Before Queen, Taylor founded Smile with Brian May. Smile released one album in Japan which is now available throughout the world as Ghost of a Smile. Smile wrote a few of the songs which would later appear on Queen's self-titled debut album, and one - Doin' Alright was featured on the Smile album.
Taylor also fronted another band, The Cross from 1987 to 1991. The first album, Shove it (1988) was a solo album by Taylor in all but name - he wrote all the songs and played most of the instruments himself. This was an experiment that didn't really work for Taylor and in the other two albums by The Cross he allowed the other members of the band to contribute more, resulting in more traditionally styled rock albums.
Out of the four original members of Queen Taylor and guitarist Brian May continued to play as Queen + Paul Rodgers between 2004 and 2008. Of the other original members singer Freddie Mercury tragically died in 1991 and bassist John Deacon retired from music business in the mid-1990's.
In 2009, after the partnership between him, Brian and Paul ended, Roger worked on some new solo material from which his single The Unblinking Eye (Everything is Broken) was digitally released at 23th November at Queenonline.com. At the moment it is unclear how the future of Queen will look like, though Roger has announced that he will do a short tour in the spring of 2010.
The Unblinking Eye
Roger Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If he existed
And he saw what man can do to man
He′d think that we were twisted
His unblinking eye would blink and then
He'd say not in my name you don′t
You stupid little men
You do it time and time again
I must be getting old
There's a fire and a fury
Driven deep into my soul
It's the helplessness that comes
From being under your control
And everything is broken
We got the High Street full of holes
The High Street′s full of holes
High Street′s full of holes
Five million cameras stare at us
They treat us like we're fools
Our privacy is meaningless
We′re suffocating by ten thousand rules
This Kingdom's not united
Just a complicated mess
Are we in Europe
Half in Europe
Not in Europe
We′re soulless, spineless, directionless
I must be getting old
There's a fire and a fury
Driven deep into my soul
It′s the helplessness that comes
From being under your control
And everything is broken
Stylophone!
And everything is broken
Why send our young men out to die
In wars that we don't understand
Why on earth should we be meddling
In places like Afghanistan
The price is much too high
In terms of money or our precious men
Your reasons are mysterious
And quite beyond ken
I must be getting old
There's a fire and a fury
Driven deep into my soul
It′s the helplessness that comes
You even sold our gold
And everything is broken
In Roger Taylor's song The Unblinking Eye, he reflects on the state of the world and the violence and chaos that humans have inflicted upon each other. He suggests that if God did exist, he would weep at the atrocities committed by humans and be appalled by our arrogance and ignorance. Taylor speaks to the idea that we are not acting in God's name, and yet we continue to perpetrate violence and destruction. He suggests that our society is broken, with holes on the High Street and an overwhelming surveillance culture that treats its citizens like fools. Taylor also touches on geopolitical struggles, suggesting that the British identity is directionless and confused, unsure of its place in Europe and the world.
The lyrics of The Unblinking Eye were written by Taylor, who was inspired by the state of the world and the loss of control that he felt. Taylor feels a sense of helplessness in the face of vast global problems, and this is reflected in the song's chorus, in which he sings "everything is broken." Despite this sense of despair, Taylor suggests that there is still a fire and a fury within him, a sense of passion and determination that keeps him going. The song highlights the need for change and action, urging listeners to take responsibility for making the world a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
God would weep
If a God existed and could see the cruelty of humans against each other, it would be heartbreaking.
If he existed
The singer is unsure of the existence of a higher power.
And he saw what man can do to man
The violence and harm inflicted on other humans is something that should not be ignored.
He′d think that we were twisted
A higher power would no doubt view humans as having twisted morals and values.
His unblinking eye would blink and then
The 'unblinking eye' refers to the constant watch of a higher power that would see everything, and even they would be taken aback.
He'd say not in my name you don′t
The higher power would disapprove of the actions being taken by humans in their name, implying a strong disapproval.
You stupid little men
Humans are viewed as insignificant and unwise by a higher power.
With your arrogance and ignorance
The flaws of humans include being arrogant and willfully ignorant.
You do it time and time again
Humanity is prone to repeating poor choices and destructive behaviors.
I must be getting old
The artist may feel jaded or disillusioned with the world.
There's a fire and a fury
An intense feeling of anger and passion is brewing inside the singer.
Driven deep into my soul
The feelings are coming from a deep and personal place within the artist.
It's the helplessness that comes
Feeling unable to change or influence the world creates a deep sense of powerlessness.
From being under your control
Others hold an overwhelming amount of control over the singer's reality.
And everything is broken
The world is so dysfunctional and troubled, it feels like everything is broken and falling apart.
We got the High Street full of holes
The streets are damaged and falling apart.
The High Street′s full of holes
The artist emphasizes the poor condition of the street and lack of maintenance.
High Street′s full of holes
The repetition emphasizes the dire state of the street.
Five million cameras stare at us
People are constantly monitored and watched by millions of cameras, creating a society of surveillance.
They treat us like we're fools
The oppressors see the oppressed as stupid and naive.
Our privacy is meaningless
The importance of privacy and personal space is not respected in society.
We′re suffocating by ten thousand rules
The amount of restrictions and laws are suffocating and oppressive.
This Kingdom's not united
The singer critiques the societal division and disunity.
Just a complicated mess
The situation is not straightforward, and difficult to resolve.
Are we in Europe
The singer raises doubts and confusion about the state of his country's affiliation with Europe.
Half in Europe
The singer implies his country is only partly committed to Europe.
Not in Europe
The singer upends the established labels of what his country's place in the world is.
We're soulless, spineless, directionless
The society is seen as lacking morals, lacking a backbone, and lacking direction for the future.
Why send our young men out to die
The cost of war on young people is very high.
In wars that we don't understand
Societies blindly send young people into wars they know little about.
Why on earth should we be meddling
The singer wonders what reason there is for delving into the affairs of other countries.
The price is much too high
The cost in terms of money and lives is not worth it.
In terms of money or our precious men
The cost of war is either financial or in terms of resources like men and women.
Your reasons are mysterious
The motivation for war is unknown and perplexing.
And quite beyond ken
The reasons are not only unknown, but inexplicable.
You even sold our gold
The artist takes issue with the powers that be selling off the country's gold reserves.
Stylophone!
This is likely just an interjection or exclamation of frustration and annoyance.
And everything is broken
The world is so dysfunctional and troubled, it feels like everything is broken and falling apart.
Writer(s): Roger Taylor
Contributed by Kaylee M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.