call me king but that don't mean a thing
'Cause you are the queen
In ol' Egypt, the pharaoh had to walk the straight and narrow
Back when Cleopatra had her day
'Cause he wouldn't get no kissin' until he'd sit and listen
To every word ol' Cleo had to say
Said, mighty Samson to Delia and Arthur, Guenevere
I'll tell you everything you wanna hear
But like any other king just don't mean a thing
'Til I can see the kingdom as I whisper in your ear
Oh, baby
You are the queen, you're reigning down all over everything
Your highness's divine, you use it all the time
Your humble servant I'll always be
So please judge me fair
And from your darkened dungeon I'll be spared
I've laid my armor down, I thrown away my crown
'Cause you, you are the queen
The song "You Are The Queen" by BR5-49 is a love song that compares the significant other to a queen. The lyrics start by describing the singer as a king among men down at the 'Just Say When', where he is adored by his loyal subjects who raise a glass and send a pint his way. However, when he leaves his throne, i.e. when he is not in the bar, to go home, he walks across the drawbridge and tells his queen that she is the only queen who has ever been. He declares that she rules his very soul and he is worthless without her. He says that she will always be supreme, and he doesn't deserve the pleasure and privilege of serving her.
The lyrics then refer to other love stories where kings would listen to every word their queen had to say. Like any other king, the singer says it doesn't mean anything until he can see the kingdom while whispering in her ear. The chorus repeats the singer's adoration for the queen, saying that she is reigning down all over everything and uses her highness all the time. He is her humble servant and asks her to judge him fairly. He has laid his armor and his crown down, and thrown them away for her.
Overall, the song is a touching tribute to the power of love and is an expression of the singer's devotion to his queen.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a king among men down at the 'Just Say When'
I am the leader among my peers at the bar 'Just Say When'
My loyal subjects raise a glass and send a pint my way
My friends toast to me and buy me drinks to honor my 'royalty'
But when I leave my throne to the castle I go home
However, once I leave the bar and return home to my ordinary life,
I stroll across the drawbridge and this is what I say
I think of my loved one and express my true feelings
You are the queen and you're the only queen
You are my significant other and the most important person in my life
That there has ever been
There is no other who can compare to you
You rule my very soul, I'm worthless on my own
You have complete control over me, I am nothing without you
Your majesty will always be supreme
You will always be the ruler of my heart
And I don't deserve the pleasure and the privilege to serve
I feel lucky to be able to love and care for you, but I don't think I deserve it
Yeah, they might call me king but that don't mean a thing
Others may see me as a leader, but it's meaningless compared to my love for you
'Cause you are the queen
Because you are truly the most important person in my life
In ol' Egypt, the pharaoh had to walk the straight and narrow
In ancient Egypt, the ruler needed to be virtuous and just
Back when Cleopatra had her day
When the famous queen Cleopatra was in power
'Cause he wouldn't get no kissin' until he'd sit and listen
The pharaoh had to listen carefully to Cleopatra's words before he could receive her affection
To every word ol' Cleo had to say
He needed to pay attention to everything Cleopatra said
Said, mighty Samson to Delia and Arthur, Guenevere
Just like the biblical figure Samson to his lover Delilah, or the storybook figures of King Arthur and Queen Guenevere,
I'll tell you everything you wanna hear
I will say anything to please you
But like any other king just don't mean a thing
But being a leader or ruler is not important in comparison to my love for you
Til I can see the kingdom as I whisper in your ear
Only when I share my love with you personally, will I feel complete
Oh, baby
My love for you is strong and sincere
You are the queen, you're reigning down all over everything
You hold dominion over everything in my life
Your highness's divine, you use it all the time
Your majesty is always apparent and it is awe-inspiring
Your humble servant I'll always be
I will always be submissive and devoted to you
So please judge me fair
I ask that you treat me justly and kindly
And from your darkened dungeon I'll be spared
I hope to never be punished by you, my love
I've laid my armor down, I thrown away my crown
I have let go of my pride and surrendered myself to you
'Cause you, you are the queen
Because you are the center of my world and the most important person in my life
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: CHUCK MEAD, MARK MILLER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
El Skeletor
Love this song. My Pop's use to jam to this band.
ojaioan
My dedicated song to my wife Cindy many years ago ( 1996 ;) Thank You!