I Might Have Been Queen

"I Might Have Been Queen" is a song written for Tina Turner as the first track on her highly successful Private Dancer album, and later included as a re-mixed version, with slightly altered lyrics in the first verse, on her What's Love Got to Do With It soundtrack album.

The song was written by Jeanette Obstoj, Rupert Hine and Jamie West-Oram for the Private Dancer album. The story behind the song is that Turner believes she was an Egyptian queen in a previous life.

Turner was supposedly Hatshepsut, a Pharaoh who took the throne from her brother believing that he would ruin his country. By taking the throne and mistreating her brother, she prevented him from following his path and gathered karma. Turner believes that in this life she encountered him again in the form of Ike Turner. It is said that Turner believes her past is now all behind her and she can now truly be the great queen or pharaoh she already was.

Following a discussion with Rupert Hine, Jeannette Obstoj spoke with Tina about her life starting with the cotton fields in Nutbush, Tennessee right through to her current situation. They also discussed Tina's interest in Egypt and her belief in previous lives. Obstoj is credited as co-writer.

Turner is said to have been very emotional upon hearing the story the lyrics projected.

"I Might Have Been Queen" was performed on the 1984 Private Dancer Tour and has not been included in any other tour set since.

References

• I, Tina, a book about Tina's life written by Tina Turner and Kurt Loder.
• Hatshepsut: Daughter of Amun, novel by Moyra Caldecott

External links

• Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics