1. Tie Your Mother Down
2. You Take My Breath Away
3. Long Away
4. The Millionaire Waltz
5. You And I
6. Somebody To Love
7. White Man
8. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
9. Drowse
10. Teo Torriatte(Let Us Cling Together)
Recorded July to November 1976 at The Manor, Wessex and Sarm East Studios Although 'A Day At The Races'
wasn't really better than 'A Night At The Opera', the album was a great success,
and it had 500.000 advanced orders in the United Kingdom only. There was perhaps
too much expectation around this album, but no one could say that was dissapointed
by it. The album had a very close competitor, 'Anarchy In The UK' by the Sex
Pistols. By that time, the Pistol's punk style was gaining a lot of popularity,
and the controversial Sid Vicious and his pals caused a whole
revolution amoung youngsters around the world. It was what some called, glam rock
Vs Punk, but we all know who was the winner at the end.
UK release: Friday 10th December 1976
Highest Chart Position: 1 (24 weeks on chart)
Award status: Gold
USA release: 18th December 1976
Highest Chart Position: 5 (19 weeks on chart)
Highest Japanese Chart Position: 1 (11 weeks on chart)
Highest Dutch Chart Position: 1
Highest Italian Chart Position: 15 (11 weeks on chart)
Produced by Queen
Engineered by Mike Stone
Cover Concept by Freddie
No synths!
Tie Your Mother Down
Words and music by Brian May
(Sheer Bloody Poetry) The Times
Released on March 4th 1977
Highest UK Chart Position: 31 (4 weeks on chart)
Highest USA Chart Position: 49
Highest Dutch Position: 14 (6 weeks on chart)
This song is a 'must' on a Queen concert. Tie Your Mother Down is one of those songs that can tear stadiums apart. It was the first song performed by Queen in 6 years since 1986 for the Freddie Mercury tribute Concert.
Get your party gown and get your pigtail down
And get your heart beating baby
Got my timing right I got my act all tight
It's gotta be tonight, my little school babe
Your mama says you don't, and your daddy says you won't
And I'm boiling up inside, ain't no way I'm gonna lose out this time
Tie your mother down, tie your mother down
Lock your daddy out of doors, I don't need him nosing around
Tie your mother down, tie your mother down
Give me all your love tonight
You're such a dirty louse, go get out of my house
That's all I ever get from your...
family ties, in fact I don't think I ever heard
A single little civil word from those guys
I don't give a light, I'm gonna make out all right
I've got a sweetheart hand, to put a stop to all that
Sniping and grousing
Tie your mother down, tie your mother down
Take your little brother swimming
With a brick (that's all right)
Tie your mother down, tie your mother down
Or you ain't no friend of mine
Your mama and your daddy, gonna plague me till I die
I can't understand it, because I'm a peace loving guy
Tie your mother down, tie your mother down
Get that big, big, big, big, big, big, daddy out the door
Tie your mother down yeah, Tie your mother down
Give me all your love tonight...all your love tonight
You Take My Breath Away
Words and music by Freddie Mercury
This is what some people call the 'Love Of My Life' from 'A Day At The Races'. It's a very romantic song, that has a very smooth piano solo by Freddie. If there was a Queen 'Ballads' collection, this song would surely be there.
Look into my eyes and you'll see I'm the only one
You've captured my love, stolen my heart, changed my life
Every time you make a move you destroy my mind
And the way you touch, I lose control and shiver deep inside
You take my breath away
You can reduce me to tears with a single sigh
Every breath that you take
Any sound that you make, is a whisper in my ear
I could give up all my life for just one kiss
I would surely die if you dismiss me from your love
You take my breath away
So please don't go, don't leave me here all by myself
I get ever so lonely from time to time
I will find you anywhere you go, I'll be right behind you
Right until the ends of the earth
I'll get no sleep until I find you
To tell you that you just take my breath away
I will find you anywhere you go
Right until the ends of the earth
I'll get no sleep until I find you
To tell you when I've found you
...I love you
Long Away
Words and music by Brian May
This is a very nice ballad with a little pop taste. It's a shame it didn't chart in the US where it was released as a single
You might believe in heaven, I would not care to say
For every star in heaven, there's a sad soul here today
Wake up in the morning with a good face, stare at the moon all day
Lonely as a whisper on a star chase, does anyone care anyway?
For all the prayers in heaven, so much of life's this way
Did we leave our way behind us? Such a long long way behind us
Who knows when now who knows where Where the light of day will find us?
Look for the day
Take heart my friend we love you, though it seems like you're alone
A million light's above you, smile down upon your home
Hurry put your troubles in a suitcase, come let the new child play
Lonely as a whisper on a star chase, I'm leaving here,I'm long away
For all the stars in heaven, I would not live I could not live this way
Did we leave our way behind us? Such a long long way behind us
Leave it for some hopeless lane
Such a long long way, such a long long way
Such a long long way, I'm looking for
Still looking for that day
The Millionaire Waltz
Words and music by Freddie Mercury
'The Millionaire Waltz' is a song that gives you the sensation of swinging around the room, just like Johan Strauss' 'Blue Danube' but with a Queen style. Becareful when you listen to it, because since this song is pretty soft you might want turn the whole volume up, and when it turns heavy in the middle it might scare the hell out of you. This song was part of the 'Ballet For Life' by Maurice Bejart.
Bring out the charge of the love brigade
There is spring in the air once again
Drink to the sound of the song parade
There is music and love everywhere
Give a little love to me
(I wanna) Take a little love from me
I want to share it with you
Feel like a millionaire
Once we were mad we were happy
We spent all our days holding hands together
Do you remember my love,how we danced and played?
In the rain we laid, we could stay there for ever and ever
Now I am sad you are so far away
I sit counting the hours day by day
Come back to me, How I long for your love
Come back to me, Be happy like we used to be
Come back, come back to me
Come back, come back to me
Oh come back to me oh my love
How I long for your love
Won't you come back to me? my fine friend
Take me wiz you unt love me forever
My fine friend, Forever, forever
Bring out the charge of the love brigade
There is spring in the air once again
Drink to the sound of the song parade
There is music and love everywhere
Give a little love to me
(I wanna) Take a little love from me
I want to share it with you
Come back come back to me feel
Make me feel like a millionaire
You And I
Words and music by John Deacon
Here comes 'Deakey' again with another nice song. This boy never dissapoints me.
Music is playing in the darkness
And a lantern goes swinging by
Shadows flickering, my heart's jittering
Just you and I
No, not tonight, come tomorrow
When everything's sunny and bright (sunny and bright)
No, No, No, Come tomorrow
'Cos then we'll be waiting for the moonlight
We'll go walking in the moonlight
Walking in the moonlight
Laughter ringing in the darkness
People drinking for the days gone by
Time don't mean a thing, when you're by my side
Please stay a while
You know I never could forsee the future years(doo doo doo doo doo)
You know I never could see where life was leading me(doo doo doo doo doo)
But will we be together forever
What will be my love, can't you see that I just don't know
No, no, not tonight
Come tomorrow, when everything's gonna be alright(sunny and bright)
Wait and see, if tomorrow
We'll be as happy as we're feeling tonight
We'll go walking in the moonlight
Walking in the moonlight
I can hear music in the darkness, floating softly where to lie
No more questions now, let's enjoy tonight
Just you and I
Just you and... I
Somebody To Love
Words and music by Freddie Mercury
Gospel Chorus: Freddie, Brian, and Roger
Released on November 12th 1976
Highest UK Chart Position: 2 (9 weeks on chart)
Highest USA Chart Position: 13
Highest Australian Chart Position: 22 (13 weeks on chart)
Highest Italian Chart Position: 32 (2 months on chart)
Highest Dutch Chart Position: 1 (13 weeks on chart)
Highest Japanese Chart Position: 51 (16 weeks on chart)
1993 'Five Live' reissue
Highest UK Chart Position: 1 - for 3 weeks (11 weeks on chart)
Highest USA Chart Position: 30 (9 weeks on chart)
Highest Australian Chart Position: 19 (12 weeks on chart)
Highest Italian Chart Position: 9 (1 month on chart)
Highest Dutch Chart Position: 5 (10 weeks on chart)
If Queen went Opera with 'Bohemian Rhapsody', here they turn Gospel. Though this song didn't have the same impact that 'Boh Rap' had, still it's considered as a master piece. The song was reissued in 1993 after 'The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert' where it was performed by Brian, John, Roger, and George Michael. It raised more than 1.000.000 sterling pounds for 'The Merury Phoenix Trust Foundation' that helps people who suffer from AIDS.
Can... anybody find be somebody to love?
Each morning I get up I die a little, can barely stand on my feet
Take a look (Take a look at yourself)in the mirror and cry(yeah, yeah)
Lord, what you're doing to me
I have to spend all my years in believing you
But I just can't get no relief Lord
Somebody (somebody) oooh somebody (somebody)
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
I work hard (he works hard) everyday of my life
I work till I ache my bones, at the end (at the end of the day)
I take home my hard earned pay all on my own
I get down (down) on my knees (knees)
And I start to pray (praise the Lord)
'Til the tears run down from my eyes
Lord somebody (somebody) oooh somebody (please)
Can anybody find me somebody to love? (He wants help)
Every day - I try and I try and I try -
But everybody wants to put me down
They say I'm going crazy, they say I got a lot of water in my brain
Got no common sense, (He's)I got nobody left to believe
Yeah - yeah yeah yeah Oooh
Somebody (somebody)
Can anybody find me somebody to love?(Anybody find me someone to love)
Got no feel I got no rhythm , I just keep losing my beat
(you just keep losing and losing) I'm OK I'm alright (he's alright)
I ain't gonna face no defeat, I just gotta get out of this prison cell
One day I'm gonna be free Lord
Find me somebody to love, find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love, find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love, find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love, find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love, find me somebody to love
Somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody
Find me somebody, find me somebody to love
Can anybody find me...
Somebody to love
Find me somebody to love, find me somebody to love
Find me somebody to love, find me find me find me
Find me somebody to love, Somebody to love
Find me somebody to love...
Find me, find me, find me
White Man
Words and music by Brian May
This song has a certain tune similar to 'The Prophet's Song', but it's not as good as the song from 'A Night At The Opera'.
I'm a simple man with a simple name, from this soil my people came
In this soil remain oh yeah oh yeah, he made us our shoes
And we trod soft on the land, but the immigrant built roads
On our blood and sand oh yeah
White man White man
Don't you see the light behind your blackened skies
White man White man
You took away the sight to blind my simple eyes
White man White man
Where you gonna hide from the hell you've made?
Oh the red man knows wars, with his hands and his knives
On the Bible you swore, fought your battle with lies oh yeah
Leave my body in shame, leave my soul in disgrace
But by every god's name, say a prayer for your race oh yeah
White man, white man
Our country was green and all our rivers wide
White man, white man
You came with a gun and soon our children died
White man, white man
Don't you give a light for the blood you've shed?
White man, White man, White man
White man, White man
For you battled with lies
White man, White man
Still lies, White man, White man
Say you look around every skin and bone again
What is left of your dream? Just the words on your stone
A man who learned how to teach, then forgot how to learn, Oh yeah
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy
Words and music by Freddie Mercury
Mike Stone: addition vocals
Released as part of Queen's First EP on May 20th 1977
Highest UK Chart Position: 17 (10 weeks on chart)
Part of Queen's first EP, which was released with the songs 'Death On Two Legs', 'Tenement Funester, and White Queen. It's a typical old fashioned styled song by Freddie. Similar to 'Seaside Rendezvous'
I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things
We can do the tango just for two
I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings
Be your Valentino just for you
Oooh love, oooh lover boy
What are doing tonight hey boy? Set my alarm turn on my charm
That's because I'm a good old fashioned lover boy
Oooh let me feel you heartbeat (Grow faster faster)
Oooh can you feel my love heat, come on and sit on my hot seat of love
And tell me how do you feel right after all
I'd like for you and I to go romancing
Say the word your wish is my command
Oooh love oooh lover boy, What are doing tonight? (hey boy!)
Write my letter feel much better, and use my fancy patter on the telephone
When I'm not with you, think of you always I miss you
(I miss those long hot summer nights) when I'm not with you
Think of me always, I love you, love you
Hey boy where did you get it from? Hey boy where did you go?
I learned my passion in the good old fashioned school of lover boys
Dining at the Ritz we'll meet at nine precisely
(One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine o'clock)
I will pay the bill you taste the wine
Driving back in style in my saloon will do quite nicely
Just take me back to yours that will be fine
(Come on and get it) Oooh love oooh lover boy
What are you doing tonight hey boy?
Everything's all right just hold on tight
That's because I'm a good old fashioned lover boy
Drowse
Words and music by Roger Taylor
Brian: slide
Roger: electric rhythm
Sounds similar to 'I'm in Love with my Car'.
It's the sad eyed goodbye Yesterday's moments I remember
It's the bleak street,week kneed partings I recall
It's the mistier mists the hazier days
The brighter sun and the easier lays
There's all the more reason for laughing and crying
When you're younger and life isn't to hard at all
It's the fantastic drowse, of the afternoon Sundays
That bored you to rages of tears, the unending pleadings
To waste all your good times, In thoughts of your middle-aged years
It's the vertical hold all the things that you're told
For the everyday hero it all turns to zero, and there's all the more reason
For living or dying when you're young, and your troubles are all very small
Out here on the street we'd gather and meet, and scuff up the sidewalk
With endlessly restless feet, half on the time we'd broaden our minds
More in the pool hall, than we did in the school hall
With the down town chewing gum bums
watching the night life the lights and the fun
Never wanted to be the boy next door, always thought I'd be something more
But it ain't easy for a small town boy, It ain't easy at all
Thinking it right and doing it wrong, It's easier from an arm chair
Waves of alternatives wash over my sleepiness
Have my eggs poached for breakfast I guess
I think I'll be Clint Eastwood, Jimi Hendrix he was good
Let's try William the Conqueror, now who else do I like?
Teo Torriatte(Let Us Cling Together)
Words and music by Brian May
Translated by Chika Kujiraoka
Released on March 25th 1977
Highest Japanese Chart Position: 49 (10 weeks on chart)
I didn't realize how much Queen loved Japan after listening to this song. It's not just a song with a verse in a japanese, it's an excellent song with a great children chorus at the end. A classic, especially for those Queen fans from Japan.
When I'm gone, no need to wonder if I ever think of you
The same moon shines, the same wind blows for both of us
And time is but a paper moon... be not gone
Though I'm gone, it's as though I hold the flower that touches you
A new life grows, The blossom knows
There's no-one else could warm my heart as much as you... be not gone
Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love, my love
In the quiet of the night, let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned
Teo toriatte konomama iko, Aisuruhito yo
Shizukana yoi ni, Hikario tomoshi
Itoshiki oshieo idaki
Hear my song still think of me, the way you've come to think of me
The nights grow long, but dreams live on
Just close your pretty eyes, and you can be with me
Dream on...
Teo toriatte konomama iko, Aisuruhito yo
Shizukana yoi ni, Hikario tomoshi
Itoshiki oshieo idaki
When I'm gone, they'll say we were all fools
And we don't understand
Oh be strong don't turn your heart
We're all, you're all, we're all for all, for always
Let us cling together as the years go by
Oh my love my love
In the quiet of the night, let our candle always burn
Let us never lose the lessons we have learned
