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The Virgin Queen Lyrics

Men who shoot their horses
Are the same men who would like to kiss your hand
On a day, in the bathrooms
On the bedrooms, and the, and the

Men who shoot their horses
Are the same men who would go and shoot a friend
Save them, kiss them

The Virgin Queen
The Virgin Queen
The Virgin Queen

Headless mother, heartless father
Ghosts of the yes man past and future
In the bedroom
You will suture up that hole
Where the babies come from
England–oh–England
Never forsake me
Won’t you take me to have and to hold
I may be a cruel, crude woman
But in the distance I hear Shakespeare mumbling

Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune
Or to take arms against a sea of
Troubled, troubled, troubles
England, England
Never forsake me
Won't you take me to have and to hold
I can hear the voices rising

The Virgin Queen
The Virgin Queen

The Virgin Queen
The Virgin Queen

In the end, we try to rule
As best as we can

But the crown gets cold
And mind gets old
And all the gold
Could invite my soul

To a place to come home to

In the end, is just a bed
And the things we made
Have begun to fade
On the distant shores new voices are rising

The Virgin Queen
The Virgin Queen
Song Info
Submitted by
rachelskywalker On Oct 18, 2006
9 Meanings

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Cover art for The Virgin Queen lyrics by Regina Spektor

I listened to a reversed version and heard the "family come home." Creepiest thing, really.

Also, I have a few corrections to the lyrics: Both times "in the pen" should be "in the end." "I can hear the voices rising," not of Rosalind. And "In the end / It's just a bed" "jump on us" is actually just "troubles" again

And I agree that it's about Elizabeth I. The headless mother and heartless father, Shakespeare, the fact that she's the virgin queen...

More specifically, I think it's about how lonely this life would have been. In order to keep her power, Elizabeth didn't marry, but this also deprived her of this relationship. It wasn't exactly ok to have sexual relationships outside of marriage, so any that she had would have to be very quiet. Robert Dudley, I think, was someone she loved or, at least, liked quite a lot, but was unable to marry because of her status. So to keep her power, she had to essentially marry England, as Regina says.

Also, the parts about the voices rising would be those trying to take power from her. Even before she became queen, there were plots against her. Also, she was Protestant, so the Catholics weren't exactly pleased with her and wanted Mary, Queen of Scots to be England's queen. So I think the voices Regina sings about are those of people plotting against Elizabeth.

The song talks about her loneliness and, I think, hints at dissatisfaction at the end with the cold crown and the things that are fading.

Also, "family come home," could refer to the fact that Elizabeth never had much of a family, what with her father killing his wives and she and her siblings all vying for power against each other. Elizabeth even had to sentence her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots, to death. At least I think she was her cousin, but I’m not quite sure.

I also find it interesting that Regina chose that particular quote of Shakespeare's to use. I don't think she's implying suicidal thoughts with it, but maybe uses it to mirror Elizabeth’s internal debate about whether she should give up the idea of a family in favor of being Queen or whether it would be better to trade in her crown for a family. A question of which is worth more.

I love Regina for using that one, though, because I have an unhealthy love for Hamlet ;)

I think the vocalizing continues this debate because she has two “voices” in it. There’s one that’s deeper and more manly and one that’s feminine. The feminine one seems to plead for something and masculine one is calmer. I think there’s some quote from Elizabeth that talks about her masculinity vs. femininity, so I think that’s what this is. She has this typically masculine power, but also this typically feminine desire for a family and she has to deal with them both, causing this inner conflict.

Anyway, this is a fantastic song that I will now shut up about :)

Cover art for The Virgin Queen lyrics by Regina Spektor

I'm nearly positive this song is about Elizabeth I.

headless mother=Anne Boleyn heartless father=Henry VIII

And don't say it's not...because it is. Just kidding. I've never heard this song before though. Now I want to hear it.

Cover art for The Virgin Queen lyrics by Regina Spektor

this song is pretty good, but the recording i have isn't great.

Cover art for The Virgin Queen lyrics by Regina Spektor

the song is about queen elizabet who was the virgin queen. People told her to marry...but in the end she married england...she loved her people. her father who was queen had her mother beheaded.

Cover art for The Virgin Queen lyrics by Regina Spektor

I love this song.... its my favorite song ever...

Cover art for The Virgin Queen lyrics by Regina Spektor

this song gives me chills. especially the shakespeare part and the vocalizing thing. spektacular.

Cover art for The Virgin Queen lyrics by Regina Spektor

does anyone else think the vocalization at the end sounds similar to Native American music? Like a chant or something? It could be a reference to the "new voices rising" across the ocean...Virgina is named after Queen Elizabeth, after all... maybe a reference to the impending colonization of the Americas?

Cover art for The Virgin Queen lyrics by Regina Spektor

I just love this. Even with the bad recording, and without knowing the words, you still can feel its magic.

I agree with this song being about Queen Elizabeth, especially because of the lyrics, "I may be a cruel, crude woman" which explains her as a woman who is dominant. I also like the lyrics,"In the bedroom You will suture up that hole Where the babies come from" which goes with the Virgin Queen part because "that hole" is her vagina, and thats where babies come from. And Regina also mentions Shakespeare, which definitely goes with this time period. I love how she quotes Shakespeare. I also agree with princeauport345 because in the song, the lyrics, "On the distant shores new voices are rising" is referencing how at the time people were sailing to America, or to a new world, and the "new voices" could possibly be native americans, who are trying to raise their voice against these people coming onto their land, but that's just a guess.

My Interpretation
 
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