Queen Majesty – English Lyrics

• By: Techniques

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the smooth sounds of Jamaican Rocksteady with The Techniques' “Queen Majesty,” a classic track from 1967. This song offers a window into the romantic and soulful expressions of the era, perfect for exploring the nuances of Jamaican English and the cultural themes of love and longing. Immerse yourself in the rich harmonies and gentle rhythms that define this timeless genre.

[English]

Queen majesty, may I speak to thee?

So much, I've longed (I've longed)

To speak to you alone

True I agree, I'm not of your society, no, no, no

I'm not a king, just a minstrel

With my song to you I sing

Oh, just a minstrel

In life we're so far apart

Royal queen, I see love in your eyes

Your eyes, I love you too

Your majesty

...

Is it really true, these things I ask of you?

Oh, your majesty, could you really care for me?

As long as you love me

And it won't be so hard

As long as I see love in your eyes (your eyes)

I love you, too (oh yes I do)

Your majesty

Your majesty, oh

I love you too

Your majesty

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
majesty /ˈmædʒ.ə.sti/ B2	noun - impressive stateliness, dignity, or beauty.
speak /spiːk/ A1	verb - to say words aloud
longed /lɒŋd/ B2	verb - to have a strong desire or craving
agree /əˈɡriː/ A2	verb - to have the same opinion about something
society /səˈsaɪ.ə.ti/ B1	noun - a large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions about how to do things and sharing the work that needs to be done
king /kɪŋ/ A1	noun - a male ruler of a country who usually inherits his position and rules for life
minstrel /ˈmɪn.strəl/ C1	noun - a medieval European entertainer, especially one who sang or recited lyric or heroic poems to his own musical accompaniment.
song /sɒŋ/ A1	noun - a short piece of music with words that you sing
sing /sɪŋ/ A1	verb - to make musical sounds with your voice
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
apart /əˈpɑːrt/ B1	adverb - separated by a distance
royal /ˈrɔɪ.əl/ B1	adjective - belonging or relating to a king or queen
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - feel deep affection for (someone).
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs that detect light and send signals to the brain
true /truː/ A2	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality
care /keər/ A2	verb - feel concern or interest; attach importance to something.
hard /hɑːrd/ A2	adjective - requiring a great deal of endurance or effort

Key Grammar Structures

• Queen majesty, may I speak to thee?

  ➔ Modal verb "may" for polite requests and permission.

  ➔ The use of "may" before the subject "I" indicates a polite and formal request to speak to the Queen. "Thee" is an archaic form of "you," adding to the formality.

• So much, I've longed (I've longed)

  ➔ Present perfect tense with adverbial phrase.

  ➔ "I've longed" is the present perfect tense, indicating an action that started in the past and continues to the present. "So much" emphasizes the intensity of the longing. The parenthetical repetition adds emphasis.

• True I agree, I'm not of your society, no, no, no

  ➔ Preposition "of" indicating belonging or origin.

  ➔ "Not of your society" means the speaker does not belong to the Queen's social class or group. The repetition of "no" emphasizes the speaker's awareness of their difference.

• I'm not a king, just a minstrel

  ➔ Simple present tense for stating facts.

  ➔ Uses the simple present tense to state the speaker's identity (not a king) and their profession (a minstrel). "Just" emphasizes the speaker's humble status.

• In life we're so far apart

  ➔ Adverb "apart" indicating separation or distance.

  ➔ "Apart" indicates the social and class distance between the speaker and the Queen. "So far" emphasizes the magnitude of this distance.

• Royal queen, I see love in your eyes

  ➔ Simple present tense for stating a perception or observation.

  ➔ "I see love in your eyes" uses the simple present to express what the speaker perceives. The sentence structure is straightforward but conveys a powerful emotion.

• Is it really true, these things I ask of you?

  ➔ Question formation with inversion and prepositional phrase.

  ➔ The question is formed by inverting the auxiliary verb "is" with the subject "it". "Of you" is a prepositional phrase specifying who the speaker is asking.