The Book

Introduction What is it all good for? Scope of work Project History

Music theory in nutshell Harmony Chord notation used in the analyses The degrees of notes Chord functions Keys, Sharps and flats, neighbour keys Guitar friendly and piano-friendly keys Modulations, key changes Parallel key modulations Relative key modulations Neighbour key modulations Combined modulations Step-up/down modulations Unusual modulations Key-shifts Pivot Modulation Borrowed chords Cliche chord progressions Modes Ambigous harmony Rhythms Exercies Syncopations Shuffle beat Metrical modulations, metrical anomalies Compound meters Disorienting Rhythms Songforms General aesthatics of popular and rock music

Repetitions and variants

Queen - The four of them as musicians Brian May Roger Taylor Freddie Mercury John Deacon

Songwriting Analyses Smile Ibex "No Synth" era Queen Keep Yourself Alive Doing All Right Great King Rat My Fairy King Liar The Night Comes Down Modern Times Rock'n'roll Son And Daughter Jesus Seven Seas Of Rhye Silver Salmon Hangman Mad The Swine Queen II Procession Father To Son White Queen (As It Began) Some Day One Day The Loser In The End Ogre Battle The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke Nevermore March Of The Black Queen Funny How Love Is Seven Seas Of Rhye See What A Fool I've Been Sheer Heart Attack Brighton Rock Killer Queen Tenement Funster Flick Of The Wrist Lily Of The Valley Now I'm Here In The Lap Of The Gods Stone Cold Crazy Dear Friends Misfire Bring Back That Leroy Brown She Makes Me In The Lap Of The Gods... Revisited A Night At The Opera Death On Two Legs Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon I'm In Love With My Car You're My Best Friend Sweet Lady '39 Seaside Rendezvous The Prophet's Song Love Of My Life Good Company Bohemian Rhapsody God Save The Queen A Day At The Races Tie Your Mother Down You Take My Breath Away Long Away The Millionaire Waltz You And I Somebody To Love White Man Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy Drowse Teo Torriate News Of The World We Will Rock You We Are The Champions Sheer Heart Attack All Dead All Dead Spread Your Wings Fight From The Inside Get Down Make Love Sleeping On The Sidewalk Who Needs You It's Late My Melancholy Blues Feelings Jazz Mustapha Fat Bottomed Girls Jealousy Bicycle Race If You Can't Beat Them Let Me Entertain You Dead On Time In Only Seven Days Dreamers Ball Fun It Leaving Home Ain't Easy Don't Stop Me Now More Of That Jazz Live performances in the 70s Modern-era Queen The Game Play The Game Dragon Attack Another One Bites The Dust Need Your Loving Tonight Crazy Little Thing Called Love Rock It (prime Jive) Don't Try Suicide Sail Away Sweet Sister Coming Soon Save Me Human Body Sandbox Flash Gordon Flash's Theme In The Space Capsule Ming's Theme The Ring Football Fight In The Death Cell Execution Of Flash The Kiss Arboria Escape From The Swamp Flash To The Rescue Vultan's Theme Battle Theme The Wedding March Marriage Of Dale And Ming Flash's Theme Reprise Crash Dive On Mingo City The Hero Hot Space Staying Power Dancer Back Chat Body Language Action This Day Put Out The Fire Life Is Real Calling All Girls Las Palabras De Amor Cool Cat Under Pressure Soul Brother The Works Radio Ga Ga Tear It Up It's A Hard Life Man On The Prowl Machines (or 'Back To Humans') I Want To Break Free Keep Passing The Open Windows Hammer To Fall Is This The World We Created? I Go Crazy A Kind Of Magic One Vision A Kind Of Magic One Year Of Love Pain Is So Close To Pleasure Friends Will Be Friends Who Wants To Live Forever Gimme The Prize (Kurgan's Theme) Don't Lose Your Head Princes Of The Universe The Miracle Party Khashoggi's Ship The Miracle I Want It All The Invisible Man Breakthru Rain Must Fall Scandal My Baby Does Me Was It All Worth It Hang On In There Chinese Torture Hijack My Heart My Life Has Been Saved Stealin' New Life Is Born Dog With A Bone Guess We're Fallin Out Innuendo Innuendo I'm Going Slightly Mad Headlong I Can't Live With You Don't Try So Hard Ride The Wild Wind All God's People These Are The Days Of Our Lives Delilah The Hitman Bijou The Show Must Go On Lost Opportunity Face It Alone Self Made Man My Secret Fantasy Made In Heaven It's A Beautiful Day Made In Heaven Let Me Live Mother Love My Life Has Been Saved I Was Born To Love You Heaven For Everyone Too Much Love Will Kill You You Don't Fool Me A Winter's Tale My Life Has Been Saved It's A Beautiful Day (reprise) No-One But You Live performances in the 80s

Appendix Special instruments Special effects Special playing techniques Classical quotes Musical terms Index References

Path: Queen Songs - The Book - Songwriting Analyses - "No Synth" era - News Of The World: Fight From The Inside

Fight From The Inside

Composer: Roger Taylor
Meter: 4/4
Key: E Major with modal inflection.
Form:

        | Intro I-II (A) | Verse (ABBBBB) | Chorus (CCC'C'C') | Bridge (DDD) | Chorus (CC) |
                    | A  | Verse          | Chorus            | Bridge       | Chorus (CC) - Tag x 2 |


This is one of Taylor's "protest" songs. The arrangement is Very heavy, Roger plays all the intruments including the fuzzy toned bass and sings all vocals including the harmonies. (see also the song "Sheer Heart Attack" and also his first solo album where he played all the instruments as well)
The songform consists of two long cycles with recurring chorus phrases at the end of both cycles (see also "Human Body"). The harmony is articulated by repeated riffs with lots of flat-7ths and flat-3rds which is a heavy metal trademark.


Intro I-II:
The first part of the long instrumental intro consists of four measure phrases (XYY'Z) with lots of weird guitar sounds: fret noises, rack noises, plectrum scratching (at least three guitartracks: middle, left, right), bass slides. The harmonic content is economic. The last measure with a bass riff introduces the second part of the intro which is the four measure opening riff of the verses. The second cycle is also introduced by this instrumental riff.

E:
| E1 | -  | -  | -  |

/-------- 2x -------\
| E7 | -  | E1 | -  |

| E* | -  | -  | -  |


Verse
The two 24 measure verses consists of six phrases. The sequence of guitar riffs: ABBBBB

The 'A' figure:
| E*  | -   | -   | -   |

"B" figure:
| D5>E5* | -   | -   |F#5>G5 E1 |


The "A figure is a tipical catchy "classic rock" riff with dotted rhythmized bass. The B riff is a combination of minor mode pentatonic figures and simple powerchord figures with a whole step upward leap (Taylor trademark) .
The melodic phrasing of the first verse P Q R R' inst. R", the fifth phrase being instrumental. The opening P phrase is sung in harmony. Note it uses both minor and Major thirds respectively.
The second verse uses more variants, the biggest change is the instrumental phrase displaced to the end of the section.

Chorus
The chorus consists of five two measure phrases. The sequence of the riffs: C C C' C' C'. The melodic phrasing:
MNMOM.

figure C:
| D   |D>E   |
|bVII |  I   |

figure C':
| A  D  |D>E   |
|IV bVII|  I   |

After the bridge the chorus returns shortened to two phrases (M'M).
In the second cycle this shortened chorus is extended by longer prolonged chord and two tag phrases. The timing of the chords suggest an asynchronity between the melodic and harmonic phrasing creating and off-beat "harmonic rhythm" (no chord change though).

m3.
| D   |D>E  | -   | E   |
|bVII |  I  | -   | I   |

| (E) | E   | -   | E   |  
| -   | I   | -   | I   |

| (E) | E   | -   |     |  
| -   | I   | -   |     |

The song ends with aggressiv guitar noises.


Bridge:
This three phrase 12 measure section puts the center of the harmony to the subdominant chord (A).
The riffs feature again the whole-step upward leap motif.

Figure "D":
| G5>A5| -    |  - C5 |... G5 |
|    IV| -    |bIII/IV|bVII/IV|

We have three phrases with static two part dissonant harmony (7th and 9th) sung by Roger. The rythm guitar track features some momentary hocket fragments especially in the second cycle.