That manager (one Norman Sheffield) is known as the man who lost queen. Their next album they released after they left was Night at the Opera, and well we know what song was on that ;) Queen became massive, and his aggravation to them, made them creative juggernauts. Norman? well he did try to sue them. We know how that worked out. Queen are legends, very few know him
Yup, "tan your hide" does indeed mean to give a strong spanking. It goes with the previous line about the manager being an "overgrown schoolboy". Back in the day, teachers were allowed to use physical punishments for misbehaviour.
@nyima040114 жыл бұрын
It's also said that every time Freddie 'moons' the crowd at a live show he's actually giving a nod of contempt to this manager.. Good Thanks! BEST #queenreaction here!
@@HAP3SPEAKZ ;~) hope your wife doesn't mind, lol... The gesture is something he offers during many different live performances - especially after a strong crowd reaction, just to remind the guy he blew it...
@sharonhalliday31804 жыл бұрын
He does that reverse bow in Live Aid too, telling the Sheffield Brothers to kiss.........s
@bigs15464 жыл бұрын
Glad you liked it - it is the diss song with the most eloquent lyrics - I love the cesspool reference and the Old Barrow Boy to describe him as basically a hustler on the streets..........so clever to get all the imagery in.
Yes another abrupt end, back to back with Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon on the album. A nice little song to follow all that venom! Love how you stop to explain about a fin on the back just before Freddie says Shark! Tan your hide does indeed mean a spank & was a common expression when I was young. Thanks for making me feel old!
Sheffield: are they mad at me? is Freddie mad at me? (grabs book of phrases for definitions)
@iris67si9 ай бұрын
He needed a lot of phrases to explain 🤣🤣🤣🤣 LET ME TAN YOUR HIDE 😂
@cedricsarps47874 жыл бұрын
Great reaction as usual ! Thanks. There are also live videos where you can hear all the venom in his voice. I often think about this song at work and imagine I can put it with full blast volumn all around the open space !! The title of the song is precisely "Death on Two Legs (dedicated to...)" In the album the funniest thing is that this song is the opening track and just after the brutal ending you plunge directly in "Lazing on A Sunday Afternoon" so british and humorous one with a ragtime songwriting style like "Seaside RendezVous".
@jpw68934 жыл бұрын
I do believe that Norman Sheffield who owned Trident studios sued them over this song. They didn't actually mention him by name but they settled out of court. Then everyone knew who they were talking about. The band literally made no money from Queen , Queen 2, Sheer heart attack and a lot was taken up from Night at the Opera in legal fees. However, let's not feel too bad for them, they made up for it!
I saw ones an interview with the gut, I believe it was even a documentary about queen where they asked him for how long he was their manager. If I remember it right he knew it to the hour exactly.
@robdaviesprogm4 жыл бұрын
Also, A Night at the Opera was Queen's *fourth* studio album. It was just their first since leaving that horrible manager.
@rockambolesco17904 жыл бұрын
I have this song as a ringtone! 😎 For me, it was love at 1st hearing
@lcbcreative4 жыл бұрын
Thank you for going back in the Queen timeline for this song! That was fun. Several things I love about it even if it isn't in my top ten - Freddie gets his message across in true Freddie fashion. Blunt, but with style. The music reminds me of the Queen II album, which is a favorite. The phrasing is flat out genius. If I've read the material on early Queen correctly, they were already well rehearsed, had a musical and fashion style, and were playing quite a few live gigs to an appreciative public by the time they signed a deal with the shark. They already had all the tracks for their first album recorded in exchange for testing out a new studio for a friend (?). They needed help to get to the next level, but Queen was already Queen. They had control of their image and their music. The shark was very short-sighted.
@@HAP3SPEAKZ I'm learning a lot about Queen at the same time you are and in the same way - the comment section of reaction videos! Plus I've been reading books and watching dvds. Anyone looking at my Amazon would think I'm a wee bit obsessed (what?). But I'm making up for forty years of listening but not looking deeper. No KZbin for much of that time. I missed a lot!
@MsAyu154 жыл бұрын
You might want to check Death on Two Legs’ older sister Flick of the Wrist tho it’s a milder diss song compared to the former but just sounds as evil. 😁
HAP3SPEAKZ FOTW is sort of a “I am warning you” song, while DOTL is already their all out attack song. 😂
@MsAyu154 жыл бұрын
HAP3SPEAKZ If you want to react to it you might want to listen to this version kzbin.info/www/bejne/laXEkqeslqd8q68 where in 3 songs are put together because their intro and the last parts of the songs are connected. The songs are “Tenement Funster”, “Flick of the Wrist”and “Lily of the Valley” respectively. But it’s still okay if you choose to react to it as a solo song. Correct me if I’m wrong and I’m not sure of this but as what I have read just here in YT there are 3 diss songs of queen they say the other one is “Back Chat” (not sure tho, I wasn’t able to listen to this song carefully) it’s from their Hot Space album. I’ll just edit this commentary if I was somehow wrong with this info.
@patriciarockwell22274 жыл бұрын
VERY IMPORTANT: React to the LIVE version (75 I think) of "Flick of the Wrist". It's 100% better than the track from Sheer Heart Attack.
@trevorgoddard22783 жыл бұрын
'Death on two legs' was written after they left their first management company, and is therefore more on the nose. 'Flick of the wrist' was slipped past their management, and was much more subtle being about the dangers of signing a contract without fully thinking it through.
@HelenaDax4 жыл бұрын
The song is so full of vitriol that Brian felt bad about playing it in concerts, lol Btw according to the rumours, the last diss song they did was Back Chat, which is allegedly a diss track from Deaky to Brian. I don't know if it's true, but the band was going through a rough patch at the time and the lyrics seem to match, so... In this case, though, Freddie helped to keep peace by writing an amazing love song to Brian, Soul Brother (Brian has confirmed that part) .
It is somewhat funny, Brian had to play a guitar solo on his own diss track.
@dianethompson68164 жыл бұрын
'Let me tan your hide" You're right, it was something parents used to say to kids as a warning when they were naughty 😳 Great reaction. I love this whole album, and this is a brilliant track 😊
@carmenfelton31714 жыл бұрын
Ah, you reacted to one of my favourite songs. When I saw this on my notifications I was really looking forward to it and as always it was worthwhile to watch. The manager hda it coming and to be honest it was still a bit too polite for my taate. But then again Freddie and the band per se were and still are mild mannered guys. I don't know if you have seen this in one of my comments earlier, but I would like you to keep in mind a reaction to "I'm Going Slightly Mad" and "These Are The Days Of Our Lives", the last two videos Freddie made in his lifetime. His voice is absolutely stunning in the low register as well as in the very high register in the latter song. Simply out of this world, no one would believe that a dying man is singing those songs.
@justsomeonewhopopsupeveryw14444 жыл бұрын
Carmen Felton they were the last two videos he filmed in his life but he still sang until a few months before he died
@carmenfelton31714 жыл бұрын
@@justsomeonewhopopsupeveryw1444 I know that, I know that Mother Love was his last recorded song that he couldn't finish so Brian sang the last part. I was just referring to his last two videos.
@marniethedyslexic64454 жыл бұрын
HAP3SPEAKZ I loved your reaction. It’s definitely a great dis Song. You’re right about tan your hide . Thank you so much for sharing with us.😃👍🌼✌️
@mmaloneym4 жыл бұрын
They originally signed with a management company and they were only paid 30 pounds each a week. After Killer Queen hit the charts everywhere and money began to flow in they were all still in tiny flats struggling to make ends meet. Brian even got a job teaching on the side because he had a wife and kids also. Roger noticed one day one of the brothers were riding around in a new RRoyce vehicle. Brian said Freddie was beside himself and said he wasn’t going to write anymore. They ended up getting the help from Elton Johns manager and he said he would work out the money side and told Queen to go make their best album. Well, the album they went off to make was A Night at the Opera with Bohemian Rhapsody as their single!!! Freddie was still so distressed that he wrote Death in Two Legs. Brian thought it was a little too forceful, but Freddie insisted to do it. The Sheffield Brothers deserves it!!!
@patriciarockwell22274 жыл бұрын
All right except one thing! They were only making 20 pounds per week after selling tons of records SO Elton John's manager took over...raised their pay to 30 pounds per week! You wrote the rest beautifully,mmaloneym!
@davebain26563 жыл бұрын
And Brian didn't have a wife or kids in 1974. Check your facts before posting. Brian May married Chrissy in 1977 and his son Jimmy was born in 1978
Freddie wrote this as their Managers, The Sheffield Brothers we’re buying Rolls Royce and we’re paying the ban 200 pounds a month to split between them.....they then went to John Reid, Elton John’s Manager. Flick of the Wrist was a precursor to this song
Hi Hap, saw this earlier. Fun reaction as always. Love this song
@michellewhaley34894 жыл бұрын
Freddie certainly did not mince words!! Apparently the manager wrote a book called “Life on Two Legs” to go against this song. I’m guessing the book didn’t do as well as the song 😂😂😂 Don’t mess with Queen! 😂
@DukeEnlil4 жыл бұрын
Queen - Flick Of The Wrist is a song about the same manager, but earlier one album ( like a prelude to Death On Two Legs) So check it out!!!
@leighloutreedore89263 жыл бұрын
Freddie was PISSED!
@alicefarr39273 жыл бұрын
No one should blame them , lucky things were not worse. Look what they took from Queen, court should have dogged them for sure. Piff😎
@WASPS18674 жыл бұрын
I mean come on Brian’s playing and tone is just perfection itself... well he is the guvnor
@iris67si9 ай бұрын
Brian's 🎸is sooo angry 😮 it hisses and roars like a beast.
@Sparkly-Unicorn4 жыл бұрын
I do love the lyrics on this song!! It really makes a statement 😂😂. But I have heard this before. Their manager would drive up in his Ferrari or whatever and they were all still living in one bedroom flats. After huge tours and album sales!! Nice reaction HAP!! I see a different animal on the shelf 😂😂😂🤗⭐️
@patriciarockwell22274 жыл бұрын
Hap3, you would've enjoyed the OFFICIAL VIDEO soooomuch better than the Official LYRIC Video! The one I mentioned first has actual parts from various shows in it.Check it out!
@ghost-ey6ik Жыл бұрын
Nice review. I like that you paid attention to the lyrics and figured them out rather quickly. I'd like a closer look at the sounds in this song and how they are used in conjuction with lyric points. For instance at the beginning, a beautiful piano piece interrupted with audio dissonance, a disturbing sound presenting the hearer with a massive conflict. Also, I really like the Mexicanna gutar and then the riff later fn where he tears it up, almost sounding like an airplane diving. Cool sounds in this song.
@betseyclark28324 жыл бұрын
Another well done reaction! I agree with those who suggest Flick of the Wrist...we thought that was rude when it came out! And Cool Cat is truly cool...it's hard to believe that his voice can change so much from song to song.
@jeanninedoyle95234 жыл бұрын
There is a live version from Queen at either The Rainbow or Hyde Park which is epic. He sings it till he bleeds
@barrys13424 жыл бұрын
Musicians Musicianship Artistry craftsman- we can go on! The world is the richer for these guys. Thanks Haps (Dankie in Afrikaans or Enkhosi in Xhosa) 😁
I am DeathOnTwoLegs and I approve this reaction :)
@barbaraanne52584 жыл бұрын
Yes, they were angry....couldn't blame them.
@nickwall24974 жыл бұрын
4th album, no wonder they were pissed at having no money. There is actually a pre cursor song to this called Flick Of The Wrist, about signing the contract to which this song is about
@jeanninedoyle95234 жыл бұрын
No, actually there were 3 Diss Songs, First one, Flick of the Wrist (a reference to the contract they signed with EMI, the Death-on two Legs, the last one, Let me Entertain you was done for the audience, but has a line in it dissing Sheffield again.....DONT MESS WITH FREDDIE!
@DonnaleaSpencer4 жыл бұрын
some of that piano intro reminded me a bit of the Killer Queen intro when performed live. also, you made me laugh when you said put the Tan your hide thing in the comments if you got it wrong "I'm sure you would"...yeah, we would......but you are right. It's a real beating. "Get in here NOW before I tan your hide! "
@Sparkly-Unicorn4 жыл бұрын
Hahaha!! Hey...my Queen friend Donnalea. How are you?
@Squidette184 жыл бұрын
This is the the ultimate diss song for sure. 😂
@judithnovak38374 жыл бұрын
Thanks for all of the great videos! Just wanted to let you know that I watched “The Making of A Night At the Opera” last night - it’s a bit over an hour, so probably too long to do a reaction, but if you want to hear Brian, Roger and a bunch of behind the scenes producers talk about the details that went into making all of the songs on that album, check it out - it’s so interesting to hear and see them going through the painstaking steps needed to put that awesome album together, and so fun to see them all in action in the studio! Would love to know what you think about it all!❤️
@dezperez19984 жыл бұрын
This means don't mess with the legends..don't mess with freddie song...
@cristiona224 жыл бұрын
The thing I love most about this track is even though it’s an angry song they still have those great harmonies going. I would love to see you react to the triple treat of Tenement Funster Flick of the Wrist Lilly of the Valley. Flick of the Wrist is a kind of precursor to Death on Two Legs and is my favourite of the two. The other two songs are usually listened to all together as they run into each other.
@maximebriochain55674 жыл бұрын
The problem with Queen, a fan said it, when you fall in this rabbit hole, there's no way to escape. Even though some of their songs don't interest me by the lyrics, the music, harmonies are still there. And for the live of Queen and Freddie someone wrote : There's only two people who can kneel people, the pope and Freddie.
@@HAP3SPEAKZ Like I've mentioned before, please react to Queen's LIVE performance of "Flick of the Wrist" (75 I think). It's SO much better than the track from Sheer Heart Attack.
@karolyn86444 жыл бұрын
You are quite right about "tan your hide" meaning a spanking, or worse. The didn't name anyone in the song, but their former manager sued them for defamation of character, or something like that, thereby outing himself as the villain in question. I think Queen came out of that legal battle unscathed.
@@lynnhoffmann247 Ok I don't know it. I would watch live with a new eye. Thanks for the tips
@aussiebloke6092 жыл бұрын
This is a lovely flyting song. And yes, "tan your hide" can mean to spank, but it's more like "beat your arse." It's generally not used in a jocular or saucy manner, but more about getting a serious beating.
@marcusklippel21203 жыл бұрын
Best diss song ever... so clever lyrics and melodic as hell..only queen could Do a Song like this... love it.. like all their Songs.. unmatched
@GinMae4 жыл бұрын
Hap - I loved that you got "the fin on your back" - but you paused just a split-second before he said "shark!" -- just check the other mentions of ""Flick of the Wrist" - this is not Freddie's first "revenge song" - I would just say -- was not a good idea to mess with Fred! Love your reaction, as always...
@karenj36114 жыл бұрын
Don't get Freddie mad!
@JohnHazelwood584 жыл бұрын
Ha! The old manager ripped them off ... they quitted and the manager like: " you 'll never get famous without me ! " ... then Queen recorded "a night at the opera" with this as the first track ... it became the best selling album at its time ever! the record includes "Bohemian Rhapsody" (actually over 600 millionen views on you tube). And yes, it sold very good. The record got 2x gold-award and 32x (!) platin-awards ... Means they sold over 10 million records! In a time where internet wasn't avaible (!) - that was the beginning to became legends!
@martinasidova4 жыл бұрын
I have read somewhere that the sound what is in 2:05 is Roger screaming. Can someone confirm it?
@ben1ben4 жыл бұрын
Yes it is Roger Screaming.
@debbiebush58874 жыл бұрын
Another song besides Flick Of The Wrist is Great King Rat also diss songs dedcated to a man named Norman Sheffield their manager and also EMI record company. Norman sued Queen but I dont know what really happened about that Norman actually wrote a book called Life On Two Legs Set The Record Straight.
The manager sued them but I think he lost. Roger Taylor made a comment about this song. It was créated by Freddie. He was pretty angry. I don't know what the career of this shark was after. For the song, I heard that Freddie insist that Brian played a big part ot this song. I suppose is by the way he did it was to emphasize the message. Agressivity. The first version included more piano parts.
No, the manager won. Queen agreed to a settlement and Trident Studios got a cut of Queen’s next few albums.
@headrushindi4 жыл бұрын
the SHHHHHH sound you hear occasionally being panned from left to right , is Not a voice , it is in fact a cymbal crash being played backwards with an effect called a Phase shifter attached to it . The Phrase " let me tan your hide" is an old school reference to a paddling you might give a child who has been very bad. The modern terminology may be "whoop your ass" That manager was played by Mike Meyers in the Bohemian Rhapsody movie. Can you imagine how demoralizing it was to be dissed so poetically , so skillfully, by the likes of Freddie...a shame that man had to live with the rest of his life . Especially when Queen became HUGE Mega Stars !
@patriciaweatherspoon12624 жыл бұрын
Flick of the wrist is another Queen song about their formal manager., and Let me entertain you.
@patriciarockwell22274 жыл бұрын
"FLICK OF THE WRIST"...live...( 75 I think, much better than version from Sheer Heart Attack)....PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE REACT TO THIS!
@trudehunnicutt82149 ай бұрын
Yep you're Right. Moral: don't piss Freddie off! 🤬 Grab a napkin, you've been served!
@jeffgee53852 жыл бұрын
That's not someone saying "shhh". That's Roger Taylor playing a cymbal roll (swell) which the engineer panned left to right (and quickly fade out).
@lkamer14 жыл бұрын
I guess they learned what happens when they mess with our Freddie. Imagine what that manager felt like after Queen Exploded into super stardum? That manager was Norman Sheffiled from Trident Studios. The boys could barely afford to eat even though they had released three previous albums> Sheffield seemed to be the only one making money with his new Rolls Royce. They wrote another song about him before this one called Flick of the Wrist, you should check that out. Thank goodness they got free of him and the rest is history. Funny how Norman Sheffield's name will forever be linked to this song and loosing one of the biggest bands of all time. I guess Queen got the last laugh. Anyway, I love your approach to reacting to these songs. I like that you really listen and point out interesting things along the way and truly appreciate and respect them.
@patriciarockwell22274 жыл бұрын
"FLICK OF THE WRIST"....live....75 (I think) WARNING: Don't Mess With Freddie
@Jellyfinger69694 жыл бұрын
What you heard was the cymbals with the drums.
@Hummingbirder14 жыл бұрын
For that time, when not many diss tracks were around, I do not think it was considered polite!
@danapb4 жыл бұрын
Tanning an animal skin is turning it into leather. It's a horrific and wonderful thing to aim at an enemy.
@celticpoet214 жыл бұрын
So awesome! All you read was right, no exaggerations regarding their first manager Norman Sheffield, he treated them like cash cows. The last straws were when drummer Roger Taylor was told to stop breaking his drum sticks and when bass player John Deacon was denied a down payment for a house for him and his fiancee. Finally the band broke their contract and signed on with John Reid who also managed Elton John and went on to make the album, "A Night at the opera". When the song was released, Norman tried to sue Queen for defamation, but it blew up in his face because he only confirmed the band's accusations against him. The song "Flick of the wrist" is also thought of as a stab at Norman, indicating that with a Flick of the wrist, sign a deal with the devil. Live at the rainbow is a fantastic rendition! kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqOsi4RpeLF_mLc
@helenclarke47354 жыл бұрын
Their former manager wrote a book called Life on Two Legs defending himself. He tried to sue them, I think it settled out of court.
@timnotbrianmay22 күн бұрын
The best musicians "steal"from EVERYONE, So you can't actually tell where they got it from, but it sounds SO FAMILIAR! 😸😸😸
@queenremix13534 жыл бұрын
Best version of this song is Oakland 1980, don't be fooled by what some people say when they say th studio is better, in the live version Freddie hits more higher notes than the studio. Also just to point one more thing, people barely know any Queen concerts beside the official release, they have been over 100 Queen concerts released on a bootleg and soundboard stereo recording, most don't have a video which is a shame, but I think they deserve a mention. So far they have been only 10 Queen concerts released officially so people are missing out on a lot of things.
@patriciarockwell22274 жыл бұрын
I'm sorry but I think the very best version is the Official Video that starts out with Freddie playing the piano then it cuts to bits and pieces from various concerts.
@queenremix13534 жыл бұрын
@@patriciarockwell2227 Studio is ok, but there's better versions out there vocally, people need to expand and explore other shows beside montreal and Wembley.
@billhustler65904 жыл бұрын
Tan your hide , referred to a spanking!!!
@bryleywaring_374 жыл бұрын
The managers name was Norman Sheffield and in the first Chorus you can actually hear them sing Sheff of Two Legs instead of Death. I love how song says Dedicated to .... 😂💕
Yea this is about their record label screwing them over and were broke
@glyngasson84503 жыл бұрын
The manager sued Queen for libel after this song was released. When it went to court it was pointed out that he wasn't named in the song and if he thinks it's about him he must have a guilty conscience. The case was dismissed. Night at the Opera is the 4th Queen album
@iris67si9 ай бұрын
They settled out of court... but thnx to NS all got to know of whom the song is about .. and that felt good. NS stabbed himself in the back so I FEEL GOOD 😂
@ashlynbulsara42382 жыл бұрын
Norman Sheffield.
@topmandog17 ай бұрын
this was written in the mid 70s lol, alot of language has changed
@nanaprn78094 жыл бұрын
Please react to Is This The World We Created? Very pertinent to problems of today. thanks
@montrelouisebohon-harris70234 жыл бұрын
😂😂😂 Tan Your Hide is spank your ass! It's a very common used term in America. This song is hilarious and it's the biggest F**** You ong I've ever heard. Trident Studios tried to say that this song was not about then after it was released, BUT then filed a slander lawsuit against the band. That right there admitted Trident's guilt & Queen ended up paying a small settlement to them and it wasn't much. Queen did not make much off of their first album but they did off of their second and third albums. Queen really got ripped off on sheer heart attack and Trident Studios was telling them that they would have to wait 9 months to see any money on the return from the record blah blah blah. BS! Queen broke the contract and John read to manage them for 2 years. Queen paid $100,000 by breaking the contract but it was worth it because Jon Reid told them to go off and make the best album they could make and he would handle the business. Queen made night at the Opera and they were thankfully able to get out of debt and make enough money to get houses and cars.