Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Tie Your Mother Down
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Tie Your Mother Down" | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Single by Queen | ||
| B-side(s) | You and I | |
| Released | March 4, 1977 | |
| Format | 7" | |
| Recorded | 1976 | |
| Genre | Heavy metal | |
| Length | 3:45 | |
| Label | EMI (UK), Elektra (US) | |
| Writer(s) | Brian May | |
| Producer(s) | Queen | |
| Chart positions | ||
|
||
| Queen singles chronology | ||
| "Somebody to Love" (1976) |
"Tie Your Mother Down" (1977) |
"Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" (1977) |
Tie Your Mother Down (30 second sample ) is a heavy metal song by Queen, written by guitarist Brian May, which features one of rock music's most recognizable guitar riffs. It was released as a single from the band's 1976 album, A Day at the Races. In the album, the song is preceded by a one-minute instrumental intro, which is actually a reprise of the ending of "Teo Torriatte": this was intended to create a "circle" in the album, typical, for example, of Pink Floyd's albums.
May started writing the song in Tenerife, while he was working for his Ph.D. as an astronomer. He composed the riff on a Spanish guitar, and woke up early one morning and played it while singing "tie your mother down," a line he considered a joke.
Later on, Queen vocalist Freddie Mercury encouraged him to keep the line, similar to what happened between John Lennon and Paul McCartney with the line "the movement you need is on your shoulder" from the Beatles song Hey Jude. When performing the song during his solo shows, May has often omitted the line, "take your little brother swimming with a brick, that's all right," or at the very least mumbled through it.
Though it was a long-time live favourite, the song had limited chart success, making #31 in the UK and #49 in the US. Therefore it was not included on the band's first Greatest Hits compilation, although the song is featured on the Queen Rocks compilation album, together with some of the band's heaviest songs.
At the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, the song was co-performed by Queen and Joe Elliot with Slash. May sang the first verse and chorus before handing over to the Def Leppard singer.
This song has also been played live a few times by Queen with the Foo Fighters. They played this together for instance at Queen's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2001, VH-1's Rock Honors 2006 and most recently in Foo Fighters London Hyde Park performance in which they encored the show with the song.
In a BBC Radio 4 tribute programme to Rory Gallagher, May stated that a key inspiration for the riff of this song came from Taste's 'Morning Sun' from their On The Boards (1970) album.
- Live Killers (1979)
- We Will Rock You (video) (1981)
- Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl (1982)
- Live at Wembley '86 / Live at Wembley Stadium (1986)
- Live Magic (1986)
- The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert (1992)
- Live at the Brixton Academy (Brian May album) (1993)
- Return of the Champions (2005)
- Super Live in Japan (2005)
 |
This article about a song by one or more members of Queen is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |