Roxy Music became a successful act in Europe and Australia during the 1970s. This success began with their self-titled debut studio album in 1972. The band pioneered more musically sophisticated elements of glam rock while significantly influencing early English punk music, and provided a model for many new wave acts while innovating elements of electronic composition. The group also conveyed their distinctive brand of visual and musical sophistication with their focus on glamorous fashions. Ferry and co-founding member Eno have had influential solo careers. Eno became one of the most significant British record producers of the late 20th century. Rolling Stone originally ranked Roxy Music No. 98 on their greatest artists list ("The Immortals – The 100 Greatest Artists of All Time"), but dropped the group from the list when they updated it in 2011.
Roxy Music's final studio album was Avalon (1982), which was certified Platinum in the United States. In 2005, the band began recording what would have become their ninth studio album—and their first album with Eno since 1973 (he wrote two songs for it and also played keyboards). However, Ferry eventually announced that the material from these sessions would instead be released as a Ferry solo studio album, with Eno playing on "a couple of tracks", and that he believed the group would never again produce a record as Roxy Music. The album was released in 2010 as the Ferry solo studio album Olympia. It featured contributions from Eno, Manzanera, and Mackay (amongst many other session players).
In 2011, Roxy Music played a series of 40th-anniversary shows, but went inactive as a performing entity following the concerts. In 2019, Roxy Music were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2022, Roxy Music reformed for a tour to mark the 50th anniversary of their debut studio album.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roxy_Music
Studio albums
Roxy Music (1972)
For Your Pleasure (1973)
Stranded (1973)
Country Life (1974)
Siren (1975)
Manifesto (1979)
Flesh and Blood (1980)
Avalon (1982)
02 Beauty Queen
Roxy Music Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It never could work out
The time to make plans
Has passed, faded away
Oh the way you look
Makes my starry eyes shiver
Then I look away
Too much for one day
Is an ideal of beauty
Treasure so rare
That even devils might care
Your swimming-pool eyes
In sea breezes they flutter
The coconut tears
Heavy-lidded they shed
Swaying palms at your feet
You're the pride of your street
While you worship the sun
Summer lover of fun
Gold number with neighbours
Who said that you'll go far
Maybe someday be a star
A fast mover like you
And your dreams will all come true
All of my hope, and my inspiration
I drew from you
Our life's pattern's drawn in sand
But the winds could not erase
The memory of your face
Deep in the night
Plying very strange cargo
Our soul-ships pass by
Solo trips to the stars, in the sky
Gliding so far
That the eye cannot follow
Where do they go
We'll never know
The lyrics in Roxy Music's "Beauty Queen" reflect on the passing of time and the fleeting nature of beauty. The opening lines urge Valerie to believe that their relationship was doomed from the start, and that the time for making plans has passed. The singer acknowledges the power of Valerie's looks to stir his emotions, but he can't sustain the intensity of his gaze. They share an ideal of beauty, something that has captivated artists and poets throughout the ages, yet is impossible to grasp in a tangible way.
The imagery in the song suggests a tropical beach setting, with references to coconut tears, sea breezes, and swaying palms. Valerie is portrayed as a "summer lover of fun," wearing a gold number and mingling with neighbors who believe she'll go far. The singer draws hope and inspiration from Valerie's beauty, yet he recognizes that their life's pattern is "drawn in sand" and easily erased by the winds of fate. In the dream-like final lines, the singer imagines soul-ships passing by on solo trips to the stars, beyond the reach of mortal eyes.
Overall, "Beauty Queen" can be read as a meditation on transience and impermanence, and the power that even a fleeting beauty can have over our imaginations and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Valerie please believe
The singer is addressing someone named Valerie and asking her to trust what he is saying
It never could work out
The singer believes that their relationship with Valerie could never last
The time to make plans
It is too late to make plans now
Has passed, faded away
The opportunity to make plans has passed and cannot be regained
Oh the way you look
The artist is admiring Valerie's appearance
Makes my starry eyes shiver
Valerie's beauty is so intense that it has a physical effect on the singer's eyes
Then I look away
The singer can't handle looking at Valerie's beauty for too long
Too much for one day
Valerie's beauty is overwhelming
One thing we share
Despite their differences, the artist and Valerie both appreciate beauty
Is an ideal of beauty
Beauty is an important concept to both the artist and Valerie
Treasure so rare
Valerie is a unique and valuable person
That even devils might care
Valerie's beauty is so great that even those who are typically wicked would take notice
Your swimming-pool eyes
Valerie's eyes are blue and appear like a swimming pool
In sea breezes they flutter
Valerie's eyes move or appear to be fluttering in the ocean's breeze
The coconut tears
The singer is describing the way Valerie's tears look or taste like coconuts
Heavy-lidded they shed
Valerie's eyes are almost closed as she cries
Swaying palms at your feet
There are palm trees near Valerie's location or she is in a tropical location
You're the pride of your street
Valerie is admired by those who live near her
While you worship the sun
Valerie likes to be in the sun and may even worship it
Summer lover of fun
Valerie enjoys the summer and having fun
Gold number with neighbours
Valerie is successful and popular among her neighbors
Who said that you'll go far
People believe that Valerie will achieve her dreams and be successful
Maybe someday be a star
Valerie may someday become famous
A fast mover like you
Valerie is ambitious and driven
And your dreams will all come true
The singer believes that Valerie's dreams will eventually become reality
All of my hope, and my inspiration
The singer's hope and inspiration come from Valerie
I drew from you
Valerie is the source of the singer's hope and inspiration
Our life's pattern's drawn in sand
The artist's and Valerie's lives are uncertain and can change at any moment
But the winds could not erase
Despite life's uncertainty, the memory of Valerie cannot be forgotten
The memory of your face
The singer remembers Valerie's appearance even though they are no longer together
Deep in the night
The singer thinks about Valerie late at night
Plying very strange cargo
The artist is carrying an unusual or mysterious cargo
Our soul-ships pass by
The artist's and Valerie's lives cross paths
Solo trips to the stars, in the sky
The artist and Valerie are on their own journeys that are beyond human comprehension
Gliding so far
The singer and Valerie are making progress on their individual journeys
That the eye cannot follow
Their journeys are impossible to track or understand
Where do they go
The singer is questioning the destination of their individual journeys
We'll never know
The singer believes the final destination of their journeys will always be a mystery
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRYAN FERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
johnski64
"Our soul ships pass by....solo trips to the stars in the sky" I don't know how many times I played this track as a sixteen year old boy...but thirty five years later it's just as cool and brilliant as it was then... astouding lyrics amazing vocals.His best ever track, from Roxy's best ever album
Garry Norris
So true
clive taylor
They made Bowie look and sound absolutely ridiculous!..Greatest album of all time!
Mark spitzer
Of all the Roxy tunes this one remains as one of the greatest. I believe that this is the best Bryan Ferry vocal performance of them all.
PrizewinnersPaws
Have they ever performed this song live?? It's one of their very best numbers...the instrumental section is incredible...a total thrill ride. Fantastic pop art.
DrRestezi
Pure magic. This has always been one of my favourite RM songs and the images you've matched to it really capture the sense of mystery and moodiness in the music.
Greg Brown
Fell in love to this song many years ago, beautiful...
Charles Dunfield
A Treasure so rare..... that even devils might care
Tony F
This is one of the lesser known but most beautiful roxy tracks. All that was missing was a fitting video. Now thats done. Thank you.
newnamegeorge
you have managed to enhance my enjoyment of my fave track from my fave Roxy album, what a feat, and total kudos to you for capturing that perfectly. decadence and humility, Roxy Music as i love them.