Keep Yourself Alive
Queen Lyrics


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Take off
I was told a million times
Of all the troubles in my way
Mind you grow a little wiser
Little better every day
But if I crossed a million rivers
And I rode a million miles
Then I'd still be where I started
Bread and butter for a smile
Well I sold a million mirrors
In a shopping alley way
But I never saw my face
In any window any day
Now they say your folks are telling you
Be a super star
But I tell you just be satisfied
Stay right where you are

Keep yourself alive, yeah
Keep yourself alive
Ooh, it'll take you all your time and money
Honey you'll survive

Ow

Well I've loved a million women
In a belladonic haze
And I ate a million dinners
Brought to me on silver trays
Give me everything I need
To feed my body and my soul
And I'll grow a little bigger
Maybe that can be my goal
I was told a million times
Of all the people in my way
How I had to keep on trying
And get better every day
But if I crossed a million rivers
And I rode a million miles
Then I'd still be where I started
Same as when I started

Keep yourself alive, come on
Keep yourself alive
Ooh, it'll take you all your time and money honey
You'll survive, shake

Ow
Keep yourself alive, wow
Keep yourself alive
Oh, it'll take you all your time and money
To keep me satisfied

Do you think you're better every day?
No, I just think I'm two steps nearer to my grave

Keep yourself alive, c'mon
Keep yourself alive
Mm, you take your time and take more money
Keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive
C'mon keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive
C'mon c'mon keep yourself alive
It'll take you all your time and a money
To keep me satisfied
Keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive
Take you all your time and money honey
You will survive





Keep you satisfied

Overall Meaning

The opening track of Queen's self-titled debut album, Keep Yourself Alive displays Queen's trademark blend of rock and theatrics, with Freddie Mercury's soaring vocals, Brian May's electric guitar playing, and a driving beat provided by Roger Taylor on drums and John Deacon on bass guitar. The song's lyrics seem to address the struggles of an up-and-coming musician, with Mercury singing about being told of "all the troubles in my way" but striving to improve himself every day. He sings about the temptations of fame and excess ("Well I've loved a million women in a belladonic haze / And I ate a million dinners brought to me on silver trays") but ultimately concludes that the key to success is to "keep yourself alive" and stay true to yourself.


Musically, Keep Yourself Alive features May's distinctive guitar riffs and solos, with the chorus featuring a harmony-heavy vocal arrangement that would become a staple of Queen's sound. The song is also notable for its unusual structure, with multiple sections and time signatures shifting throughout. These complex musical arrangements would become a hallmark of the band's style and influence countless subsequent rock musicians.


Since its release, Keep Yourself Alive has become a fan favorite and a staple of Queen's live shows. The song's upbeat energy and message of perseverance have made it a motivational anthem for generations of fans. With its combination of rock, theatrics, and intricate musical arrangements, Keep Yourself Alive is a masterclass in Queen's unique sound and approach to music.


Line by Line Meaning

Take off
To start a journey or an adventure


I was told a million times
Advice and warnings from people about the difficulties and hardships that lie ahead


Of all the troubles in my way
All the obstacles and difficulties that one may face in life


Mind you grow a little wiser
To continuously learn and acquire new knowledge to become smarter every day


Little better every day
To improve and make progress daily


But if I crossed a million rivers
Even after facing many challenges and covering a lot of distance, it does not guarantee progress towards one's goal


And I rode a million miles
Travelling many miles without any progress towards a specific goal


Then I'd still be where I started
Not making any progress despite trying very hard


Bread and butter for a smile
Living a simple life with basic necessities despite not making any progress


Well I sold a million mirrors
Making a lot of money but never seeing oneself reflected in any of the windows


In a shopping alleyway
A metaphorical representation of the materialistic world


But I never saw my face
Losing one's true identity and forgetting who they are


In any window any day
The absence of any physical or personal reflection of oneself despite living a materialistic life


Now they say your folks are telling you
Advice from family members to become a superstar


Be a super star
To achieve great success, fame and fortune


But I tell you just be satisfied
To be content with what you have rather than constantly chasing success and material possessions


Stay right where you are
To be in the present moment and not constantly striving for the future


Keep yourself alive, yeah
To stay alive in the metaphorical sense, to keep on living life despite its difficulties


Keep yourself alive
To survive and thrive despite life's obstacles


Ooh, it'll take you all your time and money
Surviving and thriving requires time and money, perseverance and hard work


Honey you'll survive
To assure the listener that they have what it takes to survive


Well I've loved a million women
A metaphor for the many things one may experience in life


In a belladonic haze
A reference to the poisonous plant Belladonna, as a metaphor for experiencing dangerous or harmful situations in life


And I ate a million dinners
An abundance of food, a metaphor for one's basic needs being met


Brought to me on silver trays
Living a luxurious life where one's needs are taken care of


Give me everything I need
Basic needs such as food, water, shelter, and clothing


To feed my body and my soul
To sustain oneself both physically and spiritually


And I'll grow a little bigger
To mature and develop in all aspects of life


Maybe that can be my goal
To focus on one's self-development rather than purely materialistic desires


How I had to keep on trying
To persevere in the face of obstacles


But if I crossed a million rivers
Even if one tries very hard and overcomes many hurdles, they may still not achieve their goal


How I had to keep on trying
The importance of perseverance despite setbacks and challenges


Take you all your time and money honey
The amount of time, money and effort required to achieve one's goal


You'll survive
To reassure the listener that they will survive despite the challenges


Do you think you're better every day?
A rhetorical question about personal growth and self-improvement


No, I just think I'm two steps nearer to my grave
A response indicating that personal growth is not about feeling superior, but rather the passage of time and getting closer to death


Mm, you take your time and take more money
The cost, both in terms of time and resources, of striving for one's dreams


All you people keep yourself alive
To encourage everyone to persevere and strive towards their goals


Take you all your time and money honey
The importance of perseverance and hard work in achieving success


You will survive
To reassure the listener that they have the strength to overcome life's obstacles and challenges




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Harold May

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

@raykrislianggi

Quarantine anthems, Queen version:
1. Keep Yourself Alive
2. I Want to Break Free
3. I'm Going Slightly Mad
4. Living On My Own
5. The Show Must Go On

Post-quarantine anthems, Queen version:
1. The Miracle
2. Don't Stop Me Now
3. Spread Your Wings
4. Now I'm Here
5. I Want It All



@mariomikulec5927

Take off
I was told a million times
Of all the troubles in my way
Mind you grow a little wiser
Little better every day
But if I crossed a million rivers
And I rode a million miles
Then I'd still be where I started
Bread and butter for a smile
Well I sold a million mirrors
In a shopping alley way
But I never saw my face
In any window any day
Now they say your folks are telling you
Be a super star
But I tell you just be satisfied
Stay right where you are
Keep yourself alive, yeah
Keep yourself alive
Ooh, it'll take you all your time and money
Honey you'll survive
Ow
Well I've loved a million women
In a belladonic haze
And I ate a million dinners
Brought to me on silver trays
Give me everything I need
To feed my body and my soul
And I'll grow a little bigger
Maybe that can be my goal
I was told a million times
Of all the people in my way
How I had to keep on trying
And get better every day
But if I crossed a million rivers
And I rode a million miles
Then I'd still be where I started
Same as when I started
Keep yourself alive, come on
Keep yourself alive
Ooh, it'll take you all your time and money honey
You'll survive, shake
Ow
Keep yourself alive, wow
Keep yourself alive
Oh, it'll take you all your time and money
To keep me satisfied
Do you think you're better every day?
No, I just think I'm two steps nearer to my grave
Keep yourself alive, c'mon
Keep yourself alive
Mm, you take your time and take more money
Keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive
C'mon keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive
C'mon c'mon keep yourself alive
It'll take you all your time and a money
To keep me satisfied
Keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive
Take you all your time and money honey
You will survive
Keep you satisfied



@princessbananahammock516

Yeeeess I loveee it too but when I tried to play it to my drums my hands flied off !
My teacher was waiting for this but I was like :
-I can do it yes I can !!!
My teacher :
-Calm down you little kid !



Sorry Roger I love you !!!😁😍😘



@nesquikboyyy

Iconic Moments:
0:42 - That chainmail thing that Freddie is wearing on his hand is amazing (also his necklace is really nice too)
1:07 - Freddie fixing his hair
1:18 - Zoom in on the Red Special
1:27 - Zoom in on John, impregnating his bass
1:28 - John's hair (I LOVE.)
1:28 ~ 1:33 - Roggy 
1:37 ~ 1:40 - Roggy, part 2
1:58 - Freddie and Roger from behind
2:08 - THE DECON BEACON SPREADING LOVE AND JOY SINCE AUGUST 19TH, 1951. 
2:12 - Beautiful Brian <333
2:19 ~ 2:34 - ROGERS SOLO HOLY S H I T.
2:31 - Freddie gets a tambourine...
... 2:35 - Freddie fucking banishing the tambourine into the shadow realm.
2:43 - Freddie and Brian
3:00 ~ 3:12 - THE BEST PART OF THE ENTIRE SONG.
3:22 - Freddie flipping the mic sticky thingy up
3:27 - John stomping his foot
(edit: thanks for the likes!!! c:)



@johndeaconsfavcheeseslice8979

LYRICS:

I was told a million times
Of all the troubles in my way
Mind you grow a little wiser
Little better every day

But if I crossed a million rivers
And I rode a million miles
Then I'd still be where I started
Bread and butter for a smile

Well I sold a million mirrors
In a shop in Alley Way
But I never saw my face
In any window any day

Now they say your folks are telling you
"Be a superstar,"
But I tell you just be satisfied
And stay right where you are

Keep yourself alive yeah
Keep yourself alive
Take you all your time and a money
Honey you'll survive

Well I've loved a million women
In a belladonnic haze
And I ate a million dinners
Brought to me on silver trays

Give me everything I need
To feed my body and my soul
Well I'll grow a little bigger
Maybe that can be my goal

I was told a million times
Of all the people in my way
How I had to keep on trying
And get better every day

But if I crossed a million rivers
And I rode a million miles
Then I'd still be where I started
Same as when I started

Keep yourself alive
Come on
Keep yourself alive
Take you all your time and a money
Honey you'll survive


Keep yourself alive (Whoa)
Keep yourself alive
Oh, take you all your time and a money
To keep me satisfied

Do you think you're better every day?
No, I just think I'm two steps nearer to my grave

Keep yourself alive
Come on
Keep yourself alive
You take your time and take my money
Keep yourself alive

Keep yourself alive
Come on
Keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive

Keep yourself alive
Come on
Come on
Keep yourself alive
Take you all your time and a money
To keep me satisfied

Keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive

Take you all your time and money
Honey you will survive

Keep you satisfied
Keep you satisfied



@bluebell3720

With ibex 69 first gig freddie had stage fright and sang with his back to the audience till he felt confident !
His stand broke with ibex so he kept it as a gimmick with queen
His singing wasnt good with ibex who he re named wreckage
(He rang them up saying their fine with the name wreckage are you ok with it?thry agreed individually because they thought the others had!the next time they met up hed re stenciled their equipment wreckage!)
He was pitchy
Wreckage and smile ended up performing at the same place a couple of times
Already friends
Roger and brian hated the way he sang that's why they didnt offer him to be the lead singer
(Freddie said in an interview,Tim left and they advertised for a singer,why I was right there right infront of them!)
But he learnt through his short time with ibex
And was fine with queen and just kept improving as he learnt
(The guy from ibex said jokingly so what are you renaming them
Queen!
He said he was shocked but once he got over that he coped with him calling himself mercury,"a queen" was already slang for a flamboyant gay man)
Before he was with them he kept critiquing them! Need to put on a performance,engage with the audience...



All comments from YouTube:

@elkingonzalez8573

0% autotune
100% talent
150% hair

@82patin

Lmao

@theweirdestyoutuberofallti8051

infinte%hair

@simpdetuvieja4131

Neji chikito :3

@afreakaboucher1316

What's even Auto tune anyway?
.

@themandalorian9613

The guy in the studio - wait you didn't used auto tune
Freddie - you had that?
Brian - no thanks
John - ok
Roger - um guys I think my mic died for the 7th time

79 More Replies...

@David-fanboy

Freddie is so legendary they named a planet after him.

@jefersongalvao5144

David Stewart and also a chemical element too

@gaminglegend

It's just like Toto- Africa. The continent was named after the song

@user-tg9uc4on2r

Thank god there no stupid ppl commenting here

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