"Her Majesty" is a song written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCar… Read Full Bio ↴"Her Majesty" is a song written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and recorded by The Beatles for their 1969 album Abbey Road. Some observers consider it the first example of a hidden track.

Recording

The song was recorded in three takes on 2 July 1969, prior to the Beatles beginning work on "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight". McCartney sang and simultaneously played a fingerstyle acoustic guitar accompaniment. The decision to exclude it from the Abbey Road medley was made on 30 July. It runs only 23 seconds, but the Beatles also recorded a longer version during the Get Back sessions. In the song, the singer muses about the Queen and his plan to someday "make her mine".

Structure & Placement

The song was originally placed between "Mean Mr. Mustard" and "Polythene Pam"; McCartney decided that the sequence did not work and it was edited out of the album's closing medley by Abbey Road Studios tape operator John Kurlander. He was instructed by McCartney to destroy the tape, but EMI policy stated that no Beatles recording was ever to be destroyed. The fourteen seconds of silence between "The End" and "Her Majesty" are the result of Kurlander's lead-out tape added to separate the song from the rest of the recording.

The loud chord that occurs at the beginning of the song is the ending, as recorded, of "Mean Mr. Mustard". "Her Majesty" ends abruptly because its own final note was left at the beginning of "Polythene Pam". McCartney applauded Kurlander's "surprise effect" and the track became the unintended closer to the LP. The crudely edited beginning and end of "Her Majesty" shows that it was not meant to be included in the final mix of the album; as McCartney says in The Beatles Anthology, "Typical Beatles – an accident." The song was not listed on the original vinyl record's sleeve, as they had already been printed; on reprinted sleeves, however, it is listed. The CD edition corrects this.

Her Majesty
The Beatles Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she doesn't have a lot to say
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
But she changes from day to day
I wanna tell her that I love her a lot
But I gotta get a bellyful of wine
Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Someday I'm gonna make her mine, oh yeah

Someday I'm gonna make her mine

Overall Meaning

The Beatles’ song Her Majesty is a short and sweet tribute to a great person. The lyrics suggest that Her Majesty, a term which could refer to the Queen of England, or perhaps any woman deserving of the title, is a well-liked and respected person, but one who speaks little and is known to be fickle. The singer, who admires Her Majesty, wants to confess his love, but he is preoccupied with drinking wine, suggesting that he is not quite ready to express his feelings.

The underlying theme of the song may suggest that even great people who may appear unapproachable or out of reach, are just like the rest of us with their own insecurities and complexities to deal with. It is also possible that the song could be representing the group's admiration for Queen Elizabeth II. However, in line with The Beatles' playful nature, it could also be seen as a lighthearted nod to the Queens of England both past and present.

Line by Line Meaning

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Although Her Majesty is a nice girl, she may not have many notable traits.

But she doesn't have a lot to say
Her Majesty may not have much to say or express.

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Again, Her Majesty is a nice girl, even if she may not be the most outspoken.

But she changes from day to day
Her Majesty's mood, personality, or demeanor may shift frequently.

I want to tell her that I love her a lot
The artist has strong feelings of love for Her Majesty.

But I gotta get a bellyful of wine
However, the singer may need alcohol to build up the courage to confess their love to Her Majesty.

Her Majesty's a pretty nice girl
Once again, Her Majesty is described as a nice girl.

Someday I'm going to make her mine, oh yeah
The artist is determined to eventually make Her Majesty their romantic partner.

Someday I'm going to make her mine
The artist's stated goal is to become romantically involved with Her Majesty.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul Mccartney

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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