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Queen Bitch Lyrics
I'm up on the eleventh floor
And I'm watching the cruisers below
He's down on the street
And he's trying hard to pull sister Flo
Oh, my heart's in the basement
My weekend's at an all time low
'Cause she's hoping to score
So I can't see her letting him go
Walk out of her heart
Walk out of her mind
She's so swishy in her satin and tat
In her frock coat and bipperty-bopperty hat
Oh God, I could do better than that
She's an old-time ambassador
Of sweet talking, night walking games
And she's known in the darkest clubs
For pushing ahead of the dames
If she says she can do it
Then she can do it, she don't make false claims
But she's a Queen, and such are queens
That your laughter is sucked in their brains
Now she's leading him on
And she'll lay him right down
Yes she's leading him on
And she'll lay him right down
But it could have been me
Yes, it could have been me
Why didn't I say, why didn't I say, no, no, no
She's so swishy in her satin and tat
In her frock coat and bipperty-bopperty hat
Oh God, I could do better than that
So I lay down a while
And I gaze at my hotel wall
Oh the cot is so cold
It don't feel like no bed at all
Yeah I lay down a while
And I look at my hotel wall
But he's down on the street
So I throw both his bags down the hall
And I'm phoning a cab
'Cause my stomach feels small
There's a taste in my mouth
And it's no taste at all
It could have been me
Oh yeah, it could have been me
Why didn't I say, Why didn't I say, no, no, no
She's so swishy in her satin and tat
In her frock coat and bipperty-bopperty hat
Oh God, I could do better than that
Song Info
Submitted by
magicnudiesuit On Dec 12, 2001
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In an interview in the 70's, Bowie explainedthis song. A cruiser is British slang for a homosexual. To "pull" means you're meeting somebody to have sex with them. Sister Flo is a transvestite prostitute. Bowie's on the eleventh floor of his apartment building watching the cruiser try to pull Sister Flo. Sister Flo looks swishy in her frock coat and hat. Bowie's upset with what he sees, his weekend's at an all time low. Why didn't he say to Sister Flo "I could do better than that!" (be a better transvestite). This song was centered around transvestites and homosexuality, as most of his late 60's-early 70's stuff was, such as Rebel Rebel and Suffragette City. Look around for that interview where he explains this if you can, it's an interesting watch.
The era was full of imagery of this type Lou Reed, Iggy, T Rex, even the Kinks had a lot of subject matter about transvestitism, prostitution, and other things glamorizing low-life drug culture. The glam thing was a celebration of the seamy underbelly of western society - with some makeup and nail polish to try to give it a white wash.
The era was full of imagery of this type Lou Reed, Iggy, T Rex, even the Kinks had a lot of subject matter about transvestitism, prostitution, and other things glamorizing low-life drug culture. The glam thing was a celebration of the seamy underbelly of western society - with some makeup and nail polish to try to give it a white wash.
@arfarf,
@arfarf,
There are certainly some other songs from this era that go to the same places about homosexuality and drag. But this one's pretty interesting and different from some of the best known ones.
There are certainly some other songs from this era that go to the same places about homosexuality and drag. But this one's pretty interesting and different from some of the best known ones.
"Lola" is actually about exoticizing and objectifying a crossdresser and trades in negative stereotypes -- she's trying to trick him, she's really a man, etc. It's kind of gross.
"Lola" is actually about exoticizing and objectifying a crossdresser and trades in negative stereotypes -- she's trying to trick him, she's really a man, etc. It's kind of gross.
"Walk on the Wild Side" is still exoticizing . I mean, what does "take a walk on the wild side" mean, if not something exotic and fetishizing? But it's actually interested in the stories of...
"Walk on the Wild Side" is still exoticizing . I mean, what does "take a walk on the wild side" mean, if not something exotic and fetishizing? But it's actually interested in the stories of the women somewhat. He at least sees them as people, and isn't actually writing in a way that counts on people being revolted. That goes a long way to take it past "Lola", "Dude Looks Like a Lady", etc.
Bowie's better-known "Rebel Rebel" is about actually being in love with a crossdresser or trans woman. She isn't merely someone to have sex with or an interesting person, she's someone worth dating.
But "Queen Bitch" is actually about wanting to be the crossdresser. It's not from her point of view, but it's from the point of view of someone closeted who wants to come out, and that's an important difference.
The narrator is a guy pining for another guy who's being wooed by a prostitute in the streets. Because the guy who's pining later throws “both his bags down the hall,” we know that they were sharing the same room. So, he's looking out the 11th floor window as this guy he has a crush on is talking to this prostitute, the Queen Bitch. He's bummed, at an “all time low.” He knows she's looking to score. He tries to will the guy to leave the Queen Bitch, “walk out of her heart, walk out of her mind.” But he knows that isn't going to happen. In the chorus we get the description of the Queen Bitch, as well as the narrator's critique: “I could do better than that,” which makes me think the Queen Bitch is a transvestite, meaning the narrator could land a better-looking prostitute (since he's gay, the prostitute's probably a man) or that he could come up with a better look. The next verses go into a further discussion of the Queen Bitch and such queens. They are powerful and pushy. “You're laughter gets sucked in their brains,” seems a disparaging comment, as if they are vampire-like, sucking your joy, or that they are vain. He goes on to lament, “it could have been me,” which I took to mean that he had a chance with the guy he is pinning after, but blew it, never voiced his interest. The final stanza describes his despair, left alone in the cold room, bad taste in his mouth, but even that taste is empty. He calls a cab to leave. It's a rocking and wonderful song. You can't help but sing along even if you are straight, and that's part of it's beauty: anyone, straight or gay, can relate to the plight of this guy, though our own lamentable situations of missing out on love/sex may not have been so dramatic. Great song.
Excellent song. The Killers totally ripped it off in their song Mr. Brightside though.
Oh yeah, I always thought that too about the part:
Oh yeah, I always thought that too about the part:
And I'm phoning a cab 'Cause my stomach feels small There's a taste in my mouth And it's no taste at all
And I'm phoning a cab 'Cause my stomach feels small There's a taste in my mouth And it's no taste at all
@InsomniacUK Homage, not rip off. Brandon Flowers says he got his idea from this song.
@InsomniacUK Homage, not rip off. Brandon Flowers says he got his idea from this song.
wah this song is so amazing. and its amazing-ness is put to good use in the wonderful movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou at the end!!!! wahh coolest scene it makes me all happy. i love all the bowie songs in that movie.
Uh, yeah...this sounds like a Lou Reed song. That's why it's so good. (Nothing against Bowie, though. he's the man.)
@sailingallalone What makes it sound like a Lou Reed song to you?
@sailingallalone What makes it sound like a Lou Reed song to you?
@sailingallalone the song is about Lou Reed
@sailingallalone the song is about Lou Reed
yo is this song about him being in love with the girl, or the guy?? Its a fawkin awesome song either way. Kinda reminds of of "hold on to yourself" from Ziggy Stardust....i think these types of bowie songs were the pre-cursors to the early punk movement (kinda reminiscent of the ramones)
The song is about him (probaly) being in love with the guy because in the end of the song in the live album santa monica '72 he says "thank you, this is a song written by Ziggy" and while doing he was doing an interview in character as Ziggy Stardust, he admitted that he was gay.
The song is about him (probaly) being in love with the guy because in the end of the song in the live album santa monica '72 he says "thank you, this is a song written by Ziggy" and while doing he was doing an interview in character as Ziggy Stardust, he admitted that he was gay.
@howiebowie, I'm not saying your interpretation is wrong, but when he says "thank you, this is a song written by Ziggy" it is the lead into Moonage Daydream which, is the next track on the Santa Monica album. So he is actually talking about Moonage Daydream being written by Ziggy. Ziggy did not exist when Queen Bitch was written.
@howiebowie, I'm not saying your interpretation is wrong, but when he says "thank you, this is a song written by Ziggy" it is the lead into Moonage Daydream which, is the next track on the Santa Monica album. So he is actually talking about Moonage Daydream being written by Ziggy. Ziggy did not exist when Queen Bitch was written.
Is it just me? Sounds like this song is about his boyfriend falling for some chick (transvestite?) and he's jealous and upset. Hence the end where he throws "both his bags down the hall" and calls a cab?
@thewickedfae He's not just upset because she's taking his bf / hookup, he's upset because he wants to be the drag queen but he doesn't have the courage to put himself out there like that.
@thewickedfae He's not just upset because she's taking his bf / hookup, he's upset because he wants to be the drag queen but he doesn't have the courage to put himself out there like that.
Bowie was so enamored with Velvet Underground/Lou Reed that he stole the entire riff and lyrical conceit from them/him. It's as good as a Velvet's cover ever came WITHOUT being a Velvet's tune.
But SO good, though
@exobscura the song is about Lou Reed
@exobscura the song is about Lou Reed
He can't make up his mind and she's a queen bitch. Good song.
talk about an awesome song