Queens of the Stone Age are a rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. Originally formed under the name Gamma Ray by guitarist Josh Homme, Queens of the Stone Age developed a style of riff-oriented, heavy music which Homme described as ‘robot rock’, saying that he “wanted to create a heavy sound based on a solid jam, and just pound it into your head”. The band is frequently described as stoner rock, although they reject the term.
Queens of the Stone Age began with Josh Homme in 1996. Originally called ‘Gamma Ray’, Homme changed the name to ‘Queens of the Stone Age’ in 1997 as German power metal band Gamma Ray was threatening to sue:
“When we were making a record in 1992, under the band Kyuss, our producer Chris Goss, he would joke and say “You guys are like the Queens of the Stone Age.” The band was originally called Gamma Ray, but we got threatened with a lawsuit because someone else had it. So we were Queens of the Stone Age.”
On why the band chose the name ‘Queens of the Stone Age’ rather than ‘Kings of the Stone Age’:
Kings would be too macho. The Kings of the Stone Age wear armor and have axes and wrestle. The Queens of the Stone Age hang out with the Kings of the Stone Age’s girlfriends when they wrestle, and also it was a name given to us by Chris Goss. He gave us the name Queens of the Stone Age. Rock should be heavy enough for the boys and sweet enough for the girls. That way everyone’s happy and it’s more of a party. Kings of the Stone Age is too lopsided.
Hangin Tree
http://djallyn.org/media/QueensoftheStoneAge-HanginTree.flvWould you like our way home
I bleed my own
Round the hangin tree
Swayin in the breeze
In the summer sun
As we two are one
Swayin
Can you see under my thumb
There you are
Round the hangin tree
Swing in the breeze
In the summer sun
As we two are one
Swing
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