"Tear me apart
And boil my bones
I'll not rest
'Til she's lost her throne
My aim is true
My message is clear
It's curtains for you
Elizabeth, my dear"
These are the simple, straightforward, and now consummated lyrics from the 1989 song "Elizabeth, My Dear" by The Stone Roses, written by Ian Brown and sung to the melody of the English ballad "Scarborough Fair," plucked beautifully by genius string whisperer John Squire. Not everyone agreed with British Imperialism and the continued existence of the monarchy. Punk's influence on what would be called "alternative music" is evident in the powerful incantation of a song.
Though Brown, Squire, Mani, and John "Reni" Wren had already "rested" after a challenging reunion tour and a second breakup in 2019, The Queen is Dead, as Morrissey wailed in 1986, so rest away.
Does one wonder if Morrissey's previously latent and now billboard-like authoritarian tendencies led him to rethink his position on the monarchy? Or is Prince still "far more royal" than the Queen? Though Morrissey has not made a public statement about the death of the Queen, check out Morrissey's statement on the demise of Margaret Thatcher and the song from his debut album, Viva Hate, "Margaret on the Guillotine."
For the trivia curious, two days before the Queen died on September 8, 2022, she appointed Liz Truss as Prime Minister, though Boris Johnson still officially held the post. Liz Truss resigned 44 days after taking office. It seems it was curtains for another Elizabeth as well.
Check out the video from a live studio recording here. This article by Eoghan Lyng for Far Out Magazine explores a bit about the history of the song.
