Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)

"Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)"
Song by Queen from the album A Night at the Opera
Released 21 November 1975
Recorded August–November 1975
Sarm East Studios
Genre Hard rock, glam rock
Length 3:43
Label EMI, Parlophone (Europe)
Elektra, Hollywood (US)
Writer Freddie Mercury
Producer Queen
Roy Thomas Baker
A Night at the Opera track listing

"Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)" is a song by British rock group Queen, and is the opening track on their fourth studio album A Night at the Opera. The song was written by Freddie Mercury and allegedly describes his hatred toward Queen's ex-manager, the late Norman Sheffield, who is reputed to have mistreated the band and abused his managerial role from 1972 to 1975.

The song was recorded and mixed at Sarm East Studios in late 1975. As with "Bohemian Rhapsody", most of the guitar parts on the song were initially played on piano by Mercury, to demonstrate to Brian May how they needed to be played on guitar.

Lyrics

The song is considered to be Freddie Mercury's "hate letter" toward Queen's former manager Norman Sheffield, incorporating a vast range of vicious lyrics, and described by Mercury as being "so vindictive that Brian felt bad singing it."[1] Though the song makes no direct reference to him, Sheffield was appalled when he heard a playback of the song at Trident Studios at the time of the album's release, and sued both the band and the record label for defamation. This resulted in an out-of-court settlement,[2] thus revealing to the public his connection with the song.

In his autobiography published in 2013, Life on Two Legs: Set The Record Straight,[3] Norman Sheffield denied that he had mistreated the band in his capacity as manager, and referred to copies of the original 1972 Queen management contracts between Sheffield and Queen — included in the book — to back up his defence.

Sheffield died in 2014.[4]

During live performances Mercury would usually dedicate the song to "a real motherfucker of a gentleman". This line was censored (using bleeps) on their Live Killers album in 1979.

Live recordings

"Death on Two Legs" was regularly performed live by Queen up to and including The Game Tour. Only one live version of the song has been officially released, on the 1979 album Live Killers. The piano introduction, however, was played during the Hot Space and The Works tours.

Cover versions

The song is also featured in Rock Band Blitz and then released as downloadable content in the Rock Band store, performed by Queen themselves.

Personnel

References

  1. 03-17-1977 Circus Magazine.
  2. Sheffield, Norman (2013). Life on Two Legs. UK: Trident Publishing. p. 239. ISBN 9780957513310.
  3. Life on Two Legs - Norman Sheffield
  4. Trident Studios founder Norman Sheffield dies

External links

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