They are a Queen I’m more interested in, at least.īut I don’t think it fully reclaims it, and so I am left uncomfortable. A self congratulatory appropriation (there’s that word again), with a full twinge of irony. It is a perfect curtain call for the band. That final segment, away from the actual anthem, is by far my favourite bit, a lovely unfurling and settling, pulling a melancholy tone from that seething mass of power. Full theatre pomp for bowing out to adulation (and it is adulatory), and then May builds a beautiful little wind down into the end. National anthems are pretty vile things, is all, so an odd choice for re-purposing as a denouementīut sonically, it does that beautifully. Though of course, Brian has played it for the Queen, so there’s at least some intent there. Placing their trademark squadrons of guitars into the bombast (and by god, is it a level of bombast appropriate for the band), and then using it to laud themselves. I guess it’s the problem with making any song represent a historico-political entity, it’s a horrible thing to do to a melody, capture it’s essence for marking a violent identity. The line between patriotism and nationalism is a pretty fine one, and I find it hard to have even the faintest note of pride in a country with a history of so much cruelty, violence and appropriation. I mean, I quite like the line ‘confound their politics’, but it’s still literally describing a policy of disrupting the democratic process of foreign nations. Quoting the second verse of the official version:Īpparently knavish used to be ‘popish’ too. It sounds relatively peaceful to begin with (nobody really wants the old lady to die, do they?), but quickly descends into the violence it represents. So, the Queen they’re talking about probably isn’t the one the song’s written for, right?īut seriously, it’s a vile song, celebrating a nation of imperialism and conquest, by calling on a deity to smite the enemies of the state. And of course, we have iconic pictures of Freddie in robe and crown. This recording was played at the end of every gig from the Sheer Heart Attack tour onwards, you see, it was how the band took their bows. But it is definitely worth noting that there is certainly a tongue firmly in cheek. I genuinely struggle to write it, let alone listen to it. At least we can revel in the naughtiness of it, right?
0 kommentar(er)
