The band formed in London in 1970 after May and Taylor's former band Smile split after having released an album and single. Freddie replaced lead vocalist Tim Staffell, after the latter's departure from the original trio.
There was much deliberation as to what the band's name would be. May and Taylor had settled upon the Grand Dance, derived from a C.S. Lewis Trilogy of books Out Of The Silent Planet.
Ultimately, the band went with Queen, a name that was entirely Freddie's. Originally Roger and, especially, Brian did not like the name, though Mercury would eventually persuade them both that it was "right" for the band.
"Years ago I thought up the name Queen... It's just a name, but it's very regal, and it sounds splendid. It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations. I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it. "
- Freddie Mercury.
Queen went through several bass players before a young electronics major by the name of John Deacon arrived on the scene in January of 1971.
"Until John, it had been exploding bass player syndrome. If they musically worked they'd look all wrong, and if they felt all right they couldn't play. - Brian May.
This quite shy guy turned up with his immaculate Rickenbacker bass and immaculate amplifier, plugged in, and as soon as he started playing we realized it was right." - Brian May.
Later that year, the band was secured recording time at the newly built De Lane Lea studio, and used the opportunity to record several songs that would later appear on their debut album - Liar, Keep Yourself Alive, Jesus, and The Night Comes Down. The demo reel was passed around from producer to producer with little success, until a staff member of Trident records by the name of Roy Thomas Baker was introduced to the band by fellow Trident producer John Anthony. Baker dropped in to watch the band at work and, clearly liking what he heard, recommended Queen to his superiors.
It was eventually agreed upon that the fledgling band could record at Trident studios, though after already-established artists had finished their work, such as the likes of Elton John and David Bowie. Relegated to the wee hours of the morning to record the remaining tracks of their first album, the band nonetheless stuck it out until they reached their ultimate goal of "perfection".
Queen's self-titled debut album was released in 1973 and received little attention from the general public. They quickly followed it a year later with a second album, "Queen II" which also failed to generate much interest from music fans in Britain, despite the success of the album's single, Seven Seas of Rhye, which would reach #10 on the charts after the band's mimed appearance on Top of the Pops.
The band's second album was recorded with a higher budget than the first, and the band threw everything they had into recording it. Queen II was somewhat of a "concept album", split into "White Side" vs. "Black Side".
As was in their nature, the band pressed onward after the mediocre success of their first two albums, immersing themselves in a world-wide tour to promote Queen II. Queen played in America for the first time, as a support act for Mott the Hoople.
Sheer Heart Attack would be released later that year, focusing more on being accessible to listeners, than the grand and complex ideas of the previous two albums. The recording of their third album was met with some hardships, as May fell victim to a series of illnesses brought on by an infected inoculation, required for the band's rigorous touring schedule.
Sheer Heart Attack brought even more success for the band, with May's Now I'm Here and the song that would be the band's "turning point", the Mercury-penned Killer Queen, the latter of which would reach #2 on the UK charts.
During this time, the band began developing a huge following in Japan and witnessed their popularity for themselves when they visited the country, mainly in 1975, to promote their fourth and most famous album "A Night At The Opera", featuring the epic "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Queen's popularity grew steadily through the latter half of the 70s as they released hit album after hit album, reaching its peak in the mid-80s after their "Live Aid" appearance, and continuing into the early 90s before Mercury's untimely death on 24th November 1991. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.
Over the course of their 30 year career, the band did sound tracks for two films ("Flash Gordon" and "Highlander"), released a string of live and studio albums, and had many many fans across the world.
In 1995, 4 years after Mercury's death, the band released the album "Made In Heaven". This album saw the surviving band members in the studio completing or reworking unused vocals, unreleased variations of Freddie solo material (a Queen version of "I Was Born To Love You" for example), and tracks where Brian and Roger added lyrics to flesh out a song ("Mother Love").
Queen have been on indefinite hiatus since 1997, when John Deacon decided to retire.
Several "Queen + ..." projects have been developed in the following years, a few of them mere remixes with no artistic involvement from the band. In 1999, a "Greatest Hits III" album was released. This featured, among others, "Queen + Wyclef Jean" on a rap version of "Another One Bites the Dust", a live version of "Somebody to Love" performed by George Michael, and a live version of "The Show Must Go On" performed live in 1997 with Elton John.
Brian May and Roger Taylor have performed together as Queen on several occasions (award ceremonies, charity concerts, and the like), sharing vocals with various guest singers. They have also recorded several covers of Queen's hits with guest vocalists, including "We Will Rock You" (first with Five and later Britney Spears, Beyonce, John Farnham and P!nk) and "We Are the Champions" (with Robbie Williams).
On the 14th of May 2002 the Queen musical 'We Will Rock You' opened in the Dominion theatre in London's 'West End'. A Musical about young people in the distant future who aren't allowed to listen to music not generated by computers. Various Queen songs are used in the story, played by a live band. This live band was supported by Brian May and Roger Taylor on the premiere evening.
At the end of 2004, May and Taylor announced that they would reunite and return to touring in 2005, with Paul Rodgers (founder and former lead singer of Free and Bad Company). Brian May's website also stated that Rodgers would be 'featured with' Queen as 'Queen + Paul Rodgers', not replacing Mercury. The retired John Deacon would not be participating.
Between 2005 and 2006 Queen + Paul Rodgers embarked on a world tour, the first leg in Europe and the second, Japan and then the US in 2006. On 15 August 2006, Brian May confirmed through his website and fan club that Queen + Paul Rodgers would begin producing their first studio album beginning in October, to be recorded at a "secret location". The album, titled The Cosmos Rocks, was released in Europe on 12 September 2008 and in the United States on 28 October 2008. Following the album the band again embarked on a tour through Europe, opening on Kharkiv's Freedom Square in front of 350,000 Ukrainian fans. The show in Ukraine was later released on DVD.
Queen and Paul Rodgers officially split up without animosity on 12 May 2009. Rodgers did not rule out the possibility of working together again.
Since 2012, Queen has been touring with Adam Lambert as the frontman.
More information about Queen + Paul Rodgers can be found on their last.fm page.
Official website: www.queenonline.com
Discography:
1.- Queen (1973)
2.- Queen II (1974)
3.- Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
4.- A Night at the Opera (1975)
5.- A Day at the Races (1976)
6.- News of the World (1977)
7.- Jazz (1978)
8.- The Game (1980)
9.- Flash Gordon (1980)
10.- Hot Space (1982)
11.- The Works (1984)
12.- A Kind of Magic (1986)
13.- The Miracle (1989)
14.- Innuendo (1991)
15.- Made in Heaven (1995)
Died in your Arms
queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just as you leave
Don't you dare let the substances drop
When I could grieve
I woke up blinded by the skies
Birds flying low
Don't you dare biting me once again
It already shows (it already shows)
It already shows (already shows)
Say you love me
And now I doubt it
'Cause you're after something you can't have
'Cause you want just something you can have
'Cause you love only what you can have
Say you love me
And now I doubt it
'Cause you're after something you can't have
'Cause you want just something you can have
And then I disappear in your eye
Eye
Eye
When I dared to forgive you through my pain
You punished me more
And my strength turns it against myself
You stay on the shore
If they're crying then you must be king
I kneel for my god
I guess I need to turn all those tears into solid gold
(It's just solid gold)
Say you love me
And now I doubt it
'Cause you're after something you can't have
'Cause you want just something you can have
'Cause you love only what you can have
Say you love me
And now I doubt it
'Cause you're after something you can't have
'Cause you want just something you can have
And then I disappear in your eye
Eye
Eye
In the cries of beauty
In the fountain of beauty
In the river of beauty
Ay, ay
You say you love me
In the cries of beauty
You say you love me
In the river of beauty
You say you love me
In the sea of beauty, oh
In the first verse of the song, the lyrics convey a sense of betrayal and hurt. The singer is addressing someone who is leaving them and warns them not to expect the world to stop just because they are gone. They also plead with the person not to turn to substances to numb their pain, as it will only add to the singer's grief. The singer then describes waking up to a world filled with sadness and the metaphorical image of birds flying low, which suggests a sense of melancholy.
The chorus delves into the doubts and insecurities that arise from the person's actions. The singer questions the sincerity of their love, suspecting that they only want what they can't have. The repetition of the line "Cause you want just something you can have" emphasizes the person's selfishness and their tendency to only desire what is unattainable. The singer also mentions disappearing in the other person's eye, indicating that their presence and existence become lost and insignificant in the person's perception.
In the second verse, the lyrics explore the aftermath of forgiveness. The singer reveals that when they chose to forgive the person despite their pain, they were met with further punishment and cruelty. They describe feeling their strength turning against themselves and being left alone on the shore while the person they love remains unaffected. The singer also mentions that they feel the need to transform their tears into something valuable like solid gold, possibly hinting at the idea of finding strength and value in their pain.
The final section of the song introduces the theme of beauty and its connection to love. The singer mentions the cries, fountain, and river of beauty, which can be interpreted as different manifestations of love and its turmoil. It seems that the person declares their love for the singer within the context of beauty, whether in tears, a flowing fountain, or a moving river. The overall tone of this section seems to be pleading or longing, as if the singer is yearning for the person's love to be genuine and enduring.
Overall, "Died in Your Arms" tells a story of betrayal, doubts, and the painful aftermath of forgiveness. It explores the complex emotions experienced when someone we love acts selfishly and only desires what they cannot have. The lyrics touch on themes of loss, perseverance, and the search for genuine love amidst the turmoil of beauty and emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you dare ask of the world to stop
I don't want you to expect everything to pause just because you're leaving
Just as you leave
Right at the moment when you walk away
Don't you dare let the substances drop
Don't make the drugs or substances disappear when I need them to numb my pain
When I could grieve
At the time when I am supposed to mourn
I woke up blinded by the skies
I woke up feeling overwhelmed by the beauty of the world around me
Birds flying low
Birds soaring close to the ground
Don't you dare biting me once again
Don't you dare hurt me again
It already shows (it already shows)
The pain and damage you've caused are already apparent
Say you love me
Tell me that you love me
And now I doubt it
But now I have doubts about your love
'Cause you're after something you can't have
Because you desire something that is unattainable to you
'Cause you want just something you can have
Because you only seek what you can possess
'Cause you love only what you can have
Because you only feel affection for what you can claim
And then I disappear in your eye
And then I vanish within your gaze
When I dared to forgive you through my pain
When I had the courage to pardon you despite my suffering
You punished me more
You inflicted further harm upon me
And my strength turns it against myself
And my own resilience becomes my downfall
You stay on the shore
You remain safe and untouched, while I face the tumultuous sea
If they're crying then you must be king
If others are shedding tears because of you, you must consider yourself powerful
I kneel for my god
I submit myself to my higher power
I guess I need to turn all those tears into solid gold
Perhaps I should transform my sorrow into something valuable and precious
(It's just solid gold)
(Although in reality, it's merely a show of wealth)
In the cries of beauty
Within the weeping of all things beautiful
In the fountain of beauty
In the source from which beauty springs
In the river of beauty
In the flowing current of beauty
Ay, ay
Expressing a sense of longing or lamentation
You say you love me
You claim that you love me
In the cries of beauty
Within the weeping of all things beautiful
You say you love me
You claim that you love me
In the river of beauty
In the flowing current of beauty
You say you love me
You claim that you love me
In the sea of beauty, oh
In the vast expanse of beauty, oh
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Heloise Letissier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind