L1 - About Killer Queen

Lesson Objectives:

  • To learn about the band Queen and the background to the set work Killer Queen

  • To listen to the song and follow the song lyrics

  • To perform sections of Killer Queen

Background

The band ‘Queen’ was formed by guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor who had previously played in a band together. They were joined in 1971 by singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon. Their first album, Queen, was released in 1973. The band worked hard to create their own sound and were one of the first to experiment with new and advanced recording techniques, giving the music an almost orchestral sound. All four members of the band were songwriters and their long list of hits include — Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions, Another One Bites the Dust and many others.

One reason for the bands huge success was their advanced musical skills. Freddie Mercury played piano but is chiefly remembered for his incredible voice with a range covering an amazing 5 octaves, moving effortlessly from low bass notes to high falsetto. Brian May is a virtuosic guitarist with a great technique, famous for his guitar solos.

Released in 1974, ‘Killer Queen’ is from the album ‘Sheer Heart Attack’. It was the first of Queen’s songs to become popular, reaching number 2 in the UK charts.

It has a lighter sound than their previous songs, which may have something to do with the fact that May was in hospital when Mercury was composing it.

At first May was not that keen on ‘Killer Queen’ but the rest of the band had left space for his guitar solo, which later became one of his favourites.

Why Killer Queen?

  • Adventurous structures—Not your usual intro or instrumental/middle 8. This became even more adventurous in songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody with an operatic section amongst others!

  • Use of unusual keys and harmonies for rock music—The tonality is ambiguous starting in the relative minor, C minor and having quick modulations and extended chords.

  • Beautifully and irregularly crafted melodies— Verse 1 made up of a 4 bar, 5 bar and a 3 bar phrase.

  • Instrumental virtuosity—Incredible vocal range, virtuosic guitar solos, melodic bass lines and jazz inspired drum fills.

Mercury usually composed the music first and then the lyrics but for ‘Killer Queen’ he started with the lyrics. The lyrics are a bit vague and not always easy to understand. Speaking to the NME magazine in 1974, Mercury said ‘I’d prefer people to put their own interpretation upon it—to read into it what they like’. However, it might be helpful to give some context.

• The ‘Killer Queen’ of the title is a high-class escort who enjoys eating expensive caviar and drinking champagne (Moet et Chandon)

• She is clearly out of touch with those who have an ‘ordinary life’ as can be witnessed by the quotation from Marie Antoinette who allegedly said ‘Let them eat cake’ when told that the starving French peasants had no bread to eat in 1789

• Khrushchev and Kennedy were the leaders of the old Soviet Union and the USA in 1962 at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the world was on the brink of nuclear war. The lyrics imply that the ‘Killer Queen’ could even have sorted them out!

• ‘Geisha Minah’ is a wordplay on the area Asia Minor and a Geisha (a Japanese women who entertains men)

Review Questions:

1) Who is the lead singer of Queen?

2) Who is the guitarist?

3) Who is the bass player?

4) Who is the drummer?

5) What album doe 'Killer Queen' feature on?

6) In what year was it released?

7) Write three ways in which Queen achieve their distinctive sound?