Queensrÿche has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, including over 6 million albums in the United States. They are considered one of the leaders of the progressive metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s, and often referred to as one of the "Big Three" of the genre, along with Dream Theater and Fates Warning. The band received worldwide acclaim after the release of their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime, which is often considered one of the greatest heavy metal concept albums of all time. Their follow-up release, Empire, released in 1990, was also very successful and included the hit single "Silent Lucidity". The band has received three Grammy Award nominations for songs from both albums. In 1998, drummer Rockenfield received an individual Grammy nomination.
Also in 1998, guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo left the band for personal reasons, returning briefly in 2003 to write and record the Tribe album. Over the years, his replacements have been Kelly Gray, Mike Stone, and Parker Lundgren. Following a highly publicized backstage altercation before a show in São Paulo, Brazil, in April 2012, Tate was fired from the band and replaced with then-Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre. In response to his dismissal, Tate and his wife Susan (who served as the band's manager from 2005 to 2012) filed a lawsuit in a Washington court, claiming that he was wrongfully terminated. The ruling in the preliminary injunction was that both parties were allowed to use the name Queensrÿche until a court ruling or a settlement decided who would get to use the name. A settlement was reached on April 17, 2014, in which founding members Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson were awarded the rights to the band trademark, continuing to play with the lineup that additionally includes singer La Torre and guitarist Lundgren.
During the time, both parties could use the name Queensrÿche, Tate created his own lineup featuring former guitarist Gray and musicians from bands including Blue Öyster Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Dio, AC/DC and Quiet Riot. This version of Queensrÿche with Geoff Tate released the album Frequency Unknown on April 23, 2013, while Queensrÿche (with La Torre replacing Tate) released their eponymous album on June 24 and 25, 2013 (European and American release date, respectively). Both bands toured in 2013 and 2014.
Full article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensrÿche
Studio albums
The Warning (1984)
Rage for Order (1986)
Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
Empire (1990)
Promised Land (1994)
Hear in the Now Frontier (1997)
Q2K (1999)
Tribe (2003)
Operation: Mindcrime II (2006)
Take Cover (2007)
American Soldier (2009)
Dedicated to Chaos (2011)
Queensrÿche (2013)
Condition Hüman (2015)
The Verdict (2019)
Digital Noise Alliance (2022)
Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche
Frequency Unknown (2013)
Dirty Lil Secret
Queensrÿche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
for the better
You like to say
Nice house in the country
Now you're on your way
You took advantage of our possibilities
Got your sights set far
No time for sympathy
Keeping up with the Jones's
Smiling at the neighbors
Don't let them see your
Dirty, Dirty Little Secret
Keep your hands over your eyes and
Maybe it will go away
Dirty, Dirty little secret
Joe McCarthy is alive and well today
When you face the mirror
Consider this
Why judge another when you've got
Your own shit to fix
There's no solution
good enough for everyone
And your interpretations don't work
In every situation
You side with your religion
With your interpretation
But don't let them see your
Dirty, Dirty Little Secret
It seems the most opinionated
Are the ones who hide their
Dirty, Dirty Little Secret
I'll be leaving the status quo behind
How can you know someone
Until you walk in their shoes?
Our parents taught us segregation
Now we're singing the blues
The dynamic of America is progress for all
Well, can't hold us back we're right on the track
No wall is too tall
By the will of the people
We'll take a road to higher ground
And don't worry about that
Dirty, Dirty Little Secret
Everybody's got one
So many you can pass them around
Dirty, Dirty Little Secret
I'll be leaving the status quo behind
Queensryche's "Dirty Lil Secret" is a commentary on the often judgmental and hypocritical nature of society. The opening lines suggest that times have changed for the better, but the singer is skeptical of this claim. They talk about how someone they know has taken advantage of the opportunities presented to them and has now moved up in the world. However, they seem to be pretending that they are better than everyone else, "keeping up with the Joneses." The singer warns them not to let others see their "dirty, dirty little secret" and mentions Joe McCarthy, who was notorious for seeking out hidden communists during the Red Scare in the 1950s.
Later in the song, the singer talks about how we shouldn't judge others until we've walked in their shoes, and that there's no one solution that works in every situation. They criticize people who side with their religion and their interpretations, but still hide their flaws. The dynamic of America is progress for all, but our parents taught us segregation, and this has led to many societal problems. The singer is hopeful, though, that progress is coming, and that we will take a road to higher ground.
Overall, "Dirty Lil Secret" is a reflection on the flaws in our society and on how we can better ourselves as individuals and as a group.
Line by Line Meaning
Times have changed
Society has evolved
for the better
It has improved from the past
You like to say
You enjoy boasting
Nice house in the country
You have a comfortable living situation
Now you're on your way
You are pursuing greater success
You took advantage of our possibilities
You exploited opportunities provided by others
Got your sights set far
You have ambitious goals
No time for sympathy
You are too focused on your own interests to care for others
Keeping up with the Jones's
You are striving to match the success of others
Smiling at the neighbors
You put up a facade of friendliness
Don't let them see your
You are hiding something
Dirty, Dirty Little Secret
You have a shameful hidden truth
Keep your hands over your eyes and
You are ignoring the problem
Maybe it will go away
You hope the issue will resolve itself
Joe McCarthy is alive and well today
The fear and division of the McCarthy era still exists
When you face the mirror
When you examine yourself
Consider this
Think about the following
Why judge another when you've got
Why criticize others when you yourself have
Your own shit to fix
Your own problems to solve
There's no solution
There isn't a single answer
good enough for everyone
That would satisfy everyone
And your interpretations don't work
Your perspective isn't applicable
In every situation
In all circumstances
You side with your religion
You affiliate with your faith
With your interpretation
By your understanding
It seems the most opinionated
Those who have the strongest views
Are the ones who hide their
Are also concealing their
I'll be leaving the status quo behind
I am moving on from the current state of society
How can you know someone
It is impossible to fully understand another
Until you walk in their shoes?
Until you experience their life
Our parents taught us segregation
Previous generations instructed us to divide
Now we're singing the blues
Now we're facing the consequences
The dynamic of America is progress for all
America's purpose is advancement for every citizen
Well, can't hold us back we're right on the track
Nothing can obstruct our route to success
No wall is too tall
No obstacle is insurmountable
By the will of the people
Through the collective desire of citizens
We'll take a road to higher ground
We will pursue a better path forward
Dirty, Dirty Little Secret
Everyone has hidden flaws
Everybody's got one
It is a universal characteristic
So many you can pass them around
There are too many to keep count
I'll be leaving the status quo behind
I am departing from the established norms and values
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind