Recording and Composition
"Queen of the Slipstream" was recorded at the same sessions as the other tracks that were released on Poetic Champions Compose in the summer of 1987 at the Wool Hall Studios, Beckington.
The song is a romantic ballad composed in the key of E major with a chord progression of E-G#m-A. The bridge uses the progression of F#m-C#m-F#m-E-F#m-C#m-F#m-C#m. It is written in 4/4 time and is played at a slow tempo.
Morrison used a full string orchestra for "Queen of the Slipstream", as Fiachra Trench, the arranger of the string parts, told biographer Peter Mills: " string sessions in the USA had been for a smaller section than I used: I think we had about 26 players. The string session went very smoothly ... On "Queen of the Slipstream" I reduced the strings to a chamber group for Van's harmonica solo and the second bridge which follows. Otherwise it's the full section." Trench went on to say: "Some of the string lines are derived from Neil Drinkwater's piano lines. I often use that technique when writing string arrangements, it helps to make the strings sound more part of the track, less like an overdub, less pop."
The lyrics quote two of Morrison's songs from his early carrier; "the slipstream" derives from "Astral Weeks" and the lines "I see you slipping and sliding in the snow ... you come running to me, you'll come running to me" were used in "Come Running".
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