The Queen Is Dead (single): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 15:21, 2 February 2023

Cover art

THE SMITHS Single
Name	The Queen Is Dead
Release	June 1986, 16 June 2017 (single to mark 31st anniversary of The Queen Is Dead album release and 2017 re-issue)
Total Length	6:24 (Album version) 6:06 (No Intro) 7:29 (Demo) 3:36 (Instrumental demo)
Recorded	Winter 1985
Writer/composer	Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Producer	Morrissey / Johnny Marr
Art work	Cover star: Margherita Caruso in "Il vangelo secondo Matteo" (1964)
Vinyl Etching	None
Publisher	Warner Bros. Records
Format(s)	7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl
Chart position	UK #85 UK Vinyl Chart #1
Single chronology
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (Demo Mix) ← The Queen Is Dead

Information

An unedited version of this song appears on The Smiths – Unreleased Demos & Instrumentals bootleg LP.

Track list

7" Vinyl Picture Disc

UK & Europe - [Warner Music UK Ltd. – QID2017]

The Queen Is Dead – 6:05 (Morrissey/Marr)
I Keep Mine Hidden – 1:57 (Morrissey/Marr)

12" Vinyl

UK & Europe - [Warner Bros. Records – 12QID2017]

The Queen Is Dead – 6:05 (Morrissey/Marr)
Oscillate Wildly – 3:26 (Morrissey/Marr)
Money Changes Everything – 4:10 (Marr)
The Draize Train – 5:08 (Marr)

Video

A Film by Derek Jarman

Lyrics

Oh! Take me back to dear old Blighty,
Put me on the train for London Town,
Take me anywhere,
Drop me anywhere,
Liverpool, Leeds or Birmingham
'Cause I don't care,
I should like to see my...

By land, by sea.

Farewell... to this land's cheerless marshes
Hemmed in like a boar between archers1
Her very Lowness with her head in a sling
I'm truely sorry but it sounds like a wonderful thing

"I say, Charles, don't you ever crave
To appear on the front of the Daily Mail
Dressed in your Mother's bridal veil?"
And so I checked all the registered historical facts
And I was shocked into shame to discover
How I'm the 18th pale descendent
Of some old queen or other

Oh has the world changed or have I changed?
Oh has the world changed or have I changed?
As some 9-year old tough who peddles drugs
(I swear to God, I swear)
I never even knew what drugs were

So I broke into the Palace
With a sponge and a rusty spanner
She said: "Eh, I know and you cannot sing!"
I said: "That's nothing, you should hear me play piano!"

We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
And talk about precious things
But when you're tied to your Mother's apron
No one talks about castration

We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
And talk about precious things
Like Love and Law and Poverty
These are the things that kill me

We can go for a walk where it's quiet and dry
And talk about precious things
But the rain that flattens my hair
These are the things that kill me

All their life, they make love and then pierce through me
Pass the Pub who saps your body
And the church who'll snatch your money
The Queen is dead, boys
And it's so lonely on a limb

Pass the Pub that wrecks your body
And the church - all they want is your money
The Queen is dead, boys
And it's so lonely on a limb

Life is very long when you're lonely
Life is very long when you're lonely
Life is very long when you're lonely
Life is very long when you're lonely

Live History

Play count (The Smiths concert): 39

The Smiths live history:

... further results

Play count (Morrissey concert): 114

Morrissey live history:

... further results

Appears On

Appears On Covers Compilation

Cover Versions

Discogs Information

Credits

Bass - Andy Rourke
Drums - Mike Joyce
Engineer - Stephen Street
Engineer [Assistant] - Step Parikan
Guitar - Johnny Marr
Lacquer Cut By - Ron McMaster
Producer - Grant Showbiz
Producer - Johnny Marr
Producer - Morrissey
Remix - Stephen Street
Voice - Morrissey
Written-By - Johnny Marr
Written-By - Morrissey

Notes

Sold exclusively at brick-&-mortar shops. Not an RSD release.

Edited version of "The Queen Is Dead" previously released on How Soon Is Now?.

Images

The Queen Is Dead - Discogs master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/1150763
The Queen Is Dead (7" 45 RPM Single Picture Disc Stereo) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/9958556-The-Smiths-The-Queen-Is-Dead

Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Sold exclusively at brick-&-mortar shops. Not an RSD release. Issued in a side opening sleeve. Spine with text. Plain inner. Package came shrink-wrapped.

Edited version of "The Queen Is Dead" previously released on How Soon Is Now?. The three B-side tracks, which are the only Smiths instrumental tracks, had never previously been compiled for release on one single unit.

Images

The Queen Is Dead (12" 45 RPM Single Limited Edition Stereo 180 Gram) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/9690729-The-Smiths-The-Queen-Is-Dead

Related Forum Threads

The Smiths A-Z: "The Queen Is Dead" - Morrissey-solo (Jun 02, 2022)
"The Queen Is Dead" single released (UK, June 16, 2017) - Morrissey-solo (Jun 16, 2017)
Justin Hawkins analyzes "The Queen Is Dead" - 'I'll Fight You, If You Disagree With Me' - Morrissey-solo (Oct 17, 2022)

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 | Producer = [[Producer::Morrissey]] / [[Producer::Johnny Marr]]
 | Mastered =
-| Art = Cover star: [[Margherita Caruso]] in "[[Il vangelo secondo Matteo]]" (1964)
+| Art = Cover star: [[Mention::Margherita Caruso]] in "[[Mention::Il vangelo secondo Matteo]]" (1964)
 | Vinyl Etching = None
 | Publisher = [[Warner Bros. Records]]