The story behind
Queen recorded Death on Two Legs (Dedicated To…) in 1975, at the beginning of A Night at the Opera. The song started as a way to vent, written by Freddie Mercury after a conflict with his former manager, Norman Sheffield. He did not mention Sheffield directly, but he sued him for defamation. The matter ended in a court-outside agreement, and thus the world learned it was related to the song. Mercury said his lawyer warned him about talking about the lyrics, but the subject came from a very emotional place. The piece has a piano intro, strong guitars, background vocals and a 4/4 rhythm. In the middle there is a scream from Roger Taylor, which opens the track. The structure is complex, with tempo changes and interwoven sections. Taylor played with a style that made the tempo changes flow, something that was noticeable in the bass and the drums. The lyrics were harsh, and at first the other members were surprised, but in the end they accepted to play it as Mercury wanted. ↓ Skip to chordsIntro 1
Verse 1
Pre-Chorus 1
Chorus 1
Solo 1
Whammy Whammy
Verse 2
Pre-Chorus 2
Chorus 2
Intro 1
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Verse 1
PreChorus 1
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|-9-----------------------9---8----|---------7------------------------| A|---------------------9------------|-----9----------------------------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|-6---------------------------4----|-5-----------4--------------------| A|-------------------------5--------|---------5------------------------| E|---------------------7------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Chorus 1
E|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|-2---------------------------2----| D|-2---------------------------2----| A|-0---------------------------0----| E|---------------------2---3--------| 1 2 3 4 E|----------------------------------| B|-3--------------------------------| G|-2--------------------------------| D|-0--------------------------------| A|-----------------------------0----| E|---------------------2---3--------| 1 2 3 4
Solo 1
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|-5--4-3--2------------------------| G|-----------------4----------------|-----------5-4-2------------------| D|----------------------------------|-----------------4-2--------------| A|----------------------------------|---------------------4-3-2-0------| E|-2---2-2-0---2--------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 E|------------------|----------------------------------| B|------------------|----------------------------------| G|------------------|----------------------------------| D|------------------|-4----4--2---4--------------------| A|-(0)--------------|-2----2--0---2--------------------| E|------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 1 2 3 4 E|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------| A|-------------------------12-------| E|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 E|----------------------------------|------------------------------------| B|-3-------------------3-------7----|------------------------------------| G|-2--------------------------------|-----7---9---9-----------9-(9)7-----| D|-0---------------4-------7--------|-7-----------------------------9p7--| A|----------------------------------|------------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|------------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|-----------------------------10---| G|-7-----------------------7--------|-7-------9---9--------------------| D|---------------------7-------7----|----------------------------------| A|-----------------9----------------|-------------------------12-------| E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 E|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|-------12p10-----------------------|----------------------------------| G|------------------9---7-9p7--------|-7-------9---9-----------7---9----| D|----------------------------9p7----|---------------------7------------| A|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|-----7---9---9-------2-4-4p2------|----------------------------------| D|-----------------------------4p2--|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| E|----------------------------------|-2---2---0---2--------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Verse 2
E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------|----------------------------------| D|-----------------3----------------|----------------------------------| A|---------------------5---3--------|----------------------------------| E|-----------------------------6----|-2--------------------------------| 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 E|----------------------------------| B|----------------------------------| G|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------| A|----------------------------------| E|-(2)------------------------------| 1 2 3 4
PreChorus 2
Chorus 2
From the album
A Night at the Opera
Queen · 1975 · Track 0