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)
Nevermore (BBC Session
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The seas have gone dry
And the rain's stopped falling
Please don't you cry any more
Can't you see
Listen to the breeze
Whisper to me please
Don't send me to the path of nevermore
Even the valley's below
Where the rays of the sun
Were so warm and tender
Now haven't anything to grow
Can't you see?
Why did you have to leave me? (nevermore)
Why did you deceive me? (nevermore)
You sent me to the path of nevermore
When you say you didn't love me anymore
Ah ah nevermore nevermore
The lyrics of Queen's Nevermore (BBC Session) are an emotional depiction of the loneliness and despair of a person whose love has left them. The singer of the song describes how their life is devoid of any meaning and how they can’t find any solace in nature. The seas have gone dry, and the rain has stopped falling, symbolizing the end of emotions and the beginning of emptiness. The plea to the person who has left is the central theme of the song. The singer begs them not to cry but to listen to the breeze, imagining it as a messenger of the departed lover. The valley, once so full of life and growth, is now barren, expressing the contrast between the warmth and tenderness of love and the coldness and darkness of its absence.
The chorus is a tale of regret and longing, where the singer asks why the lover left them, and why they deceived them. The path of nevermore is the future without love, without any hope of rekindling the past. The final lines "When you say you didn't love me anymore, Ah ah nevermore nevermore" are an echo of the singer's pain, with the word "nevermore" being a symbol of the irreversible end.
Line by Line Meaning
There's no living in my life anymore
I feel empty and lifeless, without any sense of purpose or joy.
The seas have gone dry
The things that used to bring me comfort and solace have disappeared, leaving me without any relief.
And the rain's stopped falling
I used to find hope in the rain, but even that has ceased to come.
Please don't you cry any more
I don't want to cause anyone else pain or sadness by expressing mine.
Can't you see
Why can't you understand or empathize with my situation?
Listen to the breeze
I'm searching for any type of comfort, even if it's just the sound of the wind.
Whisper to me please
I desperately need someone, anyone, to provide me with some kind of reassurance or guidance.
Don't send me to the path of nevermore
I don't want to succumb to the darkness and despair that seems to be waiting for me.
Even the valley's below
The entire world around me feels desolate and devoid of any kind of positivity.
Where the rays of the sun
The one source of light and warmth that I used to rely on has disappeared from my life.
Were so warm and tender
I used to feel safe and secure in the sunlight, but now all of that is gone.
Now haven't anything to grow
Nothing seems to be able to thrive or flourish in this barren, hopeless environment.
Why did you have to leave me? (nevermore)
The departure of someone I loved and trusted is what brought me to this painful place of nevermore.
Why did you deceive me? (nevermore)
The betrayal of the person I cared for deeply is what led me to these dark feelings.
You sent me to the path of nevermore
By hurting and abandoning me, you pushed me towards a hopeless and desolate existence.
When you say you didn't love me anymore
The loss of love is the key factor in my current state of depression and despair.
Ah ah nevermore nevermore
The repetition of this phrase is a final, mournful expression of my sorrow and hopelessness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: FREDDIE MERCURY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
roberto ochoa
xThere's no living in my life anymore
The seas have gone dry and the rain stopped falling
Please, don't you cry anymore
Can't you see?
Listen to the breeze, whisper to me, please
Don't send me to the path of nevermore
Even the valleys below
Where the rays of the sun were so warn and tender
Now haven't anything to grow
Can't you see
Why did you have to leave me? (Nevermore)
Why did you deceive me? (Nevermore)
You send me to the path of nevermore
When you say you didn't love me anymore
Nevermore
Nevermore
Alessandra Napoletano
Freddie's voice in this version of "Nevermore" is so crystalline that seems to sing next to us...he is the only one able to touch the deepest chords of my soul
violet jillian
@Jens Walter Totally agree.
Jens Walter
Freddie is the best voice what i ever heard but the guitar of brian and the drums of roger or the bass guitar from john will make the band ever the best band of the world!!!
A J Holmstrom
absolutely agree
Chris topher
Alessandra Napoletano you are a beautiful person!
Ferran Galí Kelonen
This song, and others like love of my life, are in its concept what attracted me the most from Queen and their music, jumping from a hard rock to this lyricism, what a delicate musical touch my dear !
atiqullah termizi
or my fairy king
atiqullah termizi
if we talk about lyric, it's March of The Black Queen
Misha Tomskovich
Great comment
Broodje Kaas
Tomorrow, this beautiful track will be 45 years old! And still we are enyoing the beauty of it!