Queen
Queen
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Queen
Queen
‘'Flick of the Wrist’‘ is the 4th track on Queen’s 3rd studio album “Sheer Heart Attack”. It is the second song of a three song medley, enclosed by “Tenement Funster” and “Lily of the Valley”.
This song is a stab at a former manager or someone that Freddie feels he and the band have been wronged by...
[Segue: Guitar Solo and Piano Intro]
[Verse 1]
"Dislocate your spine
If you don't sign" he says
"I'll have you seeing double"
Mesmerize you when he's tongue-tied
Simply with those eyes
Synchronize your minds and see
The beast within him rise
[Pre-Chorus]
(Don't look back)
(Don't look back)
It's a rip-off
[Chorus]
(Flick of the wrist) and you're dead, baby
(Blow him a kiss) and you're mad
(Flick of the wrist) he'll eat your heart out
(A dig in the ribs) and then a kick in the head
He's taken an arm and taken a leg
(All this time, honey)
Baby, you've been had
[Verse 2]
"Intoxicate your brain
With what I'm saying
If not you'll lie in knee-deep trouble
"Prostitute yourself" he says
"Castrate your human pride
Sacrifice your leisure days
Let me squeeze you 'till you've dried"
[Pre-Chorus]
(Don't look back)
(Don't look back)
It's a rip-off
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
Work my fingers to my bones
I scream with pain
I still make no impression
Seduce you with his money-make machine
Cross-collateralize (big-time money, money)
Reduce you to a Muzak-fake machine
Then the last goodbye
(It's a rip-off)
[Chorus]
(Flick of the wrist) and you're dead, baby
(Blow him a kiss) and you're mad
(Flick of the wrist) he'll eat your heart out
(A dig in the ribs) and then a kick in the head
He's taken an arm and taken a leg
(All this time, honey)
Baby, you've been had
Flick of the Wrist was written by Freddie Mercury.
Flick of the Wrist was produced by Roy Thomas Baker & Queen.
Queen released Flick of the Wrist on Fri Oct 11 1974.
A 1975 Circus article quotes Freddie Mercury as follows:
I wrote it as a sort of tongue-in-cheek story about the con-men and rip-off artists we’re always running into. Our manager would like to think it’s about him, but it’s not.