The rock community has come out in force to salute Britain’s late-Queen Elizabeth II, who died on September 8th at age 97.
The shortest Beatles song in the band’s catalogue was Paul McCartney‘s 23-second paean to the Queen, titled “Her Majesty.” At the time of Abbey Road’s original release in September 1969, McCartney spoke about the inspiration for the set’s only fully acoustic track: “I don’t know, y’know, I was in Scotland, and I was just writing this little tune. I can never tell, like, how tunes come out. I wrote this tune and it happened to start off ‘Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl. . . ‘ I mean, you could refer, like they refer to a girl as, y’know, ‘Lady,’ or ‘girl,’ y’know, like ‘Lady Madonna,’ or just some sort of name you call a girl. It could be that, too, y’know, ‘Her Majesty’ (exaggerated accent) worshiping your girlfriend or your wife.”
ROCKERS REMEMBER QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Paul McCartney: “God bless Queen Elizabeth II. May she rest in peace. Long live The King.”
Ringo Starr: “God bless Queen Elizabeth peace and love to all the family peace and love Ringo.”
Julian Lennon: “Rest in Peace Dear Queen Elizabeth II.”
Yoko Ono & Sean Lennon: “We would like to send out deepest sympathy to the Royal family following the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II; a strong and powerful woman whose seventy year reign was served with integrity, dignity, grace and compassion. With love, Yoko and Sean Ono Lennon.”
The Beatles: “Thank you Ma’am. With love and gratitude. From all at Apple.”
The Rolling Stones: “The Rolling Stones extend their deepest sympathy to the Royal family on the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who was a constant presence in their lives as in countless others.”
Mick Jagger: “For my whole life Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has always been there. In my childhood I can recall watching her wedding highlights on TV. I remember her as a beautiful young lady, to the much beloved grandmother of the nation. My deepest sympathies are with the Royal family.”
Elton John: “Along with the rest of the nation, I am deeply saddened to hear the news of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s passing. She was an inspiring presence to be around and led the country through some of our greatest and darkest moments with grace, decency and a genuine caring warmth. Queen Elizabeth has been a huge part of my life from childhood to this day, and I will miss her dearly.”
Barbra Streisand: “Sad to hear about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. She was a constant for us all. Respected around the world. May she rest in peace. Barbra.”
Ozzy Osbourne: “I mourn with my country the passing of our greatest Queen. With a heavy heart I say it is devastating the thought of England without Queen Elizabeth II”
Geezer Butler: Sad to hear of The Queen passing. I remember the street celebrations when she was crowned Queen. Always a staple of growing up in England. GSTQ- RIP”
Duran Duran: “Her Majesty the Queen has presided over the UK for longer than any other British monarch. She dedicated her life to the people and set an extraordinary example to the world throughout her reign. She’s seen changes that are beyond what any of us can imagine. She has faced challenges that she has risen to time and again. Her life has been remarkable in so many ways. We will all miss her and are grateful for the incredible service she gave to the people of Great Britain and the countries of the Commonwealth. We send our deepest condolence to the royal family. Her death brings to an end a long and unique chapter in the history of the United Kingdom and the world.”
Joe Elliott: “Dignity. If there’s ever one word to describe this wonderful lady & monarch it’s dignity. We will never see the likes of this again.”
Bryan Adams: “RIP Queen Elizabeth II”
Jon Bon Jovi: “Queen Elizabeth was the ultimate example of service and duty… today is a sad day.”
Annie Lennox: “I just found out that HRH the Queen has peacefully passed away. One of my early memories from the late 50’s, is standing on the roadside among a crowd of people, waving little Union Jack flags as we waited for the royal car to drive by. The Queen had arrived to open a new bridge on the outskirts of Aberdeen. It all felt very grand and festive, with everyone hoping to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty. Tremendous excitement and expectation was in the air. Suddenly the grandest Rolls Royce limousine appeared and I remember the glimpse of a gloved royal hand waving behind the window. Then it was all over in a flash and the Queen had gone. A monarch’s life is lived with two distinct sides. One is as an outwards facing public figure and representative of their country, and the other is as a human being and private person. There is a difference between the two. Queen Elizabeth came from a time in history when there was still a modicum of separation between them. Gradually over time the world changed, and the outside world via the media had more ‘access’ to the ‘private’ world than ever before. I think she did an incredible job of staying on course throughout the extraordinary events of her reign and her lifetime. Whether you happen to be pro or anti monarchy, there’s no question that she totally performed her duties par excellence right up to a few days before her passing. I doubt that anyone can compare to her. Britain has lost one of it’s most outstanding monarchs, the like of which I doubt will ever be seen again. R.I.P Queen Elizabeth.”
Liz Phair: I am in no way cool w a post QEII world. Don’t lecture me about imperialism; she was NOT an absolute monarch (a system founded by men) and never tried to be. She knew with exquisite precision the bounds of her tricky role, and I adored her for maintaining it so elegantly.”