"I don't bless them" QID intro meaning?

Similar2Sunday

Active Member
Has anyone seen anything written on the significance of the voice saying "I don't bless them" at the beginning of the Queen is Dead? And who is the voice?
 
Has anyone seen anything written on the significance of the voice saying "I don't bless them" at the beginning of the Queen is Dead? And who is the voice?
I believe that's an uncredited 'Ann Coates' aka Morrissey saying that (ie sped up/harmonised voice).
Regards,
FWD.
 
Yes, I know - that's "By land, by sea"
It's early for priming arguments :)
The 'bless them' lyric, without any sourced reason for it existing has made it in to many, many lyric sites. There has to be an explanation for that (equally, there are others that say by land, by sea).
I'll listen later when more awake.
Regards,
FWD.
 
It always sounded like 'testing' to me. As though he was checking the mic was switched on!
 
It always sounded like 'testing' to me. As though he was checking the mic was switched on!
I thought this as a kid listening to it at launch.
I will admit it does appear to be by land, by sea if the track is slowed to about .75 speed.
Can't source the bless them assertion, although it's probably more heavily quoted by lyric sites than that of by land...
The lack of decent reference from Goddard does not help (I'm assuming that's where Peter or Mr.Daigle got their ref from?).
Regards,
FWD.
 
Having just stripped the vocals out of the song, it definitely sounds like by land, by sea - as suggested by @Uncleskinny - priming is definitely something that interferes with things like this too - as musician highlights.
Regards,
FWD.
 
Has anyone seen anything written on the significance of the voice saying "I don't bless them" at the beginning of the Queen is Dead? And who is the voice?

So to better answer your question:
The vocal in question is via a harmoniser and is higher and faster. It is Morrissey and if credits were thorough on TQID, it would say Ann Coates for the backing vocals on this song as per elsewhere.
Peter, PJLM & Goddard suggest that 'by land, by sea' is actually what is being said and having just played about with the audio - I concur (although it needs some decent headphones, variable speed and instruments removed to hear it more clearly).
As to why so many lyric sites mention the bless them quote - I really don't know.
Regards,
FWD.
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. Very helpful. I see now that my lyrics sites including Passions Just Like Mine have "by land, by sea." It doesn't seem to be a literary reference, but "by land, by sea, by air" is sometimes used to refer to postal services.

Best explanation I can find is from The Poetry of Punk by Gerfried Ambrosch: "As the intro fades away and the band comes in, Morrissey appears to be moaning, 'By land, by sea': another 'hidden' lyric. Impalpable and unlocatable, the singer's layered 'ghostly' vocals, a metonymy of the sense of non-belonging and escapism that permeates the lyrics, seem to be coming from 'beyond the grave' like the wailing voices of fallen soldiers unable to return to 'dear old Blighty.'"
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. Very helpful. I see now that my lyrics sites including Passions Just Like Mine have "by land, by sea." It doesn't seem to be a literary reference, but "by land, by sea, by air" is sometimes used to refer to postal services.

Best explanation I can find is from The Poetry of Punk by Gerfried Ambrosch: "As the intro fades away and the band comes in, Morrissey appears to be moaning, 'By land, by sea': another 'hidden' lyric. Impalpable and unlocatable, the singer's layered 'ghostly' vocals, a metonymy of the sense of non-belonging and escapism that permeates the lyrics, seem to be coming from 'beyond the grave' like the wailing voices of fallen soldiers unable to return to 'dear old Blighty.'"
I think of more importance to the song's message is the other 'hidden' lyric of "All those lies about make-up and long hair - they're still there", which is the true meaning of the song - the ditching of gay effeminacy, but wrapped up in a secondary, more prominent narrative
 
I think of more importance to the song's message is the other 'hidden' lyric of "All those lies about make-up and long hair - they're still there", which is the true meaning of the song - the ditching of gay effeminacy, but wrapped up in a secondary, more prominent narrative
F82A4DB0-157C-486C-A083-CAED9667E52B.jpeg
 
I think of more importance to the song's message is the other 'hidden' lyric of "All those lies about make-up and long hair - they're still there", which is the true meaning of the song - the ditching of gay effeminacy, but wrapped up in a secondary, more prominent narrative
Nurse! The screens!

I don't know whether to laugh or cry. In actuality, neither...I'm going to return to the Chablis and watch last night's Gogglebox. Night all.
 
I think of more importance to the song's message is the other 'hidden' lyric of "All those lies about make-up and long hair - they're still there", which is the true meaning of the song - the ditching of gay effeminacy, but wrapped up in a secondary, more prominent narrative
I disagree with 99.9% of what Uncleskinny writes, but this is spot on. The fact that so many people completely miss the underlying meaning of the song by focusing on the surface level of it being an 'anti-monarchy' song continues to baffle me. It's such a lame, surface reading.
 
I disagree with 99.9% of what Uncleskinny writes, but this is spot on. The fact that so many people completely miss the underlying meaning of the song by focusing on the surface level of it being an 'anti-monarchy' song continues to baffle me. It's such a lame, surface reading.

I agree. I always thought it was rather obvious that there is more than one layer of meaning in this lyric. I wasn't aware that many people think it's really only about the Queen. I mean, what do these people think the lines

And I was shocked into shame to discover
How I'm the 18th pale descendent 5
Of some old queen or other


are about?
 
I think of more importance to the song's message is the other 'hidden' lyric of "All those lies about make-up and long hair - they're still there", which is the true meaning of the song -

Maybe not the ‘true meaning’ but definitely another layer of meaning that most likely meant more to Morrissey.
the ditching of gay effeminacy, but wrapped up in a secondary, more prominent narrative

:thumb:
 
Maybe not the ‘true meaning’ but definitely another layer of meaning that most likely meant more to Morrissey.


:thumb:
Try this (sorry it's a wav), about 0.8 speed.
Ignore the tiny echo and you can hear the 'atsee' sound which sounds more like testing when in the full mix.
Regards,
FWD.
 
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