Songful Style: “Fat Bottomed Girls!”

It’s not a mullet, and it’s not a rattail. What is that?

When I look back at this month, I don’t feel like I accomplished much of anything. But, I did get almost all of my plants planted. Do you ever buy flowers and plant most of them right away, then run out of steam? That’s me. I have a few left to plant, and there’s even dirt in the pot. But, I just can’t seem to get those poor babies planted. I’ll put it on my list of things to do this week! Anyway, welcome to the last Monday in May (can you believe it) and another edition of Songful Style! Suzy and Shelbee decided to riff (see what I did there) on Style Imitating Art only with music! Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Suzy of Suzy Turner, and I make up the bloggers in this group. You can find all of us on our blogs and Instagram.  Our ensembles (pun intended) may be inspired by the lyrics of a song, the artwork of the album cover, maybe the MTV video, or even a memory the song evokes. Shelbee chose this month’s song. Last month, Suzy selected “Venus.” Oh, and there’s a link party, too!

The artists…

Despite the movie, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Queen was not formed when the band’s singer left in a huff. Freddie Mercury was a fan of the band, Smile, in which Roger Taylor and Brian May were members. Down a long and twisted path, from band to band, and changes of members, Smile was finally formed. The lead singer, Tim Staffel, was friends with a young student at Ealing Art College. That student’s name was Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara.

But, first…

Roger Taylor was born at West Norfolk and Lynn Hospital in King’s Lynn, Norfolk on July 26, 1949. His mother was one of 16 new moms on the brand new maternity ward which was opened by Princess Elizabeth (future Queen Elizabeth II). Taylor actually formed his first band when he was seven years old, playing the ukulele. At 15, he was a member of Reaction, a semi-professional rock band. Originally, Taylor was a guitarist but switched to drumming because he felt it was a more natural fit. Taylor left for London in 1967 to study dentistry at London Hospital Medical College. When he became bored, he changed to biology and received a BSc at East London Polytechnic.

A bit more…

Brian May was an only child born on July 19, 1947 in Hampton Hill near Twickenham, Middlesex. When he was eleven, May won a scholarship to Hampton Grammar School, a boys only private school. It was here he formed his first band, 1984, after, of course, Orwell’s novel. The vocalist and bassist was Tim Staffell. He earned ten GCE Ordinary Levels (no idea what that means even after reading about it several times) and three GCE Advanced Levels in physics, mathematics, and applied mathematics. I don’t need to know what those three letters mean to know this means Brian May is extremely intelligent! He then studied math and physics at Imperial College London and graduated with a BSc degree in physics in 1968 with honors. Amazingly, May received a personal invitation to work at the Jodrell Bank Observatory while working on his doctorate. Unbelievably, he turned it down so that he could remain at Imperial College London and continue with Smile! In 2007, May was finally awarded a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College London for work he started in 1971 and finished in 2007. That’s perseverance, my friends!

Next…

Farrokh “Freddie” Bulsara was born in Stone Town in the British protectorate of Zanzibar (now part of Tanzania) on September 5, 1946. His parents were from the Parsi community of Western India. They moved to Zanzibar so that his father could continue working as a cashier at the British Colonial Office. Because Zanzibar was a British protectorate until 1963, Farrokh was born a British subject and on June 2, 1969, he registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies after the family moved to England.

A little more…

Farrokh was born with four extra incisors. Freddie claimed this was the reason for his enhanced vocal range (four octaves). Farrokh began taking piano lessons when he was seven while living with relatives in India. In 1954, when he was eight, Farrokh was sent to study at St. Peter’s school, one of the top boarding schools in India. Four years later, when he was 12, Farrokh formed the Hectics and covered rock and roll artists like Cliff Richard and Little Richard. One of his former bandmates said:

Another friend recalled Freddie (as he now began to call himself) had:

A bit more…

In February 1963, Freddie returned to Zanzibar and his parent’s flat. In 1964, however, the family fled to England to escape the violence of a revolution against the Sultan of Zanzibar. They settled into a small home at 22 Gladstone Avenue, Middlesex. At first, Freddie studied art at Isleworth Polytechnic in West London, but switched to graphic art and design at Ealing Art College (where he met Staffell), and graduated with a diploma in 1969. He used those skills while designing heraldic arms for Queen.

A skosh more…

Like his future bandmates, Freddie joined many bands and sold second-hand Edwardian clothes and scarves in Kensington Market with Roger Taylor. In addition, he was a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport…can you imagine being able to say Freddie Mercury handled your bags? In 1970, history was in the process of being made when he finally joined guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor to lead Smile. Originally, May was resistant to the idea of Freddie as lead singer. This had been Tim Staffell’s role, but Staffell quit the band because his interests were in the soul and R&B sounds which didn’t jive with the group’s hard rock sound. In 1971, John Deacon joined the group after a few other bassists came and went.

Even more…

John Deacon was the quiet member. Many felt his quiet poise was a good counterpoint for the more flamboyant Freddie. He was also a bit of a techno-geek! Born in Leicester on August 19, 1951 (my grandson’s birthday), Deacon, like his mates, was part of many bands. Unlike his mates, he was interested in electronics, read magazines about it, and built small devices. He modified a reel-to-reel (anyone remember those) to record directly from the radio. He studied at Beauchamp Grammar School and received eight GCE O level and three A level passes, all at grade A. Again, I have no idea what that means, but I think it means this kid was bright! He was also a songwriter and wrote “You’re My Best Friend,” “Another One Bites the Dust, and “I Want to Break Free (one of my favorites). He co-wrote “Under Pressure,” “Friends Will Be Friends,” and “One Vision.” He also was involved in the financial end of the band.

Sleeping again!

The band…

By 1971, all the players were in place. It was at this time Freddie legally changed his last name to Mercury which was inspired by a line from his song, “My Fairy King:” ‘Mother Mercury, look what they’ve done to me.'” Mercury also chose the name Queen for the new band, saying,

Struggles…

The band struggled for a bit finding the correct management. Their first album, Queen, did not do well. Their second album, Queen II, eventually achieved critical praise and has cult recognition, but it was not a success. Sheer Heart Attack contained the single, “Killer Queen.” It was the first album to hit the US top 20 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes Chart. That single reached number 2 on the UK Singles chart and was the first top 20 hit in the US for the group. The album has received several accolades over the years for “a wealth of outstanding hard rock guitar tracks” as well as being listed by lots of publications as one of the band’s best works…an essential glam rock album!

Success…

The release of A Night at the Opera saw Queen receiving several accolades for the album. The album contained several hit singles: “You’re My Best Friend,” “Love of My Life,” and “Bohemian Rhapsody.” You can read more accolades here. Between A Night at the Opera and Jazz, upon which our song appears, there were several successful albums and singles. I could go on and on about this band…is it obvious yet how much I love them? I think Queen was truly part of my musical history with songs like “We Will Rock You,” “We Are the Champions,” “Somebody to Love,” “Killer Queen,” “Bicycle Race,” “Love of My Life,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Another One Bites the Dust,” “Under Pressure,” and, of course, “Radio Ga Ga.” I honestly could continue this list, but I’ll stop now.

Live Aid…

Anything to do with Queen must include the iconic performances at Live Aid in Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1985. The band played many of their classic hits. Over 1.9 billion people watched the show on the telly. The sold-out stadium of 72,000 people sang, danced, clapped, and were enveloped in the theater of the moment. Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the show’s organizers, as well as Elton John and Cliff Richard, along with the BBC, CNN, Rolling Stone, MTV, The Guardian, and The Daily Telegraph, along with others considered Queen the highlight of the concert. Their set included “Radio Gaga,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions.” Who can forget “EEEEEOOOOOO?” Well, in case you did, here it is as well as the complete performance.

The end…

While many people guessed and made snide remarks about Freddie’s sexuality, he evaded the questions of being bisexual or gay. Exceedingly shy in person, Mercury’s on-stage persona was almost the direct opposite. Many knew him to be kind, generous, and reserved. On stage, he was a strutting, pouting ball of musical perfection. Jim Hutton, Freddie’s long time partner, said Freddie had been diagnosed with HIV in late April, 1987. On November 22, 1991, Freddie released the following statement:

On November 24, 1991, at age 45, Freddie Mercury died of bronchial pneumonia. On November 27th, his funeral service was held in Kensal Green, West London in accordance with the Zoroastrian faith of his family. His cremains are buried in an unknown place. The band finished “Made in Heaven” which included the last song Freddie ever recorded, “Mother Love.” The album was not released until 1995. In January 1997, Queen performed “The Show Must Go On” with Elton John and the Béjart Ballet in Paris. This marked the last performance and public appearance of John Deacon who was deeply affected by Freddie’s death. Following that Paris concert, Elton John urged the remaining members, Brian May and Roger Taylor, to continue performing. Over the years, they have played with various guest singers, usually under the name Queen +, usually Paul Rodgers or Adam Lambert.

The song…

Oh you gonna take me home tonight
Oh down beside that red firelight
Oh you gonna let it all hang out
Fat-bottomed girls, you make the rocking world go ’round

Hey, I was just a skinny lad
Never knew no good from bad
But I knew life before I left my nursery (huh)
Left alone with big fat Fanny
She was such a naughty nanny
Heap big woman, you made a bad boy out of me

Hey, hey!

I’ve been singing with my band
‘Cross the water, ‘cross the land
I’ve seen every blue-eyed floozy on the way (hey)
But their beauty and their style
Went kind of smooth after a while
Take me to them dirty ladies every time

C’mon!

Oh, won’t you take me home tonight?
Oh, down beside your red firelight
Oh, and you give it all you got
Fat-bottomed girls, you make the rocking world go ’round
Fat-bottomed girls, you make the rocking world go ’round

Hey, listen here
Now I got mortgages and homes
I got stiffness in the bones
Ain’t no beauty queens in this locality (I tell you)
Oh, but I still get my pleasure
Still got my greatest treasure
Heap big woman you done made a big man of me (now get this)

Oh (I know), you gonna take me home tonight (please)
Oh, down beside that red firelight
Oh, you gonna let it all hang out
Fat-bottomed girls, you make the rocking world go ’round (yeah)
Fat-bottomed girls, you make the rocking world go ’round

Get on your bikes and ride

Ooh, yeah, oh, yeah, them fat-bottomed girls
Fat-bottomed girls, yeah, yeah, yeah
Alright
Ride ’em come on
Fat-bottomed girls
Yes, yes, right

What it means…

Written by Brian May, I think we should take his word for it! He said it was written with Freddie in mind because he happened to love a big butt! “I wrote it with Fred in mind, as you do especially if you’ve got a great singer who likes fat bottomed girls…or boys (source).” Some people find the first stanza a bit problematic, but many believe it to be the singer appreciating the large backside of their nanny.

The video…

Interesting covers…

Honestly, the first thing I noticed about this band was their aesthetic. I kept wondering why the singers were in the florals, two were in white tees, and the bassist/guitarist was in black top/black patterned pants. But, they really rock the song, and the vocals are amazing. I was a little surprised they didn’t change the lyrics a bit.

I’m trying to decide about this one. I am pretty sure they’re a country band trying to be rock. I thought maybe once the drums and guitars started, it would get a little more rock, but it doesn’t.

My favorite Norwegian heavy metal dude slams out his version. Trigger warning…there is a bit of strobing in this video.

Hmmm…this is different. I honestly can’t say what I think of this one. Let me know what you think!

Now this is country doing rock well. But, I may be a little biased because I like the Band Perry. There’s a bit of commentary at the end of the video so it’s not really as long as it looks.

My interpretation…

OK, the only lycra I own is in my workout clothing, and I wasn’t about to use that! It’s neither fashionable nor appropriate to this song. Instead, I went with a white tee as Freddie often wore a white tank top with black pants (or is that only in my imagination). My tee was a bit long so I did the old “tuck it into the bra” trick. I may have tucked it a bit too much, but a little bit of belly showing goes with the song, right? Freddie also loved color so I pulled out this gorgeous reversible kimono from Johnny Was. It looks a lot like something he might wear as he was lounging around the house with one of his many cats. I just got these wide leg linen blend pants and love them. I don’t know how often they’ll be on the blog, but I’ll be wearing them often this summer.

The Lewk!

I told you these Woman’s Delight wedges would be showing up quite a bit on the blog! Once I get them broken in, they will be just as comfortable as all my other L’Artiste shoes. The jewelry is all by Stella & Dot. This is the Pegasus necklace. I really like it, but it’s got some scratchy bits on the back which is covered by cloth. I guess I should figure it out and put some clear nail polish on those spots.

Wrap it up, Marsha!

With every song we do, there is a part of me that just wants to let go! I kept telling Suzy and Shelbee I was going to break out the black lycra for this one! Hahaha!!! I don’t own the kind of lycra Freddie wore! And, trust, you wouldn’t want to see that. But, I definitely got sidetracked in my research and love of the band, and especially Freddie Mercury. I just can’t imagine a world without that amazing voice. It’s so sad it was cut short. So, can we talk? Did you rock out to Queen back in the day? Can you believe Brian May has a degree in astrophysics? Which cover version is your favorite? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as soon as possible.

Thank you!

Thank you so very much for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate those of you who comment, email and/or subscribe. It’s what keeps me going! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.

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Where you can find me:

Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style,  Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez MireileSuzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World and A Fresh Cup of Coffee. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping BagDoused in Pink, I do deClaireMummabstylishStyle Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host Final Fridays on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!

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Please link up your favorite posts, DIY, baking, gardening, fashion…you name it…as long as it’s family friendly! Link up with me, visit a couple of others, and leave a comment or two! No worries if you don’t have a blog, just look around! You may find a new blog just waiting for you!

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21 Comments

  1. Marsha, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post and your outfit is so fun and colorful! That is one of my favorite kimonos of yours. I love that it is reversible. Freddie was an amazing human being! One of my favorites to have ever lived. I literally get chills every time I hear him sing. And every song connects me to a childhood memory. Songful Style is fun and sentimental!

    Shelbee

    • Thanks, Shelbee! I agree Songful Style is a fun and for me, at least, stroll down Memory Lane usually. I love Freddie’s voice and could listen to him talk for hours. Unfortunately, he didn’t give that many interviews. But, when he sings…oh, my goodness…like you say…chills! I’m so glad you picked this song though it could have been so many!

  2. I love that kimono! What a lovely outfit. I definitely remember singing along to a lot of Queen songs growing up and I still do since my middle son has quite a few of their songs on his playlist too.

    • Thanks, Joanne! Queen was on heavy repeat at our house while the kids were growing up and even when they were gone.

  3. I didn’t know much about the band or the man. You always give so much history in these posts.
    Love the colorful kimono and wide leg pants. And it’s nice to see a little midriff. I wish we weren’t so opposed to it at any age. It’s just skin.
    XOOX
    Jodie

    • Thanks, Jodie! I love Queen, one of my favorite bands! As for the midriff, I was a little surprised to see it in every photo because it sure didn’t show up in my pre-photo check! But, I’m OK with it!

  4. I enjoyed reading the details of the band and they are in my top 5 favorites of course! He hada voice like no other, and I wish I had been to LIVE AID, an amazing group of musicians. I know Brian May had that degree and could have worked for NASA, but you go where you heart tells you. Music and math go along, so I am sure that is why is was so good too. I love Freddie and Queen, and we often play it. When I hear Bohemian Rapsody, i have to stop what I am doing and sing it!
    Love the black and white- tribute to freddie and your gorgeous kimono

    • Thanks so much, Jess! I’m sure you could tell I’m a huge Queen fan, especially Freddie. His voice was truly like no other. There are so many Queen songs that I just stop and sing along!

  5. Marsha,
    You look great in that outfit….I too love queen and Freddie Mercury…In fact , I just watched the documentary on his final days, The Final Act…It was so sad to learn that he was in so much pain at the end and could barely stand but still recorded The Show Must Go on!!! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind words on Joe’s passing….I do plan on eventually doing a series of posts for new widows based on everything I learned during this new phase in my life….I hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend!!
    Hugs,
    Deb
    Debbie-Dabble Blog

    • Oh, Deb…I sure do wish I lived closer to you because I’d be giving you all the hugs and we’d be crying over cups of tea in your beautiful home. My mom was a widow at 42 with three kids still at home. I’m so lucky my husband is still here though he’s not in very good health at the moment.

      I haven’t seen that show so I will definitely be looking for it. I read somewhere he could barely see. If you watch the last video they recorded, it’s so apparent he was deathly ill. But, that voice…oh, that voice!

      Thanks so much, Deb!

  6. I love the black and white with the addition of the flamboyant kimono, Marsha! You’re absolutely right, I can totally see Freddie lounging about it in! So cool that you flashed a little it of skin too lol!
    The covers you shared are quite interesting…I don’t know if it’s just me, but I find it really weird seeing women singing this song without changing the lyrics just a tad (they could have changed the word, ‘lad’ to ‘lass’ for instance!). My favourite cover is the heavy metal version too!
    Big hugs
    Suzy xx

    • Thanks, Suzy! I think I may have remembered that bit from either the movie or one of his videos when he was singing opera. I thought the videos where the women didn’t change the lyrics was weird, too, because the changes would have been minimal and not done a thing to change the song. I do love the dude from Norway! I always check to see if he’s covered our songs!

  7. I love this pretty kimono! The print is stunning. I love the cover that Glee did of this song. Thanks for sharing the backstory of Queen. Freddie Mercury was an amazing artist!

    https://www.kathrineeldridge.com

    • Thanks, Kathrine! I didn’t see a cover by Glee which I’m sure was wonderful. I was intrigued by these guys who are so obviously intelligent electing to form a band instead. Thank goodness for that!

  8. Lol!!! What a wonderful song choice! And I didn’t know any of that about Queen, so this was a fascinating read. And I love your outfit choice!

    • Thanks, Erin! I’m glad you liked it…the song and the outfit. I guess the original art work for the single or the album featured some big bottomed ladies in bikinis on their bikes! I could have done that…hahaha!!!

  9. Love the outfit! Those pants look so comfortable! The statement necklace you added is amazing too! Hope you are having a great week!

    • Thank you, Laura! They are part of the Nordstrom clearance sale and are truly comfortable. My daughter used to have the gold version of this necklace. I wish I’d bought it from her!

  10. I love Queen! And that short kimono is incredible. I love it.

    Michelle
    https://www.michellesuzanneartworks.com/blog

  11. Pingback:Reminder: The Good Buy/Good-Bye Book-Eyewear & #SpreadTheKindness Link Up On the Edge #708 – Shelbee on the Edge