A few years ago I posted this and maybe it was here, maybe on another Queen board. I can't remember where the hell it was. If it was here then I hope the old guard bears with me and if not then I hope it gives yet one more thing for Queen fans to consider.
Back in another lifetime it seems, myself and friends would sit around and discuss Queen lyrics because they were good, thought provoking lyrics. Far above the usual drivel that ruled the day. Anyway, with us in our late teens we met a older fellow that was engaged with one of my friends mom at the time and while we were playing Queen II in her basement, ala 70's Show, he became interested in Seven Seas of Rhye.
After reading the lyrics he told us of the British military and how the British Navy was conceived as the strongest of the services at one time but with the emergence of the British Airforce they eventually became the gem of the British military. To him the song beared this out.
"Fear me you lords and lady preachers, I decend upon the earth from the skies...I command your very souls you unbelievers bring before me what is mine the seven seas of rhye"
The seven seas of Rhye represented the British Navy which now must concede its superiority to the Airforce.
"Can you hear me you peers and privy councillors
I stand before you naked to the eyes
I will destroy any man who dares abuse my trust
I swear that you’ll be mine the seven seas of rhye"
Airforce commanders confronting the House of Lords? dictating that it will be the Airforce, not the Navy that shall endure.
"Storm the master marathon I’ll fly through
By flash and thunder fire I’ll survive
I’ll survive I’ll survive then I’ll defy the laws of nature and come out alive"
An interesting verse and a friend of mine pointed out the "flash and thunder fire" to me.
To begin with the master marathon was warfare, "fly through" was victory from the air. Again, defying the laws of nature and coming out alive eludes to victory through the air.
Now the "flash and thunder fire part". It signifies a leap in warfare technology, comparing the Navy as men using muskets, flintlock rifles. The flash of the powder and the thunder of the wading/ball. The comparison is made between the effectivness of the Navy compared to that of the Airforce. The Navy would hope to survive using this old technology (repeating the survive 3x)
"Begone with you you shod and shady senators
Give out the good leave out the bad evil cries
I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours
And with a smile I’ll take you to the seven seas of rhye"
Certainly the old guard has to move aside and the mighty titan and his troubadours, as I see it, being Hitler and his cronies. The smile reference is to the band Smile where this song may have got it's origins or at the least a passing tribute to the band.
In closing it's a very clever song, like a lot of Queen songs.
i think the flash and thunder part could be a referance to a nuclear bomb as there is a flash and when one exlodes it certainly sounds like thunder, this would suit the time also as the world was worried about nuclear war back in the early 70's, so freddie is saying during nuclear war he'll survive but is saying it more than once to show he means it!
hmm, I think not :) Hitler and troubadours? Freddie Mercury writing a song about which military branch is the most important? Highly unlikely. I suppose there could not be many issues less interesting for him than British military issues.
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Oh I do like to be beside the sea
Oh I do like to stroll along the prom prom prom
Where the brass bands play tiddley om pom pom
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Oh I do like to be beside the sea
When I'm down beside the sea I'm beside myself with glee
Beside the seaside
Beside the sea
You know, that gets me thinking. Last year I wrote a song about how it's great to be alive, but come to think of it perhaps it was about the media's handling of the Iraqi war. Makes you think.
I also wrote a song called 'The Hole' but there's nothing in that.
i woulda thought that any fan with a brain could see it was just a bit more of freddie's wimsicle mythical meanderings that were the put together to form the greatest side to any queen album anywhere
the whole theme fits
ogre/ffms/nevermore, black queen ssor - it's all practically the whole sword/scorcery dungeons and dragons thing in one 20 minute burst - nicely broken up by a bit of out-spectering specter with FHLI
military my arse!!!