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)
Some Day One Day
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But now I think you hear me well for now we both know how
No star can light our way in this cloud of dark and fear
But some day, one day...
Funny how the pages turn and hold us in between
A misty castle awaits for you
And you shall be a Queen (you shall be a Queen)
But some day, one day...
When I was you and you were me and we were very young
Together took us nearly there, the rest may not be sung
So still the cloud it hangs over us and we're alone
But some day one day...
We'll come home
"Some Day One Day" by Queen is a song that expresses feelings of isolation and the desire for companionship. The first verse talks about the difficulty of being heard in a loud and chaotic world. The music is too loud for the singer's message to be understood. However, the second verse shows a glimpse of hope. The singer and listener have both experienced difficulty, which brings them closer together. However, there is still a cloud of fear and darkness that overshadows them.
The chorus speaks of the future. The pages have turned, and a misty castle awaits the listener. The singer tells the listener that someday they'll be a queen. This is likely a metaphor for achieving success and overcoming adversity. The singer acknowledges that the present is still grey and cloudy, but there is still hope for a brighter future.
The final verse is nostalgic. It speaks of the past when the singer and the listener were young and together. They had nearly achieved their goal, but something fell short. They're now alone in the present, but it hints that there is still a possibility for them to come home.
Overall, "Some Day One Day" is a song that conveys a sense of hope and future in the face of adversity. It shows that despite the fear and darkness that may surround us, the future holds the promise of success and happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
You never heard my song before the music was too loud
I tried to express myself to you before, but my message was lost in the chaos of the situation.
But now I think you hear me well for now we both know how
I think we both understand each other now that we've been through some shared experiences.
No star can light our way in this cloud of dark and fear
We are lost in a dark and fearful place and cannot rely on outside sources to guide us.
But some day, one day...
Despite the current difficulties, we hold on to the hope that things will improve in the future.
Funny how the pages turn and hold us in between
Life is unpredictable and can leave us feeling caught between different states or circumstances.
A misty castle awaits for you
There is a mysterious and enchanting place that you are destined to reach.
And you shall be a Queen (you shall be a Queen)
You will have a powerful position of leadership and influence in this place.
Today the cloud, it hangs over us and all is grey
We are currently facing dark and gloomy circumstances that seem to have no way out.
But some day, one day...
We continue to hold on to the hope that things will improve in the future.
When I was you and you were me and we were very young
In the past, we were different people and had different perspectives, but we were still deeply connected.
Together took us nearly there, the rest may not be sung
We have shared many experiences that have brought us close to where we want to be, but there is still more work to do.
So still the cloud it hangs over us and we're alone
Despite our shared experiences, we still feel isolated and lost in the current difficult circumstances.
But some day one day...
Our hope for a better future remains strong.
We'll come home
Eventually, we will return to a place of comfort, safety, and belonging.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HAROLD MAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind