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:Tie Your Mother Down

{{short description|Song written and composed by Brian May}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}

{{EngvarB|date=August 2018}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Tie Your Mother Down

| cover = Queen Tie Your Mother Down.png

| alt =

| border = yes

| caption = The Netherlands single picture sleeve

| type = single

| artist = Queen

| album = A Day at the Races

| B-side = "You and I"

| released = *4 March 1977 (UK)

  • 8 March 1977 (US)

| recorded = 1976

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Hard rock{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-day-at-the-races-mw0000182727|title=A Day at the Races – Queen – Songs, Reviews, Credits |publisher=AllMusic|access-date=7 January 2017}}

| length = * 4:48 (album version)

  • 3:45 (single version)
  • 4:00 (air guitar version)

| label = EMI (UK)
Elektra (US)

| writer = Brian May

| producer = Queen

| prev_title = Somebody to Love

| prev_year = 1976

| next_title = Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)

| next_year = 1977

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|LvB2MnIIdMw|"Tie Your Mother Down"}}}}

}}

"Tie Your Mother Down" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by lead guitarist Brian May. It is the opening track and the second single from their 1976 album A Day at the Races. On its original release as a single in 1977 the song peaked at 31 in the UK Singles Chart. More than 20 years later, it was released as a double a-side to "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)" where it reached 13 in UK Singles Chart. On the album the song is preceded by a one-minute instrumental intro featuring a Shepard tone melody, performed by Brian May, which is reprised in the ending of "Teo Torriatte": this was intended to create a "circle" within the album.

After its release in 1976, it was played by Queen on every subsequent tour. At the 1992 The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, the song was co-performed by Queen and guests Joe Elliott and Slash. On several occasions in recent years, Brian May and Roger Taylor have played the song live with the Foo Fighters, including performances at Queen's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2001, and the VH1 Rock Honors in 2006.

History

Brian May started writing the song in Tenerife, while he was working for his PhD as an astrophysicist. He composed the riff on a Spanish guitar, and woke up one morning and played it while singing "tie your mother down," a line he considered a joke. Vocalist Freddie Mercury encouraged him to keep the line. "Tie Your Mother Down" opens with an ultra-heavy, stripped down guitar riff.

A promotional film was made for the song, directed by Bruce Gowers, based on a performance clip shot at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, New York in February 1977 during the band's US arena headlining tour.[http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/live/queen2.htm#1977datrnorthamerica 1977 A Day At The Races North American Tour] Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 31 August 2011

Though it was a long-time live favourite and a US FM rock radio favourite, the song had limited chart success, making #31 in the UK and #49 in the US. Therefore, it was included on the band's first Greatest Hits compilation in certain markets only; however, the song is featured on the Queen Rocks compilation album, together with some of the band's heaviest songs.[http://www.allmusic.com/album/rocks-vol-1-r325812/review Queen Rocks, Vol. 1] Allmusic. Retrieved 10 July 2011

In a BBC Radio 4 tribute program to Rory Gallagher, May stated that a key inspiration for the riff of this song came from Taste's "Morning Sun" from their On the Boards (1970) album.

Queen comments on the song

{{cquote|Well this one in fact is a track written by Brian actually, I dunno why. Maybe he was in one of his vicious moods. I think he's trying to outdo me after "Death on Two Legs" actually.{{cite web|url=http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1378 |title=Tie Your Mother Down by Queen Songfacts |website=Songfacts.com |date=1977-02-19 |access-date=2016-10-13}}|25px|25px|Freddie Mercury}}

{{cquote|I'll tell you the truth, I know what happened. Sometimes you get a little riff, and you just put some words with it, and then you don't even think about what they mean. Now I'm remember thinking, now this isn't a good enough title for this song, but everyone said: 'Well actually, it sounds okay,' and so we kind of lyrically built it around that. That's the truth, folks.|25px|25px|Brian May}}

Reception

Cash Box said that it "explodes with thunder bolts of electric guitar that few other groups can equal."{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=March 12, 1977|page=34|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2021-12-26|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-03-12.pdf}} Record World called it "a no holds barred rocker" in which "the harmonies remain ever present."{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=March 12, 1977|accessdate=2023-02-16|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/77/RW-1977-03-12.pdf}}

Charts

{{col-begin}}

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class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1977)

!Peak
position

{{singlechart|Flanders|18|song=Tie Your Mother Down|artist=Queen|access-date=4 August 2020}}
{{singlechart|Wallonia|42|song=Tie Your Mother Down|artist=Queen|access-date=4 August 2020}}
Canada RPM Chart

| style="text-align:center;"|68

{{singlechart|Dutch40|14|song=Tie Your Mother Down|artist=Queen|access-date=4 August 2020}}
{{singlechart|Dutch100|10|song=Tie Your Mother Down|artist=Queen|access-date=4 August 2020}}
{{singlechart|UK|31|song=Tie Your Mother Down|artist=Queen|date=19770327|access-date=12 May 2025}}
{{singlechart|Billboardhot100|49|song=Tie Your Mother Down|artist=Queen|access-date=4 August 2020}}

{{col-end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

class="wikitable sortable"
Chart (1998)

!Peak
position

{{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|13|song=No-One but You/Tie Your Mother Down|artist=Queen|artistid=21275|note=Released with "No One But You"|refname=UK1998|access-date=4 August 2020}}

{{col-end}}

Personnel

Live performances

After its release in 1976, "Tie Your Mother Down" would go on to become the most frequent opening number for the remainder of the band's long career.{{cite web|url=http://www.queenconcerts.com/live/queen.html |title=Complete Queen live concertography |publisher=Queen Concerts |access-date=13 October 2016}}{{cite web|author=Eduardo Rivadavia |url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/tie-your-mother-down-t2509372 |title=Tie Your Mother Down – Queen | Song Info |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=13 October 2016}} At the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, the song was co-performed by Queen and guests; Def Leppard lead singer Joe Elliott and Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash.{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/videos/fmtributedvd.htm#tieyour |title=Queen "The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert" video and song lyrics |website=Ultimatequeen.co.uk |access-date=13 October 2016}} May sang the first verse and chorus before handing over the vocal part to Elliot. On several occasions in the recent years, May and Taylor have played this song live with the Foo Fighters, including performances at Queen's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2001, VH1 Rock Honors 2006, and in Foo Fighters London Hyde Park concert for the encore of the show.{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com/news/foo-fighters/23362 |title=Foo Fighters joined by Queen legends |website=Nme.com |date=18 June 2006 |access-date=13 October 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/89881/queen-foo-fighters-we-will-rock-you-we-are-the-champions-live-at-rock-honors-2006.jhtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110906021540/http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/89881/queen-foo-fighters-we-will-rock-you-we-are-the-champions-live-at-rock-honors-2006.jhtml |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 September 2011 |title=Full Episodes |website=VH1.com |date=30 September 2016 |access-date=13 October 2016}} On 5 September 2011, Jeff Beck performed the song with May and Taylor in celebration of what would have been Freddie Mercury's 65th birthday at an event titled 'Freddie for a Day' held at the Savoy Hotel in London.{{cite web |url=http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/freddie-party-savoy-set-list/ |title=Freddie Party – Savoy Set List |website=Queenonline.com |access-date=13 October 2016}}

Live recordings

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • Official YouTube videos: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvB2MnIIdMw original music video], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIaQ5iXQgvs Live at Wembley], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8V7KhDFW_Dg Live at the Bowl], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxKwxyyf1L8 at Rock Montreal], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHD1sbqzxt4 Queen + Paul Rodgers (live)], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KQW4thcMDY at Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert] (with Joe Elliot and Slash)
  • [http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/day-races/#lyrics Lyrics at Queen official website]

{{Queen singles}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1976 songs

Category:1977 singles

Category:Queen (band) songs

Category:Songs written by Brian May

Category:Music videos directed by Bruce Gowers

Category:EMI Records singles

Category:Elektra Records singles

Category:Hollywood Records singles