The band formed in London in 1970 after May and Taylor's former band Smile split after having released an album and single. Freddie replaced lead vocalist Tim Staffell, after the latter's departure from the original trio.
There was much deliberation as to what the band's name would be. May and Taylor had settled upon the Grand Dance, derived from a C.S. Lewis Trilogy of books Out Of The Silent Planet.
Ultimately, the band went with Queen, a name that was entirely Freddie's. Originally Roger and, especially, Brian did not like the name, though Mercury would eventually persuade them both that it was "right" for the band.
"Years ago I thought up the name Queen... It's just a name, but it's very regal, and it sounds splendid. It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations. I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it. "
- Freddie Mercury.
Queen went through several bass players before a young electronics major by the name of John Deacon arrived on the scene in January of 1971.
"Until John, it had been exploding bass player syndrome. If they musically worked they'd look all wrong, and if they felt all right they couldn't play. - Brian May.
This quite shy guy turned up with his immaculate Rickenbacker bass and immaculate amplifier, plugged in, and as soon as he started playing we realized it was right." - Brian May.
Later that year, the band was secured recording time at the newly built De Lane Lea studio, and used the opportunity to record several songs that would later appear on their debut album - Liar, Keep Yourself Alive, Jesus, and The Night Comes Down. The demo reel was passed around from producer to producer with little success, until a staff member of Trident records by the name of Roy Thomas Baker was introduced to the band by fellow Trident producer John Anthony. Baker dropped in to watch the band at work and, clearly liking what he heard, recommended Queen to his superiors.
It was eventually agreed upon that the fledgling band could record at Trident studios, though after already-established artists had finished their work, such as the likes of Elton John and David Bowie. Relegated to the wee hours of the morning to record the remaining tracks of their first album, the band nonetheless stuck it out until they reached their ultimate goal of "perfection".
Queen's self-titled debut album was released in 1973 and received little attention from the general public. They quickly followed it a year later with a second album, "Queen II" which also failed to generate much interest from music fans in Britain, despite the success of the album's single, Seven Seas of Rhye, which would reach #10 on the charts after the band's mimed appearance on Top of the Pops.
The band's second album was recorded with a higher budget than the first, and the band threw everything they had into recording it. Queen II was somewhat of a "concept album", split into "White Side" vs. "Black Side".
As was in their nature, the band pressed onward after the mediocre success of their first two albums, immersing themselves in a world-wide tour to promote Queen II. Queen played in America for the first time, as a support act for Mott the Hoople.
Sheer Heart Attack would be released later that year, focusing more on being accessible to listeners, than the grand and complex ideas of the previous two albums. The recording of their third album was met with some hardships, as May fell victim to a series of illnesses brought on by an infected inoculation, required for the band's rigorous touring schedule.
Sheer Heart Attack brought even more success for the band, with May's Now I'm Here and the song that would be the band's "turning point", the Mercury-penned Killer Queen, the latter of which would reach #2 on the UK charts.
During this time, the band began developing a huge following in Japan and witnessed their popularity for themselves when they visited the country, mainly in 1975, to promote their fourth and most famous album "A Night At The Opera", featuring the epic "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Queen's popularity grew steadily through the latter half of the 70s as they released hit album after hit album, reaching its peak in the mid-80s after their "Live Aid" appearance, and continuing into the early 90s before Mercury's untimely death on 24th November 1991. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.
Over the course of their 30 year career, the band did sound tracks for two films ("Flash Gordon" and "Highlander"), released a string of live and studio albums, and had many many fans across the world.
In 1995, 4 years after Mercury's death, the band released the album "Made In Heaven". This album saw the surviving band members in the studio completing or reworking unused vocals, unreleased variations of Freddie solo material (a Queen version of "I Was Born To Love You" for example), and tracks where Brian and Roger added lyrics to flesh out a song ("Mother Love").
Queen have been on indefinite hiatus since 1997, when John Deacon decided to retire.
Several "Queen + ..." projects have been developed in the following years, a few of them mere remixes with no artistic involvement from the band. In 1999, a "Greatest Hits III" album was released. This featured, among others, "Queen + Wyclef Jean" on a rap version of "Another One Bites the Dust", a live version of "Somebody to Love" performed by George Michael, and a live version of "The Show Must Go On" performed live in 1997 with Elton John.
Brian May and Roger Taylor have performed together as Queen on several occasions (award ceremonies, charity concerts, and the like), sharing vocals with various guest singers. They have also recorded several covers of Queen's hits with guest vocalists, including "We Will Rock You" (first with Five and later Britney Spears, Beyonce, John Farnham and P!nk) and "We Are the Champions" (with Robbie Williams).
On the 14th of May 2002 the Queen musical 'We Will Rock You' opened in the Dominion theatre in London's 'West End'. A Musical about young people in the distant future who aren't allowed to listen to music not generated by computers. Various Queen songs are used in the story, played by a live band. This live band was supported by Brian May and Roger Taylor on the premiere evening.
At the end of 2004, May and Taylor announced that they would reunite and return to touring in 2005, with Paul Rodgers (founder and former lead singer of Free and Bad Company). Brian May's website also stated that Rodgers would be 'featured with' Queen as 'Queen + Paul Rodgers', not replacing Mercury. The retired John Deacon would not be participating.
Between 2005 and 2006 Queen + Paul Rodgers embarked on a world tour, the first leg in Europe and the second, Japan and then the US in 2006. On 15 August 2006, Brian May confirmed through his website and fan club that Queen + Paul Rodgers would begin producing their first studio album beginning in October, to be recorded at a "secret location". The album, titled The Cosmos Rocks, was released in Europe on 12 September 2008 and in the United States on 28 October 2008. Following the album the band again embarked on a tour through Europe, opening on Kharkiv's Freedom Square in front of 350,000 Ukrainian fans. The show in Ukraine was later released on DVD.
Queen and Paul Rodgers officially split up without animosity on 12 May 2009. Rodgers did not rule out the possibility of working together again.
Since 2012, Queen has been touring with Adam Lambert as the frontman.
More information about Queen + Paul Rodgers can be found on their last.fm page.
Official website: www.queenonline.com
Discography:
1.- Queen (1973)
2.- Queen II (1974)
3.- Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
4.- A Night at the Opera (1975)
5.- A Day at the Races (1976)
6.- News of the World (1977)
7.- Jazz (1978)
8.- The Game (1980)
9.- Flash Gordon (1980)
10.- Hot Space (1982)
11.- The Works (1984)
12.- A Kind of Magic (1986)
13.- The Miracle (1989)
14.- Innuendo (1991)
15.- Made in Heaven (1995)
Don't Try Suicide
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah
OK
Don't do it
Don't you try it baby
Don't do that
Don't, don't, don't
You got a good thing going now
Don't do it, don't do it, don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives a damn
So you think it's the easy way out
Think you're gonna slash your wrists this time
Baby, when you do it all you do is get on my tits
Don't do that
Try try try baby
Don't do that,
You got a good thing going now
Don't do it, don't do it, don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives a damn
You need help
Look at yourself you need help
You need life
So don't hang yourself
It's OK, OK, OK, OK
You just can't be a prick teaser all of the time
A little bit attention
you got it
Need some affection
you got it
Suicide, suicide, suicide bid
Suicide, suicide, suicide bid
Suicide, hey
Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it, babe (yeah)
Don't do it, don't do it, don't, do it
Yeah, yeah
Don't put your neck on the line
Don't drown on me babe
Blow your brains out
Don't do that (yeah)
Don't do that, you got a good thing going baby
Don't do it (no) don't do it (no) don't
Don't try suicide
Nobody's worth it
Don't try suicide
Nobody cares
Don't try suicide
You're just gonna hate it
Don't try suicide
Nobody gives, nobody cares
Nobody gives a damn
OK
The lyrics of "Don't Try Suicide" by Queen are a plea to someone who is contemplating suicide. The singer is urging the person not to take their own life, emphasizing that nobody is worth it and that nobody cares. The singer acknowledges that the person may be hurting and in need of help, but suicide is not the solution. The lines, "You need help, look at yourself, you need help. You need life, so don't hang yourself" are particularly poignant and convey the message that there is hope and that things can get better.
In addition to the lyrical content, the song also has a distinctive sound that mixes rock and pop elements with electronic instrumentation. The catchy chorus is backed by a synthesizer and drum machine, giving the song a modern and edgy feel. The song's upbeat rhythm and harmonies belie the serious nature of the lyrics, creating an interesting juxtaposition of style and substance.
Overall, "Don't Try Suicide" is a powerful and moving song that addresses a difficult subject with sensitivity and compassion. The song urges listeners to seek help and support rather than succumbing to the despair of suicide.
Line by Line Meaning
A one two three four, one
The song starts with a lively beat from a one two three four count.
Yeah
An expression of affirmation, nodding to the importance of the message that follows.
Don't do it
The singer is telling someone not to go through with something.
Don't you try it baby
The artist is using a term of endearment to emphasize that they care about the person not going through with something dangerous.
Don't do that
The artist continues to discourage the listener from making a dangerous decision.
Don't, don't, don't
The singer repeats their warning, emphasizing the importance of the listener not going through with suicide.
Don't do that
The singer reiterates their plea not to commit suicide.
You got a good thing going now
The artist acknowledges that the listener has positive aspects of their life to live for and that suicide is not the solution.
Don't do it, don't do it, don't
The artist repeats their plea to discourage the listener from committing suicide.
Don't try suicide
The artist urges the listener not to attempt suicide.
Nobody's worth it
The singer emphasizes that no one or no situation is worth losing your life over.
Nobody cares
The artist points out that suicide will not garner the attention or concern of others the way the listener may think it will.
You're just gonna hate it
The singer implies that the afterlife is not desirable and that suicide will not provide the listener with a positive experience.
So you think it's the easy way out
The singer hypothesizes that the listener believes suicide is the simplest solution to their problems.
Think you're gonna slash your wrists this time
The singer describes a hypothetical situation in which the listener would take their own life.
Baby, when you do it all you do is get on my tits
The artist expresses frustration with the listener's hypothetical decision to commit suicide, emphasizing that it will have a negative impact on the people around them.
Try try try baby
The artist encourages the listener to keep trying and to not give up hope.
Don't try suicide, you got a good thing going now
The singer reiterates the idea that the listener has positive aspects to their life and emphasizes that suicide is not the answer.
You need help
The singer recognizes that the listener requires assistance to find joy and purpose in life.
Look at yourself you need help
The artist highlights that the listener needs to acknowledge they need help in order to receive it.
You need life
The artist asserts that every individual is deserving of life and should not give up on it.
So don't hang yourself
The artist explicitly advises the listener not to take their own life in any way.
It's OK, OK, OK, OK
The singer reassures the listener that it is okay to seek help and to face their problems head-on.
You just can't be a prick teaser all of the time
The artist encourages the listener to communicate their feelings so that others may understand and offer assistance.
A little bit attention you got it
The singer asserts that the listener can receive attention and help if they reach out for it.
Need some affection you got it
The singer emphasizes that the listener is deserving of love and care and can find it if they seek it out.
Suicide, suicide, suicide bid
The singer references the possibility of suicide as a serious, life-altering decision.
Don't put your neck on the line
The artist metaphorically advises the listener not to endanger themselves.
Don't drown on me babe
The artist encourages the listener not to succumb to overwhelming emotions or give up on life.
Blow your brains out
The singer uses graphic language to describe the potentially fatal and irreversible action of suicide.
Don't do that
The singer strongly discourages the listener from committing suicide.
You got a good thing going baby
The artist reminds the listener of the positive aspects of their life that make it worth living.
Don't try suicide, nobody gives, nobody cares
The artist reiterates the idea that suicide will not provide the listener with the attention or concern they may desire and strongly urges them not to attempt it.
Yeah, yeah
The artist ends the song on a final note of emphasis and encouragement.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Freddie Mercury
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind