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)
The Show Must Go On
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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, yeah
Inside my heart is breaking
My makeup 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 must be warmer now
I'll soon be 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
Inside my heart is breaking
My makeup may be flaking
But my smile, still, stays on
My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
Fairy tales of yesterday, grow but never die
I can fly, my friends
The show must go on
The show must go on
I'll face it with a grin
I'm never giving in
On with the show
I'll top the bill
I'll overkill
I have to find the will to carry on
On with the show
Show
Show must go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
The lyrics to Queen's "The Show Must Go On" convey a sense of resilience, determination, and a refusal to give up or give in, even in the face of adversity. The opening lines of the song, "Empty spaces, what are we living for? Abandoned places, I guess we know the score," suggest a sense of emptiness or longing, but also a recognition that life can be harsh and unforgiving. The next line, "Does anybody know what we are looking for?" implies a kind of existential confusion or uncertainty - what is the purpose of life, and what are we here to do?
The middle section of the song depicts the struggles of the singer, who seems to be dealing with heartbreak and personal turmoil. "Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance," he sings, suggesting a kind of resignation or fatalism about his own life. "Another heartache, another failed romance, on and on," he adds, acknowledging the difficulties of love and relationships. But even in the midst of this pain and hardship, the singer remains strong and determined - "I'll face it with a grin, I'm never giving in, on with the show," he declares.
The final section of the song is perhaps the most uplifting, as the singer asserts his own strength and resilience, and affirms his belief in the power of music and performance to inspire and uplift others. "I'll top the bill, I'll overkill, I have to find the will to carry on," he sings, suggesting a kind of bravado and an unwillingness to be defeated. The repeated refrain of "The show must go on" is both a call to action and a statement of purpose - for the singer and for all of us.
Line by Line Meaning
Empty spaces, what are we living for?
What is the purpose of our existence when everything seems so empty?
Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and on
We've been left alone in this lonely place and we know it will continue like this endlessly.
Does anybody know what we are looking for?
Does anyone know what we're searching for or what we're missing in life?
Another hero, another mindless crime
There always seems to be another tragedy or senseless act of violence that takes someone away.
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Life can feel like a play or an act and we're waiting for the next scene to begin.
Hold the line
Stay strong and keep going.
Does anybody want to take it anymore?
Is anyone tired of the pain and suffering we endure and want to give up?
The show must go on
We have to keep living and pushing forward despite the struggles and setbacks.
Inside my heart is breaking
I'm hurting deeply even though I'm trying to stay strong on the outside.
My makeup may be flaking
Even though I might be falling apart and losing myself, I'll still try to keep up appearances.
But my smile, still, stays on
Despite everything, I'll keep smiling and trying to be happy.
Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance
I'll take risks and let fate decide what happens next since I can't control everything.
Another heartache, another failed romance, on and on
Love keeps coming and going, and sometimes it feels like it'll never work out.
Does anybody know what we are living for?
What is the point of all the struggle and heartache?
I guess I'm learning
I'm slowly figuring things out and growing from my experiences.
I must be warmer now
I need to show more warmth and kindness to others and myself.
I'll soon be turning, round the corner now
Things are looking up soon and a new chapter in life is coming.
Outside the dawn is breaking
The start of a new day is coming and bringing hope with it.
But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free
Even though things are starting to look better, I still feel trapped and long for freedom.
My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
My spirit is unbreakable and free like a butterfly that can fly away at any moment.
Fairy tales of yesterday, grow but never die
Memories and dreams from the past keep us going and will never fade away.
I can fly, my friends
I can rise above any obstacle and keep moving forward.
I'll face it with a grin
I'll tackle everything that comes my way with a smile on my face.
I'm never giving in
I'm not going to give up or give in to my struggles.
On with the show
Let's keep moving forward despite everything and not let anything stop us.
I'll top the bill
I'll be the best and succeed no matter what.
I'll overkill
I'll go above and beyond to achieve my goals and dreams.
I have to find the will to carry on
I need to find the strength and motivation to keep going and not give up.
Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind