The Show Must Go On
Elton John/Queen Lyrics


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Empty spaces, what are we living for
Abandoned places, I guess we know the score
On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for
Another hero, another mindless crime
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Hold the line, does anybody want to take it anymore
The show must go on
The show must go on, yeah
Inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on

Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance
Another heartache, another failed romance
On and on, does anybody know what we are living for?
I guess I'm learning (I'm learning learning learning)
I must be warmer now
I'll soon be turning (turning turning turning)
Round the corner now
Outside the dawn is breaking
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free
The show must go on
The show must go on, yeah yeah
Ooh, inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on

Yeah yeah, whoa wo oh oh

My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die
I can fly, my friends
The show must go on (go on, go on, go on) yeah yeah
The show must go on (go on, go on, go on)
I'll face it with a grin
I'm never giving in
On, with the show

Ooh, I'll top the bill, I'll overkill
I have to find the will to carry on
On with the show
On with the show
The show, the show must go on
Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on




Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
Go on, go on

Overall Meaning

The Show Must Go On is a tribute to Freddie Mercury, written by Queen bandmates Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor, and produced by David Richards. The lyrics describe the emptiness, loneliness and heartache of life, yet the determination to push through it all and keep going. The first verse refers to the abandoned and forgotten places of the world as well as the meaningless acts of violence committed every day. Then comes the famous chorus that declares that despite all of these hardships, the show must go on.


As the song progresses, the lyrics depict a sense of resignation and acceptance of life's difficulties, but with the realization that there is still hope for better and brighter things. Elton John's powerful vocals perfectly capture the emotion and passion of the song, making it an anthem of strength and perseverance. The line "My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies, fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die" is a reference to Freddie Mercury's fascination with butterflies and his belief in the immortality of art.


Line by Line Meaning

Empty spaces, what are we living for
What is the point of living when we have nothing to fill the emptiness?


Abandoned places, I guess we know the score
We know the sad reality of our lives where everything and everyone we cared for have abandoned us.


On and on, does anybody know what we are looking for
Our search for meaning and purpose seems to be unending, and no one seems to have a clear answer.


Another hero, another mindless crime
We keep seeing more tragedies and injustices with no real heroes to save the day and prevent further senseless atrocities.


Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Our lives are like a staged performance, where we put on a façade to hide the pain and struggles beneath the surface.


Hold the line, does anybody want to take it anymore
Are we even strong enough to continue to endure any longer? Can anyone else bear to continue the fight?


The show must go on
Despite the hardships and challenges of life, we must keep going and not give up.


Inside my heart is breaking
Despite putting on a brave face, deep down, I am hurting and struggling to keep going.


My make-up may be flaking
Even if my external appearance is falling apart, I must still maintain a façade of composure and strength.


But my smile still stays on
Despite the pain and suffering, I will continue to put on a brave face and show the world a glimmer of hope.


Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance
I am at the mercy of fate and cannot control the outcome of my life, so I'll take chances and risks to keep moving forward.


Another heartache, another failed romance
I've experienced numerous heartbreaks and lost loves, but I must keep going and not let it break me completely.


On and on, does anybody know what we are living for?
Our search for purpose and meaning seems to be never-ending, and no one seems to have an answer or solution.


I guess I'm learning (I'm learning learning learning)
I am starting to realize that I must learn to accept things as they are and not lose hope.


I must be warmer now
I must be more compassionate and caring towards myself and others to find my way out of the darkness.


I'll soon be turning (turning turning turning) round the corner now
I feel that a positive change is coming and that I am about to turn a corner in my struggle towards finding peace and happiness.


Outside the dawn is breaking
A new day is coming, and with it, the hope of a better tomorrow.


But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free
Despite the glimmer of hope, I am still in pain and seek freedom from my struggles and sufferings.


Yeah yeah, whoa wo oh oh
An affirmation of the pain and struggle that defines our lives, despite the glimmers of hope that appear now and then.


My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
My soul has been transformed and made beautiful by my hardships and struggles, taking on the colors and beauty of a butterfly's wings.


Fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die
The stories of the past, both good and bad, will never truly fade away but remain with us as a part of our lives and who we are.


I can fly, my friends
Despite my struggles, I can still rise above them and find a way to soar and be free.


Ooh, inside my heart is breaking
Once again, the performer admits that deep down, in the core of their being, they are suffering and dying.


My make-up may be flaking
Again, they admit that despite the agony underneath the surface, they put on a brave face to push forward against the darkness.


But my smile still stays on
Although their world is bleak and shattered, they will maintain a semblance of poise because 'the show must go on.


Ooh, I'll top the bill, I'll overkill
Despite the doubts and worries, they will be successful and powerful, rising above everything.


I have to find the will to carry on
The singer concludes that they must have the strength to keep going, both for themselves and for everyone in the audience.


On with the show
The performer urges everyone to keep going, for the show must always go on - no matter how much pain, heartache, or loss there may be.


Go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
An insistent and repetitive reminder that we must keep pushing on - no matter what.




Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@pairedgalaxy2163

Its lovely how brian always talks about how much he misses Freddie its just sad though and everybody loved Freddie,John just thought Freddie is the only person with that talent and knew it was over after his death,I would say if everybody in this world had a gun nobody would shoot Freddie he is a legand

R.I.P
Freddie Mercury
The greatest showman ever.A legand
And his words were.
The show must go on.
And thats what we will do keep Queen were they are on fam and how good people like their music
The best band ever



All comments from YouTube:

@TheThirdGerman

He didn't sing this to contest with Freddie Mercury, he sang it to honour him. He deserves credit for that. Some people here fail to realize that.

@VOD713

TheThirdGerman 👏🏼

@Jbessette

It should be noted that Freddy Mercury and Elton John were close friends

@ykalon

@@Jbessette Elton John is friend to just about all in the music industry.

@rustinzitoun6820

Man, i just realized that its true

@brendendesimone9278

@@ykalon he's not friends with Keith Richards

95 More Replies...

@angiel2710

Elton was a great friend of Freddie’s and even visited him on his deathbed. LOYALTY

@RB747domme

Angie L I'm not entirely certain Elton actually visited Freddie ON his deathbed..

..If he did, then that's probably best kept prrivate between Elton and Freddie.

@joshualaedtke2043

Freddie never had a deathbed

@juliact

@@RB747domme He did. There's video of it. I'm not sure how close it was to the end, but he visited Freddie regularly after Freddie became house-bound. He used to sneak in the back, but I think the last time he came, he said, F*** it, and came in the front door. The press door-stopped him and asked him what he was doing there, he said, "I'm simply visiting a friend". God bless you Elton.

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