| Queenrockyou 08.11.2012 14:39 |
Hello people, long time no see. I wanted to start a topic about Queen's lyrics. Let's start with one of Queen's very first song: what about Liar ? Lyrics can be found here : link Or in the CD you have on the shelf. Or in Queen's new book. Or on Internet. Or wherever ! Can you please share your thoughts about the lyrics and the way the music is written ? Remember that the song existed, in a way or another, in Freddie's pre-Queen band. Replacing the song in the album. What does this song make you think about ? What is its strength, or its weakness ? What would you say about this song ? With your musician's eyes or with with your music lover's heart ? What does this song express ? Kind Regards, Olivier, Belgium. |
| j0ck3 08.11.2012 15:41 |
An absolute giant and constant highlight of each concert when played live. Not a fan of The Works tour version though. The best example of this is the Houston '77 performance: link The solo section before All Day Long in this performance is probably one of my absolute favorite live moments ever in a Queen concert. Love the drumming, dig the bass and some brilliant guitar in it along with good vocals. By far the best song on the debut album. |
| Queenrockyou 08.11.2012 16:32 |
Interesting, the comments about the song "live". Do you think the song was written for the stage ? Remember it comes from pre-Queen days, but was included in an album that was pretty much worked and worked and worked in the studios, with in fact few concerts to really test the song. I also see some things to comment in the lyrics section: - the religion. This was quite recurring in the first album, isn't it ? - the Masucilne and the Feminine side in parts 1 (Father) and 2 (Mama) ? - in the two first parts of the song, the feelings are different. The point of view is different, at first the persona seems sorry for what he is, and in the second part he is transformed. Is it an effect the religion has on him ? Is he angry ? vicious ? What are these screams for ? - Then in the third part, the last verses of the song, words are not from the point of view of the "Liar" persona, but in fact someone else talking to him. Would you divide the song differently ? You the English native, do you see something else in the lyrics ? There are some other questions too that could be interesting. How do think the music responds to the lyrics ? Is there a feeling or whatever in the sound that reflects the lyrics, and how did they achieve that ? Considering Freddie at the start of the 70's, what would be his inspiration for this song ? Any ideas ? In arts ? His discovery of love ? His Persian ancestry ? The fact he was in UK for only a few years ? Any influence from the other members, do you think ? Please elaborate ? |
| Mr Butambul 08.11.2012 19:16 |
Wow..its like reading an exam paper... Eheh.. My most favorite song from the first album. I have sinned dear father- a confession for the sins. Sire I have stolen- a confession for crimes The 'mama' part is a bit dragging..but then it exploded into a find rocking moment. This is the 1st song that uses the long/ winding/ multi styled music. This is the basic blue print for BhoRap & other songs by them with the same style in the future. Queen copied themselves few many times. and one of it is LIAR |
| Saint Jiub 08.11.2012 20:59 |
ruth.olivier 25008 wrote: Remember that the song existed, in a way or another, in Freddie's pre-Queen band.I seem to recall that the song was originally titled "Lover" I also seem to recall that Brian wanted to have some writing credits for "Liar" because he wrote much of the guitar music. However Freddie indicated that it was his song because he wrote the lyrics |
| Sebastian 09.11.2012 01:53 |
AFAIK, the song only took one line from Lover. The remaining 99% of them could've been completely different so no, it's not the necessarily same song. Lily of the Valley shares one line with Bo Rhap - does it mean they're the same tune? |
| matt z 09.11.2012 17:35 |
That line being.... "Let me go!" ???? I'm curious how anybody knows anything about the pre Queen song "lover" Does it exist in some form? |
| Saint Jiub 09.11.2012 20:12 |
http://www.queensongs.info/the-book/queen-the-four-of-them-as-musicians/freddie-mercury.html http://www.queenpedia.com/index.php?title=Ibex Geoff Higgins remembers at least one decent Bulsara-Bersin tune: "They did a great song called 'Lover'. The lyrics used to go, 'Lover, you never believe me', and Fred later turned it into 'Liar, you never believe me' (which appeared on Queen's debut album ). It was almost the same tune. But not quite. In fact it was similar to 'Communication Breakdown' , they used to rip off Led Zeppelin a lot." |
| tomchristie22 10.11.2012 21:32 |
The line 'liar, you never believe me' doesn't appear once in the song. Similar variations of it do, but even then, that section of the song is just one in however many entirely different sections the song has. |
| waunakonor 10.11.2012 22:10 |
Panchgani wrote: In fact it was similar to 'Communication Breakdown' , they used to rip off Led Zeppelin a lot."*ahem* modertimesrocknroll *ahem* |
| Queenrockyou 11.11.2012 08:24 |
Do you note some similarities between Queen and Led Zep in Liar ? Or any other band from the same period ? |
| tomchristie22 12.11.2012 00:55 |
Much of Queen I sounds like Led Zeppelin, as mentioned, Liar and Modern Times are the main offenders. |
| Queenrockyou 12.11.2012 14:37 |
Really ?? I don't hear that much Led Zep in Liar ! Can you elaborate ? It's right that Modern Times Rock'N'Roll and some other songs have a Led Zep feeling, but I don't hear that. Some say that Liar has a perticular writing, with a middle section, which we can find again later in Somebody To Love, or Bohemian Rhapsody. It's rather true and interesting to note! What else can be said according to you ? |
| mooghead 12.11.2012 15:15 |
Don't analyse things too much. Just enjoy them. |
| Queenrockyou 12.11.2012 15:24 |
Thanks for the advice ! Interesting comment. However, sorry if it looks annoying to you, I can understand it, but I stil want to have a discussion about this song, that I enjoy it a lot (don't worry about this). But now, I fear this has put a halt to this discussion... |
| tomchristie22 12.11.2012 23:53 |
ruth.olivier 25008 wrote: Really ?? I don't hear that much Led Zep in Liar ! Can you elaborate ? It's right that Modern Times Rock'N'Roll and some other songs have a Led Zep feeling, but I don't hear that.It's mostly in the introductory instrumental bit for me. The guitar riffs in particular, I don't really know how to describe them, so I'll link an example. link Starting at 0:32, ending at 1:11 or so. It's probably a combination of the guitar work and the organ. |
| GratefulFan 13.11.2012 16:08 |
When I think about Liar I almost always think about it live, and in it's time. Stuck to it is that sense of a promising band in the early stages of a career, almost imperceptively gathering momentum and mystique but still new and raw, still ordinary and hungry not to be. Liar is that song a new band plays near the end of the show, the full on rock assault that feels familiar even if it's not. Because I live in a relatively small city and because of the far flung geography of Canada I didn't have the same concert opportunities as many, so my chances to see future superstars at this special stage were few in the 1980s. I do have a visceral recall of seeing Bryan Adams opening for Loverboy in 1982 before he was anybody very special and his version of Liar was a song called Remember, a great song mostly lost in his later sustained deluge of success. That early artist was 'Bryan Adams' when that was just somebody's name, first and last, just like my own. My recall of him and that evening is one of another time and place and reality, another person really in many ways. A very specific privileged memory that most outside of Canada and the small concert circuit won't have. I wish there were more, but there aren't, so it has it's permanent place. |
| Queenrockyou 13.11.2012 16:52 |
Listening back to the track, I must concede that when Freddie screams (All Day Long and the subsequent shouts), it can have some Robert Plant feeling in it. About Liar being al live favourite to showcase the band's skills, you're absolutely right. They kept that song in the setlist until then end of 1977, which means a lot given the lot of music that emerged during those years. It would be logical to assume that it was written especially for that (pretty much as We Will Rock You and We Are The Champions were written). It has a really nice drum part, which was probably very effective live. It does not sound that powerful on the album though, which is sad. Roger kept complaining about the drums' sound on this album, and he was probably right. However, if this song was not his, it showcases its skills behind the drums. John also plays a nice bass part on this one. Unfortunately, the song was shortened to be issued as a single. but in its album form, it is rather epic. On stage, it could become a long track, the musicians showing their musical ability to the audience. |
| Holly2003 13.11.2012 17:15 |
It's not really a blues song but it does have a "call and respose" section that is typical of the blues style: Mama I'm gonna be your slave All day long Mama I'm gonna try behave All day long Mama I'm gonna be your slave All day long I'm gonna serve you till your dying day etc |
| Queenrockyou 13.11.2012 17:18 |
This part is nearly some gospel I'd say, what you think ? |
| Holly2003 13.11.2012 17:27 |
Wouldn't argue with that. The lyrics are a strange mixture then of evangelical protestant and confessional catholic. |
| Queenrockyou 13.11.2012 17:47 |
Do you think we could also detect some form of prog-rock in this song, with the different movements in the song, the various tempos, the Hammond (though very very discrete) ? It's not a King Crimson track altogether. But the progressive rock reached Great Britain in the late sixties, and the influence can probably be heard at certain moments in the first albums. |
| Queenrockyou 13.11.2012 18:06 |
Also, I am not sure, but it seems I can already hear the Hammond on the demo tape recorded at De Lane Lea (listen to the "In The Beginning" bootleg - link - , or "As It Began"). Or is it Brian and its magical guitar ? If it is a Hammond (or an organ), then it is not used as heavily as on the final cut (if I can say "heavily", let's say not used as long as on the final cut). Listen to the demo tape starting at 1:20. Up to about 1:45, it seems we can hear it; though starting at 01:45 we clearly hear the guitar on the demo, the Hammond is cut, when on the final cut the Hammond remains and covers the guitar sound. What are the main interesting differences you notice between the demo and the final cut ? It's very close I'd say, if we exclude the extended guitar play before "Listen, you're gonna listen". |