Favorite "Queen" Songs #1 - "The Queen is Dead"

@teamfreak16 (43421)
Denver, Colorado
February 14, 2018 3:57am CST
If you've been paying any attention at all over the last two years, #1 in my countdown of my favorite songs with "queen" in the title should come as absolutely no surprise: "The Queen is Dead" by The Smiths. Like The Cult, #1 in my "King" series, I've used The Smiths so many times in my music series' that there's really not a lot left to say. The song is both the title and leadoff track to the British alternative guitar band's 1986 album (their third, and arguably, most popular.) The album spawned three singles, however, "The Queen is Dead" was not one of them. It does (and I've said this before) contain one of my all-time favorite lyrics, though. After researching his geneology, the singer, with much disdain, discovers that he is distantly related to the Royal Family, and breaks into Buckingham Palace, where he has a chance run-in with the Queen: "She said, Eh, I know you and you cannot sing, I said, that's nothing, you should hear me play piano." Here we are over 30 years later and it STILL cracks me up everytime I hear it! The background vocals on the song are credited to Ann Coates, but are really just vocalist/songwriter Morrissey singing through a voice-altering harmonizer. Turns out that "Ann Coates" is a clever usage of "Ancoats," which is a district in Manchester, where the band was from. I've linked to a copy of the original, unedited version. Other than length, there's really no difference from the album version. (Breaking into the palace info verified by Wikipedia)
The Queen Is Dead 1985 Original Unedited Version by The Smiths
3 people like this
2 responses
@FourWalls (61951)
• United States
14 Feb 18
Yep. No surprise at all. No other choice, either, truth be told. Great series!!
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43421)
• Denver, Colorado
15 Feb 18
Thank you. Lots of classic rock on this one.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
14 Feb 18
I gotta say it now: "The Smiths. 'Nough said."
1 person likes this