| The Real Wizard 22.04.2011 15:10 |
This is a song that is often forgotten about, and even dismissed by many Queen fans. Myself, I see it as a piece of genius. It's deep and introspective, which is nothing unusual for Brian. But it's also minimalist - very unlike any other Queen track. Like Radiohead, it's the subtleties that makes it. The fact that it maintains the exact same vibe throughout creates a certain ethereal quality. The only exception is the sudden burst of guitars at 1:35, which I think is one of the best moments in the entire Queen canon. Lyrically it remains a mystery, like most of Brian's songs. My interpretation is that "She" is his art, or maybe even the band... the song is about his devotion to his art and his insecurities while recovering from his illnesses. Brian wrote this song while he was in the hospital. It discusses his fears that the band may dump him because of his health (he has said that was a genuine thought in his head at the time). "I know the day I leave her I'll love her still." The "leave her" line may not necessarily mean leaving on his terms. "And the world will surely heal my ills" - a single moment of optimism, although he is still uncertain if he will recover quickly enough - "And if I'm very slow she makes me so." He's expressing his doubts that the band will want to keep him on board, as he knows they've already started this record without him. Brighton Rock and Now I'm Here were about touring and cheating on his wife to be (he later admitted who "Peaches" was and what the "little holiday" entailed), and Dear Friends expresses a new-found optimism for life after his illness. His songs on this record were very personal, so I think it makes sense that She Makes Me falls into the same category. It could be about his wife to be and his guilt, as he expressed in Brighton Rock ... or even a combination of the above. Only he knows. Either way, this is one of the best examples of Brian using metaphors and ambiguous language to express something within himself. He is criminally underrated as a songwriter. As for the fx at the end (namely the sirens), Brian once called them the "New York nightmare." And as we know, Brian fell ill in New York. At the very least, the song is largely related to his illness. Thoughts ... ? |
| bigV 22.04.2011 15:49 |
Love the song, one of my favourite Queen ballads. I really like one line in particular: "...and if I'm very slow she makes me so!" The way I understand it is: "If I'm a good lover it is because I'm making love to her." Fantastic line, really. Lovely song (with an odd subtitle). V. |
| GinjaNinja 22.04.2011 15:49 |
I used to find it monotonous and boring, and to an extent I still do, but there are some moments that I do like. It's growing on me :P |
| Lord Fickle 22.04.2011 16:21 |
It's a track I've skipped through for the past 30 years, as I've always thought it to be the weakest on the album, and a bit of a durge, but maybe I should give it another listen. I may appreciate it more, now I'm older. Lol! |
| Jazz 78 22.04.2011 18:52 |
Great topic Bob and wonderful interpretations of Brian's lyrics! Now I have to listen to these songs and think about what he must have been going through while recouperating. Kind of reminds me of ANATO being a personal collection of Freddie's songs reflecting his issues going on during that period. |
| Sebastian 22.04.2011 21:40 |
Are you sure he wrote those songs while still in the hospital? Myself, I don't think such a creative person spent all the period from July/August 1973 to July/August 1974 writing absolutely nothing. |
| The Real Wizard 22.04.2011 22:52 |
Well, much of autumn 73 and winter/spring 74 was spent touring. He has said numerous times that he wrote his Sheer Heart Attack material from the hospital bed, which was May through August 74, give or take. Whether or not he's referring to *all* of the material is a different matter, and of course something we'll never know.. |
| Sebastian 23.04.2011 02:41 |
Really? D'you happen to have one of those 'numerous times' at hand? I'm not being an a*sehole, I'm really curious. If you can provide convincing evidence, then that's a great way to turn this into a more professional and accurate dialogue. If not, then I think we could entertain the idea that a lot of the songwriting was done prior to his illness and hospitalisation and that, as such, it's a mere coincidence that you can apply the lyrics to whatever he may or may not have been feeling. Coincidences, to paraphrase Alan Parsons, are sometimes just that: coincidences. By the way, the famous interview on the eve of SNL (which you can read in full at link includes Brian saying he often wrote while on the road. Granted, that's from almost a decade after She Makes Me, so there's still a strong chance that he didn't write stuff on the road back in '74. Yet, 'it makes me wonder...' At the end of the day (watch the latest Community episode for back-up), it's realtively easy to interpret anything to mean anything. Remember all those people who analyse Bo Rhap and find AIDS-related meanings there? Same could happen with She Makes Me and hepatitis. Or maybe not, maybe you do have a point. But in order to be sure, may you please provide further evidence that he wrote that song (or any other) while in bed? |
| Holly2003 23.04.2011 04:44 |
Re: that interview, BRian says something about the 1st BoRap solo that contradicts what everyone has been saying before i.e. that Fred composed every bit of BoRap and told everyone else what to play: Who came up with the idea for the vocal harmonies used in "Bohemian Rhapsody"? "We always were keen on that kind of thing. That was something which we wanted to do from the beginning. We wanted to be a group that could do the heaviness of hard rock, but also have harmonies swooping around all over the place. We thought there was some real power and emotion in that combination." Was the first solo in that song very difficult for you? "No, that was pretty much off the cuff, except I think I had plenty of time to think about that one. I remember playing along with it in the studio for a while when other things were being done. I knew what kind of melody I wanted to play." |
| Rick 23.04.2011 07:33 |
How sure are you that Brian played acoustic guitar on this song, Sebastian? I have always thought John played that part. The same goes for Tenement Funster. |
| people on streets 23.04.2011 08:04 |
I always hated this song. Typical bad Brian song |
| Planetgurl 23.04.2011 08:50 |
Sebastian wrote: Really? D'you happen to have one of those 'numerous times' at hand? I'm not being an a*sehole, I'm really curious. If you can provide convincing evidence, then that's a great way to turn this into a more professional and accurate dialogue. If not, then I think we could entertain the idea that a lot of the songwriting was done prior to his illness and hospitalisation and that, as such, it's a mere coincidence that you can apply the lyrics to whatever he may or may not have been feeling. Coincidences, to paraphrase Alan Parsons, are sometimes just that: coincidences. By the way, the famous interview on the eve of SNL (which you can read in full at link includes Brian saying he often wrote while on the road. Granted, that's from almost a decade after She Makes Me, so there's still a strong chance that he didn't write stuff on the road back in '74. Yet, 'it makes me wonder...' At the end of the day (watch the latest Community episode for back-up), it's realtively easy to interpret anything to mean anything. Remember all those people who analyse Bo Rhap and find AIDS-related meanings there? Same could happen with She Makes Me and hepatitis. Or maybe not, maybe you do have a point. But in order to be sure, may you please provide further evidence that he wrote that song (or any other) while in bed? Unsure about the interpretation of the lyrics and wouldn't want to comment on that but I think more info /insight as to what was written and where/when could be gained by going back and looking at interviews done around that time. I am interested and have stuff from that period so will have a look thru it. |
| The Real Wizard 23.04.2011 12:46 |
Sebastian wrote: If you can provide convincing evidence, then that's a great way to turn this into a more professional and accurate dialogue. If not, then I think we could entertain the idea that a lot of the songwriting was done prior to his illness and hospitalisation and that, as such, it's a mere coincidence that you can apply the lyrics to whatever he may or may not have been feeling. =================== Fair play. Honestly, I recall reading such a thing numerous times, but I can't recall exactly which articles they were. Hopefully they'll turn up, and I'll come back to this.. |
| Band Forever 23.04.2011 13:25 |
I am sorry Brian not a great effort most of us love women, although as some posters already stated boring beyond belief. I also need to really listen to make out the lyrics Brian sings as he is not a very strong lead vocalist, but there again he is not alone, neither is Roger. |
| strangefrontier 23.04.2011 13:29 |
I have always loved this track...very atmospheric and agree with Bob that Brian's song writing is very underated. Leaving home aint easy, Sail away sweet sister, Another world and Dream of thee to name a few...all brilliant in my opinion. |
| Sebastian 23.04.2011 13:39 |
> BRian says something about the 1st BoRap solo that contradicts what everyone has been saying before i.e. that Fred composed every bit of BoRap and told everyone else what to play: AFAIK, he mentioned having written that solo several times. On the 2004 BBC documentary, Brian commented he thought of it, sang it to Freddie and Freddie thought it was good, so he (Fred) gave him (Brian) the green light to play what he (Brian) had thought of. When Roger et al mention Freddie 'had all the parts in his head' they most likely mean vocal parts, and perhaps some instrumentation but not necessarily all of it. > How sure are you that Brian played acoustic guitar on this song, Sebastian? Mmmmmm, I'd say I'm pretty confident (but not entirely sure or positive) it's Brian considering: * Backing tracks, at the time, were usually bass + drums + either guitar or piano. John was on bass, so Brian (or Freddie, but that'd be too far-fetched to suspect him wouldn't it?) must have been playing acoustic. Unless of course they took a different approach for that particular song (e.g. John on acoustic + Rog on drums, and then John overdubbed his bass later on). * The strumming style fits him more than it fits John (Funny How Love Is vs Misfire). * It was common practice for Brian to play all or most guitars on his own songs. John would play on his own, and possibly some of Roger's and Freddie's (e.g. Staying Power), with some exceptions (is SMM one of them? Maybe, maybe not). I admit none of those conjectures makes up for strong evidence and that, as you can see, you could always entertain the possibility that it was an exception to both rules (three-piece backing tracks and Brian being the only guitarist on his own songs). There's nothing to strongly confirm Brian played it but, at the same time, there's even less to suggest John's doing it, IMO. > The same goes for Tenement Funster. That one's a similar case, what with both the arpeggios and the strumming patterns being so simple that anybody (even Freddie and Roger) would easily be able to play them. For those cases (that there's nothing to strongly suggest any particular player) I tend to give the (interim) credit to Brian as he was, well, the band's main guitarist (be it lead or rhythm, acoustic or electric). But of course I may be wrong. Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. @ Strange Frontier: Personally, I think She Makes Me is a nice song and a very good choice to set the mood after such an involved album, to prepare the listener for the anthemic ending. But, IMO, Leaving Home Ain't Easy, Sail Away Sweet Sister, Another World and Dream of Thee (and others like All Dead, All Dead and My Boy) are waaaaaaaaay better. |
| brENsKi 23.04.2011 13:59 |
bigV wrote: Love the song, one of my favourite Queen ballads. I really like one line in particular: "...and if I'm very slow she makes me so!" The way I understand it is: "If I'm a good lover it is because I'm making love to her." Fantastic line, really. Lovely song (with an odd subtitle). V. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ i never thought this was about a woman...must be as said about the band and his illness and his possible "sacking"....even this line "and if i'm very slow, she makes me so" - i always thought this about the painstaking and drawn out way they made their recordings...in other words... "if it takes ages to do it, then it's cos the whole band takes ages to record stuff" |
| Simon Brown 23.04.2011 19:32 |
I seem to recall "she" is New York City, and this is about Brian's feeling after touring there. |
| GratefulFan 23.04.2011 19:46 |
I also recall Brian describing the street noises as something like 'New York City nightmare sounds'. |
| mike hunt 23.04.2011 23:12 |
Sir GH wrote: This is a song that is often forgotten about, and even dismissed by many Queen fans. Myself, I see it as a piece of genius. It's deep and introspective, which is nothing unusual for Brian. But it's also minimalist - very unlike any other Queen track. Like Radiohead, it's the subtleties that makes it. The fact that it maintains the exact same vibe throughout creates a certain ethereal quality. The only exception is the sudden burst of guitars at 1:35, which I think is one of the best moments in the entire Queen canon. Lyrically it remains a mystery, like most of Brian's songs. My interpretation is that "She" is his art, or maybe even the band... the song is about his devotion to his art and his insecurities while recovering from his illnesses. Brian wrote this song while he was in the hospital. It discusses his fears that the band may dump him because of his health (he has said that was a genuine thought in his head at the time). "I know the day I leave her I'll love her still." The "leave her" line may not necessarily mean leaving on his terms. "And the world will surely heal my ills" - a single moment of optimism, although he is still uncertain if he will recover quickly enough - "And if I'm very slow she makes me so." He's expressing his doubts that the band will want to keep him on board, as he knows they've already started this record without him. Brighton Rock and Now I'm Here were about touring and cheating on his wife to be (he later admitted who "Peaches" was and what the "little holiday" entailed), and Dear Friends expresses a new-found optimism for life after his illness. His songs on this record were very personal, so I think it makes sense that She Makes Me falls into the same category. It could be about his wife to be and his guilt, as he expressed in Brighton Rock ... or even a combination of the above. Only he knows. Either way, this is one of the best examples of Brian using metaphors and ambiguous language to express something within himself. He is criminally underrated as a songwriter. As for the fx at the end (namely the sirens), Brian once called them the "New York nightmare." And as we know, Brian fell ill in New York. At the very least, the song is largely related to his illness. Thoughts ... ? Probably My least favorite from Sheer Heart Attack, though still a nice ballad. Not a song from that album i don't like....I never knew Brighton Rock and Now I'm here were about his Cheating. you learn something new every day...... |
| dysan 24.04.2011 06:22 |
Dunno if it's been mentioned in the thread (had a quick scan) but I remember the first time I had the SHA album I always thought this was a song by a band called Stormtroopers In Stilletoes as the bracket that had the writing credit on all the other songs had that in it, and no 'May'. And it sounded different enough to the rest of the album to totally confuse me. I was very young. |
| dougie 24.04.2011 08:09 |
Sir GH wrote: "The fact that it maintains the exact same vibe throughout creates a certain ethereal quality." _______________________________________________________________________________________ I disagree. There is a chord change at about 2:47 that alters the whole tone of the song. That change is furthered by the siren and the heavy breathing. By this time the listener should realize that this isn't such a simple, straightforward "love song" after all. |
| Jer 24.04.2011 17:59 |
"Who knows who she'll make me, as I lie in her cocoon" has always been one of my favourite lyrics, by anyone. |
| Rick 25.04.2011 03:53 |
Thanks for your insights, Sebastian. It's still mostly guess work then. |
| Sebastian 26.04.2011 03:59 |
Not really: 'mostly guess work' is, TBH, a bit offensive and dismissive. Thinking it was recorded on 16th August, for instance, would be guesswork: the date fits the reported range of the recording sessions for the album, yet there's nothing to suggest it was precisely then. Statistically speaking, the possibility of it having done on 16th August is roughly 1.47% (i.e. there's a 98.53% margin of error). In the case of who plays the acoustic guitar on that particular song, we've got two people mentioned on the album liner notes, one of whom was the author, arranger and headlining guitarist (on both acoustic and electric) of the band at all its stages; the other one was the bassist and occasional guitarist (almost always on his own material). So, can I be 100% positive it's Brian? No. But I can be 80-90% certain about him as the most logical choice from any given perspective. So it's MUCH more than mostly guesswork. |
| Rick 26.04.2011 12:24 |
Maybe you should not take everything too literally. I meant we don't really have an official word on any Queen song concerning who-played-what, with the well-known exceptions taken into account of course. Who Needs You, for example: who plays the solo? 99% would say it's Brian, but I'm sure John could have played that as well, and since it was his song... |
| Sebastian 26.04.2011 23:27 |
But still Brian and John are both logical choices in that case, and either side of the argument may have supporting evidence (even if only theoretical one). So, it's way more than 'still mostly guesswork'. It's not as if someone were crediting Mike Stone for every single instrument on the song or something... |
| Rick 27.04.2011 02:52 |
I find it a bit far-fetched to have a debate over one simple word, namely 'mostly'. I didn't know you would take it this literally. |
| Sebastian 27.04.2011 09:43 |
A simple word changes a lot. Compare: I am alive --> I am not alive. Totally different meaning. |
| Rick 27.04.2011 13:26 |
Fair enough. I'll stick to my point that Queen was not very outspoken concerning this subject. |
| Groucho Marx 27.04.2011 18:26 |
I think it's great that different people can enjoy different Queen songs for different reasons. Once I was listening to the song on headphones and as the sirens faded out at the end, I could hear them outside my window. Haha. Anybody else ever had that happen? |
| LucTonnerre 28.04.2011 02:55 |
It's really funny to read what concernes you people. Get over it: It's a great song and nobody cares where it was written and who played the acoustic guitar. To compare struming patterns is – sorry - ridiculous. Since I've been listening to the early albums all the time as a little kid (born in 1975), I still remember all the references I've had when I didn't get the lyrics yet and could only imagine what they meant. She makes me always made me a little scared at the end. It seemed that everything came crashing down, with buildings colapsing. Plus the heavy breathing, the drumming and the monotone guitar sound at the end. When Brian says something about "Nightmare sounds", it fits exactly what I felt like while listening to it. Looking at Rogers face on the cover completed my picture. It totally fits the atmosphere in my opinion. I later thought it was about a failed relationship. But the New York City reference makes sense to me. Big Cities can be terrifying. Bottom line: Great song, great atmosphere. |
| Sebastian 28.04.2011 03:16 |
Actually, some people care about those details. If you don't, good for you, but you shouldn't care about whether we care about that or not. Get over it. Oh, and by the way: to compare strumming patterns is not ridiculous. To think that if you don't care then nobody does, THAT is ridiculous. And quite retarded too. |
| The Real Wizard 28.04.2011 12:06 |
Yeah, gotta agree with Seb. Some people are music researchers and some aren't. It's very silly to condemn people who want to decode the music to learn more about how it was made. |
| Sebastian 28.04.2011 22:28 |
A large part of being human is in fact over- (or under-, depending on how you look at it) focusing on aspects that other couldn't care less (or more, depending on how you look at it). And in many cases (including this one), that's completely harmless. |
| SourMilkSea 28.04.2011 22:30 |
Actually, it's one of my favourite songs. Period. It's really been in my mind a lot lately, not lyrically but musically. I was writing a song of my own, it had its own structure and all of a sudden... it was hijacked! I thought about it for a few minutes, then I realized the chords from the "hijacked" part were a dead-on match for She Makes Me (Who knows who she'll make me as I lie in her cocoon...). It's that deeply buried in my psyche. And I've been listening to it since 1974. It's always haunted me and it's among the best that Brian wrote, IMHO. I like the comparison to NYC, and I can also see the hospital recovery and the infidelity angles. Either way, the mood evoked by the music can support any of those interpretations. That's what I love about songwriting, there can be so much ambiguity! And that's why I often hate music videos, because they take that element away. |
| Sheer Brass Neck 28.04.2011 22:37 |
That's a damn fine first post SourMilkSea. |