Difference between revisions of "White Queen (As It Began)"

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'''''White Queen (As It Began)''''' is a [[Queen]] song released on the album [[Queen II]] on 1974-03-08. It is a romantic rock song composed by [[Brian May]] and sung by [[Freddie Mercury]]. In the song, the singer explains how he adores a woman from afar, but, lacking the courage to say how he feels, he pines after her from afar. His sorrow peaks when he realizes that he has stayed silent for too long, and will now never have a chance to be with her. Knowing that Brian May was a shy young man, it can be assumed that this song is not merely fancy, but autobiographical. It's also one of May's more complicated songs.
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{{Song
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| Title            = White Queen (As It Began)
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| Image            =
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| ImageDescription =
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| Artist          = {{SongArtist|Queen}}
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| PublishedYear    = 1974
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| PublishedMonth  = 03
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| PublishedDay    = 08
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| Composer        = {{SongComposer|Brian May}}
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| Genre            = {{MusicGenre|Progressive rock}}
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| Themes          = {{SongTheme|Desire}}, {{SongTheme|Love}}, {{SongTheme|Past love}}, {{SongTheme|Sorrow}}
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| Rating          = 10
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}}
  
This song resonates strongly with me, not just because it's well composed and powerfully emotional, but because I too was very shy around girls through my teen years and failed to express my emotions and crushed on them from afar. I have a particular girl in mind when I hear this song, and, just like the song, when I finally did work up the nerve to ask her on a date, I discovered she was already seeing someone else.
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'''''White Queen (As It Began)''''' is a [[progressive rock]] song by [[Queen]] first released as track A3 on the album ''[[Queen II]]'' on 1974-03-08. It is a romantic song composed by [[Brian May]] in 1968, before Queen was formed. The song was recorded in August 1973 with Brian playing electric and acoustic guitar, [[Freddie Mercury]] singing lead and backup vocals, [[Roger Taylor]] playing drums, and [[John Deacon]] playing bass. This is one of May's most technically complicated songs. The song was produced by Queen and [[Roy Thomas Baker]].
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The album version segues seamlessly from ''[[Father to Son]]'' with a length of 4:35, but a stand-alone version of the song, with a length of only 4:18, was released on ''[[Queen's First E.P.]]'' on 1977-05-20. A live version from Queen's fourth BBC Session was recorded on 1974-04-03 and released on the album ''[[On Air (Queen Album)|On Air]]''.
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Brian May explained that the song is about a girl he was desperately attracted to in his biology class. He thought she was the perfect woman, but he couldn't work up the nerve to ask her out. May drew further inspiration for the song after reading ''[[The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth]]'' by [[Robert Graves]].
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In the song, Brian explains how he adores a woman, but, lacking the courage to say how he feels, he pines after her from afar. His sorrow peaks when he realizes that he has stayed silent for too long, and will now never have a chance to be with her.
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==Personal==
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This song resonates strongly with me, not just because it's well composed and powerfully emotional, but because I too was very shy around girls through my teen years and failed to express my emotions and instead crushed on them from afar. I have a particular girl in mind when I hear this song, and, just like the song, when I finally did work up the nerve to ask her on a date, I discovered she was already seeing someone else. However, according to Brian May, he ended up becoming good friends with the girl in the song, but I wasn't so lucky.
  
 
I've mostly shed my shyness, and I don't hold such pathetic crushes anymore, but the shyness, the crush, and with it, this song, was such an important part of my past, that it has carved out a permanent place in my character.
 
I've mostly shed my shyness, and I don't hold such pathetic crushes anymore, but the shyness, the crush, and with it, this song, was such an important part of my past, that it has carved out a permanent place in my character.
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 +
Though the songs do not appear to be related at all, it's a nice form of symmetry to have ''White Queen (As It Began)'' on the white side and ''[[The March of the Black Queen]]'' on the black side of ''[[Queen II]]''.
  
 
==Lyrics==
 
==Lyrics==
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==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
Better Son-Daughter, A - Fan Art.jpg|Fan art.
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White Queen - Lyric Art.png|Lyric art.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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==Videos==
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{{YouTube|Nx_SVPiXnWM|Album version.}}
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{{YouTube|f8usNj4x9NA|Live version, 1975.}}
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
* [http://www.queensongs.info/song-analysis/songwriting-analyses/no-synth-era/queen-ii/white-queen-as-it-began queensongs.info/song-analysis/songwriting-analyses/no-synth-era/queen-ii/white-queen-as-it-began] - Song information.
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{{Link|SongMeanings|http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3458764513820551647}}
* [http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3458764513820551647 songmeanings.com/songs/view/3458764513820551647] - Song Meanings.
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* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nx_SVPiXnWM youtube.com/watch?v=Nx_SVPiXnWM] - Album version.
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* [http://www.queensongs.info/song-analysis/songwriting-analyses/no-synth-era/queen-ii/white-queen-as-it-began queensongs.info/song-analysis/songwriting-analyses/no-synth-era/queen-ii/white-queen-as-it-began] - Song analysis.
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8usNj4x9NA youtube.com/watch?v=f8usNj4x9NA] - Live version, 1975.
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* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_II en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_II] - Wikipedia page for Queen II.
  
  
[[Category: Songs]]
 
[[Category: Queen Songs]]
 
 
[[Category: Favorite]]
 
[[Category: Favorite]]
 
[[Category: Favorite Songs]]
 
[[Category: Favorite Songs]]
 
[[Category: The Feels]]
 
[[Category: The Feels]]

Latest revision as of 15:21, 24 May 2023

White Queen (As It Began)
Artist Queen
Published 1974-03-08
Composer Brian May
Genre Progressive rock
Themes Desire, Love, Past love, Sorrow
Rating Rating-10.svg

White Queen (As It Began) is a progressive rock song by Queen first released as track A3 on the album Queen II on 1974-03-08. It is a romantic song composed by Brian May in 1968, before Queen was formed. The song was recorded in August 1973 with Brian playing electric and acoustic guitar, Freddie Mercury singing lead and backup vocals, Roger Taylor playing drums, and John Deacon playing bass. This is one of May's most technically complicated songs. The song was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker.

The album version segues seamlessly from Father to Son with a length of 4:35, but a stand-alone version of the song, with a length of only 4:18, was released on Queen's First E.P. on 1977-05-20. A live version from Queen's fourth BBC Session was recorded on 1974-04-03 and released on the album On Air.

Brian May explained that the song is about a girl he was desperately attracted to in his biology class. He thought she was the perfect woman, but he couldn't work up the nerve to ask her out. May drew further inspiration for the song after reading The White Goddess: A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth by Robert Graves.

In the song, Brian explains how he adores a woman, but, lacking the courage to say how he feels, he pines after her from afar. His sorrow peaks when he realizes that he has stayed silent for too long, and will now never have a chance to be with her.

Personal

This song resonates strongly with me, not just because it's well composed and powerfully emotional, but because I too was very shy around girls through my teen years and failed to express my emotions and instead crushed on them from afar. I have a particular girl in mind when I hear this song, and, just like the song, when I finally did work up the nerve to ask her on a date, I discovered she was already seeing someone else. However, according to Brian May, he ended up becoming good friends with the girl in the song, but I wasn't so lucky.

I've mostly shed my shyness, and I don't hold such pathetic crushes anymore, but the shyness, the crush, and with it, this song, was such an important part of my past, that it has carved out a permanent place in my character.

Though the songs do not appear to be related at all, it's a nice form of symmetry to have White Queen (As It Began) on the white side and The March of the Black Queen on the black side of Queen II.

Lyrics

So sad her eyes, smiling dark eyes.
So sad her eyes, as it began.

On such a breathless night as this
Upon my brow the lightest kiss
I walked alone.
And all around the air did sway
My lady soon will stir this way
In sorrow known.
The white queen walks
And the night grows pale.
Stars of lovingness in her hair.
Heeding unheard pleading one word.
So sad, my eyes, she cannot see.

How did thee fare? What have thee seen?
The mother of the willow green,
I call her name.
And 'neath her window have I stayed
I loved the footsteps that she made
And when she came.
White queen how my heart did ache
And dry my lips no word would make.
So still I wait.

My goddess hear my darkest fear,
I speak too late.
It's for evermore that I wait.
Dear friend goodbye,
No tears in my eyes.
So sad it ends, as it began.

Gallery

Videos

Album version.
Live version, 1975.

Links

Link-SongMeanings.png