mhoman00 25.05.2007 19:11 |
Hi All. Just curious as to what you all thought about Brian's TMLWKY. I feel it deals with and portrays the emotions that go along with an extra-marital affair; and as much as society looks down on this, the songwriter shines a different light and the listener must empathize with him. "I'm just the peices of the man I used to be"...admitting that something is dragging him down and tearing him up. "I'm far away from home and I've been facing this alone for much to long.." The songwriter longs to return to the way things were before the affair started and wishes he someone outside of it to talk to. "In my tangled state of mind, I've been looking back to find where I went wrong.." Apparently, affairs make you think differently and you try to justify what you are doing, however in the grand scheme of things, the songwriter knows he is making a mistake. The choras goes, "Torn between the lover, and the love you leave behind." Pretty obvious here. Maybe I'm just really bored and over-analyzing. Let me know what you think! |
lyricalassasin77 25.05.2007 22:39 |
Even though the song was written by Brian and it was before Freddie's death it doesn't take much to see the song fits way more to what was going on with Freddie and his fight with AIDS than anything else...."I'm just the pieces of the man I used to be, and it seem's like there's no way out of this for me"......"I'm just the shadow of the man I used to be, too many bitter tears are raining down on me"...."It will make you bleed, and scream, and crawl"....All those excerts paint a very vivid picture of what Freddie was going through which is why I think he did the song with his vocal's on it as well......Peace |
Boy Thomas Raker 25.05.2007 22:48 |
No mhoman, your analysis is spot on, while lyricalassassin's is pretty much out in left field. That's why I feel Brian's version is infinitely superior to Queen's MIH version, I don't buy Freddie's emotional attachment to the song the way I do Brian's. |
Sebastian 26.05.2007 07:30 |
I love the song and I think it's by far among the best lyrics found on any Queen album. Still, most of the words aren't by Brian. |
john bodega 26.05.2007 08:38 |
Sebastian wrote: I love the song and I think it's by far among the best lyrics found on any Queen album. .Really?? I feel any song that rhymes 'shoes' with 'choose' is kinda hackneyed... some lines in TMLWKY do it for me, others feel same ol' same ol'... I've always loved the song though, both versions work for me in different ways. |
mhoman00 26.05.2007 09:22 |
This song has nothing to do with Freddies illness. "Make you bleed and scream and crawl"?? I think this was written before Freddie had any bad AIDS symptoms ('87-'88?). Its obvious it deals with a love affair, "Torn between the lover, and the love you leave behind." "Too much love will kill you, if you can't make up your mind," obviously issues with a love an affair. |
lyricalassasin77 26.05.2007 09:32 |
Way out in left field huh? LoL....Ok...I never said the song was MEAN'T to be about Freddie. All I'm saying is you can very easily make it to where it is. I can relate almost all the lyrics in that song to what Freddie was going through. I'm not going to get into a pissing contest on when it was written or if it was about Brian's personal troubles but I do very much believe Freddie sung the song because it ALSO very much fitted his struggles and problems. Myself I like to enjoy the music not break each level of it down like I'm discecting a frog, I'll leave that to you all...... |
claudiox 26.05.2007 10:15 |
Well, the lyrics from TMLWKY is about how too much love hurts when it ends. Brian wrote it in a struggle moment of his own life and it's about his state of mind. I love the bri's version and I think the song don't fit freddie's voice too much. bye Claudio |
Boy Thomas Raker 26.05.2007 10:26 |
Both Sebastian and Zebonka have interesting accurate points about the lyrics, and that's where the value of honest singing pays off. In the hands of a lesser artist, it could be a Celine Dion cliche fest. But Brian sings it with such hurt in his voice he absolutely sells the song. And for the people who followed Queen long term and always perceived Brian as the caring vulnerable one in the band, lines like "I'm just a shadow of the man I used to be" and "I used to bring you flowers, now all I ever do is bring you down" are incredibly painful and revealing. Obviously, Freddie was a better singer than Brian but Brian sings this song way better than Freddie. TMLWKY is one of the few songs in the catalogue that I believe Freddie didn't have his heart in singing. |
magicalfreddiemercury 26.05.2007 11:33 |
Boy Thomas Raker wrote: Obviously, Freddie was a better singer than Brian but Brian sings this song way better than Freddie. TMLWKY is one of the few songs in the catalogue that I believe Freddie didn't have his heart in singing.I've heard these comments many times and each time I'm stunned. Maybe there is emotion in Brian's version of this song, but in no way can I understand how anyone can say he sang it better. Of course, it's all a matter of opinion, but I feel beyond what I see as the inferior quality of Brian's voice, especially compared to Freddie's, the emotion and passion in Freddie's is palpable. |
brENsKi 26.05.2007 11:55 |
claudiox wrote: Well, the lyrics from TMLWKY is about how too much love hurts when it ends. Brian wrote it in a struggle moment of his own life and it's about his state of mind. Claudiono he didn't...he wrote the music..the lyrics were written by someone else so there is no evidence to suggest it was about Brian's life |
Adam Baboolal 26.05.2007 12:29 |
I never compare the two versions. But in all honesty, I choose the Queen version cause it feels like so much more than the BTTL version. And I had wished for many years that there'd been a Freddie sung version, and et voila, come 1995, there it was! Adam. |
john bodega 26.05.2007 15:09 |
Singing is emotion is singing!! It's down to the listeners to find their interpretation of who is more sincere in their singing of it. If you are purely out for the better singer, then you're likely inclined to prefer the Queen version. As for which is emotionally more valuable.. it's open to debate, because some people find emotions are brought up by the better singer! And some relate to it because it just sounds like Brian 'means it' more than Freddie did. |
JoxerTheDeityPirate 26.05.2007 17:59 |
short and sweet i prefer brians version,more heart and soul in it imho. however.... i would of loved Johnny Cash to of done a version of it. |
Arnaldo "Ogre-" Silveira 27.05.2007 21:39 |
claudiox wrote: ... I think the song don't fit freddie's voice too much. bye ClaudioI think it does fit Freddie's voice perfectly. When I first heard it in 1992, by Brian, I thought: "What a beautiful song, you can hear clearly it was written to be sung by Freddie, but he couldn't make it.". To my big surprise and joy, in 1995 I heard Freddie singing it, and thought that would prove my first impression, that it was written with his voice in mind. Now I am not quite sure about that, but I can certainly say that IMHO Freddie's voice does suit the song beautifully. And I also have to say that I LOVE Brian's version, as I am a big fan of his vocals. Pitty he couldn't do justice to it live, except for the Pavarotti version, which is awesome. Cheers, Ogre- |
Arnaldo "Ogre-" Silveira 27.05.2007 21:41 |
Adam Baboolal wrote: ... And I had wished for many years that there'd been a Freddie sung version, and et voila, come 1995, there it was! Adam.Same here, Adam! Cheers, Ogre- |
Queen-Obsessed 27.05.2007 23:40 |
It makes me think about what Brian went through with his marriage and all. I may be way off base but the "torn between the lover and the love you leave behind" bit makes me think of it |
brENsKi 28.05.2007 06:53 |
<font color=black>QUEEN OBSESSED wrote: It makes me think about what Brian went through with his marriage and all. I may be way off base but the "torn between the lover and the love you leave behind" bit makes me think of itnot Brian's lyrics....check this before saying... this could just as likely be the lyricist's own experiences |
Boy Thomas Raker 28.05.2007 09:55 |
Even though he didn't "write" the lyrics, Brian is probably the best lyricist of the bunch so he would have no trouble putting his thoughts on paper, so I have a feeling that the other two were conduits for Brian, in the same sense that Tim Rice was on The Golden Boy, which could very easily be about Freddie and Mary's relationship. Maybe the fact that these songs were so personal they brought in an outsider to distance themselves from particularly delicate subject matter? |
Sebastian 28.05.2007 11:28 |
That's what's great about art: you can adapt it to different situations. Had 'Teo' been written 12 years later, we could've sworn it's about AIDS. |
Mr Mercury 28.05.2007 12:48 |
I think that Brian's version just had that wee touch more emotion in it that the Freddie version was lacking. That said though, I remember seeing an interview Brian did on TV not long after his version was released where he mentioned that a Queen version had been recorded but was shelved. Imagine my surprise and joy when I heard the Queen / Freddie version. Wonderful stuff with a cracking vocal by Freddie. And just to clear something up. This song was a co-write job between Brian, Frank Musker and Elisabeth Lamers. |
gnomo 28.05.2007 14:14 |
<font color=green>Bren<font color=orange>ski wrote:Still, in many interviews back then, that's exactly what Bri said the song was about - he co-wrote it together with two friends/acquaintances, so we might as well consider it the result of a collective "brainstorming" or "soul-searching" session on the subject, regardless of who wrote what line exactly.<font color=black>QUEEN OBSESSED wrote: It makes me think about what Brian went through with his marriage and all.not Brian's lyrics.... this could just as likely be the lyricist's own experiences FWIW |
Daniel Nester 29.05.2007 09:05 |
I wish people would talk about the other songwriters on the tune -- Elizabeth Lamers and Frank Musker. As usual, Andy's Queen page comes through with some great details (scroll down): link |
Daniel Nester 29.05.2007 09:15 |
Scratch that, it's not Andy's page -- ah, for the good ole days when a pemcom.co.uk address meant it was Andy's page. It's the Queen Trainspotter's Guide, related and perhaps inspired by/a relative of Andy's page. |
Boy Thomas Raker 29.05.2007 11:17 |
Here's Brian's thoughts on the song: "Some songs happen, simply because somebody sits down and decides to write a song. But there is another kind, like this one, which HAS to be written, because the writer has no choice. This happened at a time when I was going through a very difficult period; it was written as a kind of therapy. In this case I was very much the patient and Frank (Musker) was very much the therapist who helped me through it." Again, I think, and I may be totally out to lunch here, Brian had help, but he knew exactly what the song was going in. Frank maybe helped him craft his words or worked on ideas, but the song is primarily a Brian song. |
ern2150 29.05.2007 12:08 |
Daniel Nester wrote: Scratch that, it's not Andy's page -- ah, for the good ole days when a pemcom.co.uk address meant it was Andy's page. It's the Queen Trainspotter's Guide, related and perhaps inspired by/a relative of Andy's page.Well, the Trainspotter's Guide is still bloody brilliant, and that's saying something in comparison to the original Queen Web resource, Andy's stuff. I believe QueenVault is attempting to be a more regularly updated version. While I'm off-topic, Daniel, your books are being recommended for folk who purchased Lester's book on Amazon. I'm off to look up more info on your stuff! |
Daniel Nester 29.05.2007 14:30 |
That Queen Vault has some great stuff -- I seem to remember it launching, but it has some great info -- I learned some new stuff about Roger rarities, for example. I didn't know my books were being recommended with Lester's. My booos are totally different, whereas Lester is the king of information. |
redspecial85 29.05.2007 21:50 |
Brian explicitly states in an interview on the "Making of ANATO" DVD, that all of the songs that he writes are about relationships in some shape or form. Obviously, he had help...and probably needed it considering his hardships. Personally, I thought both Brian and Freddie's vocals were really powerful. I think Freddie found a connection in the vocals and drew on the emotion from that. Although Brian's my favourite Queen member by far and wide...musically and vocally I think the version w/ Freddie singing from Made In Heaven is the best. |
Daniel Nester 31.05.2007 09:45 |
It certainly was heart-breaking to finally hear Freddie's version. |
bill_lbk 01.06.2007 06:52 |
Before Freddie's death, there was to be a US compilation album with an unreleased track, named at the time as "Too Much Love". I was at the tribute concert and when Brian played "Too Much Love Will Kill You" I figured it was the same song. I knew there was a queen version and couldn't wait to hear it, I got a snippet of it on a bootleg a few years later which is closer to the BTTL version. Later in 1992, I was at the Marquee for 2 nights with The Cross, the 2nd night Brian played TMLWKY with the soaring guitar of the MIH version. This is the best version, sung with Brian's obvious emotion, but with the fantastic guitar solo. |
redspecial85 01.06.2007 13:03 |
I would've loved to be able to have been there to see that. |
drwinston 01.06.2007 15:43 |
Adam Baboolal wrote: I never compare the two versions. But in all honesty, I choose the Queen version cause it feels like so much more than the BTTL version. And I had wished for many years that there'd been a Freddie sung version, and et voila, come 1995, there it was! Adam.I agreed until it happened. Freddie just sounds so ill by the time he recorded it, that it didn't get the performance that he could have delivered in earlier years. Both versions are sad to me for different reasons - Brian expresses his emotions and Freddie has lost his power. I choose to remember Freddie as a strong life force, so I rarely listen to the Queen version of the song. |
Winter Land Man 02.06.2007 17:42 |
People think Brian sang it better than Freddie because Brian sings softer. The hard rock guitarist (Brian) sings softer than the love song writer (Freddie). But, I really think Freddie puts MUCH MORE POWER into it. How can anyone argue with that. Brian sings through the song almost as if he's talking the lyrics out. Freddie SINGS them, and he nails the fucking lyrics better than anyone. Anyone here would most likely be able to imitate Brian's vocals on that song better than they could imitate Freddie. And it's not because Freddie is a one of a kind vocalist, but it's because Freddie sings with such incredible power, it's over the top! |
Boy Thomas Raker 03.06.2007 00:52 |
That Freddie is a more powerful vocalist is undeniable. IMHO, his version is almost devoid of emotion (it's Brian's song about Brian's life falling apart so how could Freddie sing it with more emotion?), it seems more like a reading of a script, and it's one of the few songs where I find Freddie's phrasing to be annoying. So more powerful, sure. Better sung and emoted? In the eye of the beholder. |
Fur 12.06.2007 11:24 |
As we're debating Freddie/Brian emotional singing stuff, does anyone else find Brian's version of Love Of My Life on ROTC much more heart-wrenching than Freddie's ever was? Although I don't know if that's Brian's style or just that the song is much more potent given Freddie's fate... |
saltnvinegar 12.06.2007 19:31 |
Fur wrote: As we're debating Freddie/Brian emotional singing stuff, does anyone else find Brian's version of Love Of My Life on ROTC much more heart-wrenching than Freddie's ever was? Although I don't know if that's Brian's style or just that the song is much more potent given Freddie's fate...I see what you're saying. I think the occasion and circumstances proabably played a large part in raising the emotional level in the ROTC case. On the other hand Brian's voice has always had a vulnerable edge to it compared to Freddie's. Even on his (Freddie's) love songs, I sense a certain vocal'performance' although some of the lyrics are indeed heartfelt. I think he hid his true feelings a little more than Brian does. The LOML from the Queen days developed into a crowd singalong so maybe sounded more uplifting and positive than emotional. That's not taking anything away from Freddie's vocals, I could listen to him all day but Brian only in small doses. Freddie's voice had the ability to bring out emotion in the *listener* so we can put our own interpretation into the songs. |
Mr Mercury 12.06.2007 19:57 |
Fur wrote: As we're debating Freddie/Brian emotional singing stuff, does anyone else find Brian's version of Love Of My Life on ROTC much more heart-wrenching than Freddie's ever was? Although I don't know if that's Brian's style or just that the song is much more potent given Freddie's fate...I dont think that Brian's version is any better or worse than Freddie's version. Its different in that Brian is singing it for Freddie, and because it is Brian's emotion for his dead friend that shows through. That said, I have always thought the best version of this song is the studio version on ANATO. Beautiful piano playing and singing on that version. One song where Freddie definetely wins is In The Lap Of The Gods. Brian did make a valiant attempt at this song (as you can see here link ) but is ultimately (on this occasion at least imho) no Freddie. |
Sebastian 12.06.2007 23:44 |
I haven't listened to ROTC but I've heard Brian singing LOML in recordings from his solo tours, and I do prefer his voice over Fred's for that one. |