Meaning of “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen

“Fat Bottomed Girls” is the title of a 1978 single by the renowned British rock band Queen. Lyrically, this track is all about the appreciation of women endowed with large derrières. That’s all there is to the lyrics of this song. To the narrator, big women are the epitome of beauty.

According to Queen’s legendary guitarist Brian May, he penned this song with Freddy Mercury (lead singer of Queen) in mind. Why? Because Mercury liked fat bottomed “girls… or boys”. May revealed this during a 2018 interview with Mojo magazine.

That said, it is important to note that May also told Mojo that a part of the song’s inspiration also came from “stuff” he saw in both his and Mercury’s life. We can’t help but wonder what this “stuff” is.

In Depth Analysis into the Lyrics

As far as the modern era of entertainment is concerned, women with big behinds being en vogue is a phenomenon which commenced in the 1990s. But as illustrated by this song, some artists had an appreciation for such shapes well beforehand. In fact “Fat Bottomed Girls” is a tune well ahead of its time, expressing for instance an appreciation for a “big woman” a good decade before the likes of Lizzo or Meghan Trainor were even born.

But Queen is a deceptively-deep band. And the vocalist isn’t necessarily lusting after big behinds just for big butt’s sake. Instead as revealed in the first verse, his childhood nanny, one “big fat Fanny”, was “a naught… big woman” who “made” the narrator into “a bad boy”. That’s another way of saying that she’s the one who taught him about sex. So it’s like, now the narrator has developed an affinity for that body type.

In the second verse the narrator lets it be known, in a roundabout way, that his success as a professional musician has afforded him the opportunity to sleep with numerous women. And along the way, having grown weary of certain mainstream types, he now prefers to hook up with “dirty ladies”. So for whatever unspecified reason, the vocalist obviously equates “fat bottomed girls” with these kinds of women.

In the third verse, he also puts forth that sometimes as a result of his travels, there’s nothing but girls with large hineys available to him. But the singer doesn’t have any qualms with this reality, as he finds getting down with them to be sexually gratifying and an accomplishment also. Indeed, as inferred it takes “a big man” to satisfy a “big woman”.

So this is an interesting piece, to say the least. Most booty songs prove to be pretty straightforward in terms of admiring the size and shape of women with such an endowment. But reading in between the lines in this case, the vocalist, once again for whatever reason, seems to be implying that bigger women also have larger sexual appetites.

Facts about “Fat Bottomed Girls”

Brian May solely penned this track.

The production of the song was done by Queen in collaboration with English record producer and songwriter Roy Thomas Baker. FYI: Baker also produced Queen’s iconic song “Bohemian Rhapsody“.

On October 13, 1978, “Fat Bottomed Girls” was released as a double A-side single along with Mercury-penned “Bicycle Race”. Owing to this, radio stations tend to play both songs together. After “Fat Bottomed Girls”, they play “Bicycle Race” or vice versa.

A line from “Fat Bottomed Girls” references the Queen single “Bicycle Race”. The line in question is “Get on your bikes and ride!”. It’s noteworthy that a line from “Bicycle Race” also references this song.

The lead vocals on this track were handled solely by Mercury.  Roger Taylor and Brian May took care of the backing vocals.

The original artwork for this single was so offensive that it was banned. Queen was forced to alter it in order to remove the ban on it.

This single was a chart success. In the US Billboard Hot 100, it peaked at number 24. In the UK Singles Chart, it performed better, peaking at number 11.

Did Queen make a music video for this classic?

Yes, they did. The official clip for this song was shot in Texas, United States. To be precise, it was filmed at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center (formerly called the Dallas Convention Center) in Dallas, Texas.

Which album is “Fat Bottomed Girls” on?

It was released as one of the singles from Queen’s seventh studio album “Jazz”. “Jazz” was released on November 10 of 1978.

Recording of the album took place in three recording studios, including Mountain Studios, located in the Swiss municipality of Montreux. The other two are:

• Super Bear studios in Berre-les-Alpes
• Studio Miraval in Correns

The band shares production credits for the album with renowned English record producer, Roy Thomas Baker. “Jazz” became the final album of the band to be produced by Roy. Roy had a long working history with the band, spanning through their first four albums.

The album was officially released through the following record labels:

• EMI Records
• Elektra Records
• Ariola Records

In 2011, “Jazz” was reissued by Queen’s new record label, Universal Music.

Aside from the release of four singles as a means of promoting the album, the band embarked on a world tour known as the “Jazz Tour”.

“Jazz” peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. It was No. 2 in the UK.

The album has been certified, platinum by the RIAA in the US, gold in the UK, France, Germany as well as Austria. “Jazz” has also received a platinum certification in Poland, Switzerland and the Netherlands.