The Queen Is Dead (single)
| 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:
- Glasgow, Scotland 1986-07-16 (The Smiths concert)
- Newcastle upon Tyne, England 1986-07-17 (The Smiths concert)
- Manchester, England 1986-07-19 (The Smiths concert)
- Salford, England 1986-07-20 (The Smiths concert)
- London, Ontario, Canada 1986-07-30 (The Smiths concert)
- Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1986-07-31 (The Smiths concert)
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 1986-08-02 (The Smiths concert)
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada 1986-08-03 (The Smiths concert)
- Mansfield, Massachusetts 1986-08-05 (The Smiths concert)
- New York, New York 1986-08-06 (The Smiths concert)
Play count (Morrissey concert): 114
Morrissey live history:
- Claremont, California 1997-10-26 (Morrissey concert)
- Stockton, California 2007-04-27 (Morrissey concert)
- Sparks, Nevada 2007-04-28 (Morrissey concert)
- Sparks, Nevada 2007-04-29 (Morrissey concert)
- Oakland, California 2007-05-01 (Morrissey concert)
- Santa Rosa, California 2007-05-02 (Morrissey concert)
- Spokane, Washington 2007-05-05 (Morrissey concert)
- Seattle, Washington 2007-05-06 (Morrissey concert)
- Salt Lake City, Utah 2007-05-08 (Morrissey concert)
- Denver, Colorado 2007-05-09 (Morrissey concert)
Appears On
- How Soon Is Now? (single)
- The Queen Is Dead
- Rank
- The Complete Picture
- The Sound Of The Smiths
- Complete
- The Queen Is Dead (single)
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.
Made in the EU Front image from Vangelo secondo Matteo ©1964 STUDIOCANAL - Arco Films.
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.
Made in the EU Front image from Vangelo secondo Matteo ©1964 STUDIOCANAL - Arco Films.
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)