I think this is an amazing song. It is brilliant for a band to have a song like this on their first album. But does anyone know what its about? And what do you think of the song?
It's an interesting song and I like it, although it is a little rough, compositional wise, to their later material, but that's part of what makes it interesting! First song they never played live before, but was completely done in the studio. It shows hints of what would later morph into Bohemian Rhapsody, such as the multilayered vocals, a complex structure, piano work, etc.
As to what the song is about... Well, it's about a fair king, I imagine. I don't think it has a deep meaning. Freddie, in his youth, had come up with an elaborate fairy tale world, which he called Rhye, and many of his early songs are tales about this world, so likely My Fairy King is inspired by that as well.
liam wrote: I think this is an amazing song. It is brilliant for a band to have a song like this on their first album. But does anyone know what its about? And what do you think of the song?
I also think this is an amazing song—one of Freddie’s very best, IMO--ambitious and quite poetic. I feel it is about how the world was once a gentle, beautiful, magical paradise ruled by the wise Fairy King where “honey bees have lost their stings; There's singing forever,. . . Lion's den with fallow deer, And rivers made from wine so clear, Flow on and on forever, Dragons fly like sparrows thru' the air, And baby lambs where Samson dares”. But then humankind came along and killed, maimed and created all sorts of havoc. We destroyed this perfect little paradise-- "Ah, then came man to savage in the night, To run like thieves and to kill like knives, To take away the power from the magic hand, To bring about the ruin to the promised land.”
I think it’s Freddie’s commentary about how vicious humankind can be. Perhaps the last verse is a little more personal—“Mother Mercury, look what they’ve done to me, I cannot run I cannot hide.” Could this be an expression about how the world and people had treated him personally? Don’t know, just thinking out loud.
What do you all think?
I absolutley adore this song! It doesn't really have a chorus, the song always changes like it's telling a story.
I read somewhere that someone thought the song was about how Freddie was molested and raped in boarding school. Like in the beginning of the song, everything is happy and perfect but then man ruined it. "Mother Mercury looked what they've done to me. I cannot run, I cannot hide."
I don't know if that is true though because Freddie said his songs had no hidden meanings. But if 'Mother Mercury' was supposed to be his real mother, that's hidden meaning.
shame this song isnt more popular, its great and contains one of the best lines in a queen song, "mother mercury, look what they've done to me, I cannot run I cannot hide!"
classic queen song and i never get tired of it...
This song shows how well Freddie could play the piano. Also, some ideas of Bohemian Rhapsody are in this song. It's fucking brilliant. Certainly one of Queen's best songs. Love Roger's screams and the fast piano-part.
Interesting--I had heard of it but had never read it. I just checked it out (on the Web). I see similarities in verse XIII with only a couple of lines being nearly exact. Did I miss something else? Very interesting to see that.
Great song. I don't know if anyone here noticed, but didn't Freddie's voice sound kind of girly in the early albums. Then, gradually his voice deepened.
An example: I was listening to "Nevermore" in my room and my mother suddenly came in and asked who this singer was. I ofcourse told her it was Freddie. She didn't believe me and said "He sounded like a woman".
But back on topic, I do love this song. The way it's layed out. The lyrics. A masterpiece. =)