Queen is a band with no bounds. From their earliest days, they established themselves as rockers with no shortage of experimental ideas, theatrics, and genre-bending sounds. Still, we all have an idea of what a Queen song is in our heads: the average of all their bold choices. The three songs below are a little bit outside of what we’d expect from this legendary rock band.
“Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy”
“Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy” is a ragtime-inspired track that brings in sounds not usually found in rock music. The piano in this track showcases Freddie Mercury’s unbridled talent. Moreover, his vocals were perfectly attuned to the vintage sound he emulated throughout the track.
“I can dim the lights and sing you songs full of sad things / We can do the tango just for two / I can serenade and gently play on your heart strings / Be your Valentino just for you,” he sang, bringing unexpected flavors and emotions.
“The Millionaire Waltz”
The guitar work in “The Millionaire Waltz” is truly impressive. Brian May essentially creates an orchestra with his instrument, leaning into this track’s classical pastiche. This song is a masterclass in genre-bending, bringing in sounds one wouldn’t expect from a rock band.
Queen has proven adept at mixing seemingly unmatched sounds many times. Mercury’s voice was the perfect match for such an austere track, singing, “Bring out the charge of the love brigade / There is spring in the air once again / Drink to the sound of the song parade / There is music and love everywhere / Give a little love to me / Take a little love from me / I wanna share it with you/ I feel like a millionaire.”
“The Prophet’s Song”
When we think of a sprawling Queen song, “Bohemian Rhapsody” often comes to mind first. But “The Prophet’s Song” is also long and drawn out, with sections that diverge. This song has a near-existential scale, making use of Freddie Mercury’s powerhouse vocals.
“I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair / Spreading his hand on the multitude there / A man who cried for a love gone stale / And ice-cold hearts of charity bare,” the lyrics read, delivering an apocalyptic tale. This song is just as impressively bold as “Bohemian Rhapsody”, with an unexpected angle Queen fans might be surprised by.
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Author: Alex Hopper