Two schools of thought emerged amongst fans. One was that these were to be considered not only separate tracks, but separate "songs". The second was that tracks 11, 12 and 13 were all one song ("It's a Beautiful Day [Reprise]") and that the splitting of it was a deliberate tongue-in-cheek gesture by the band. Initially, the band were content to maintain the air of mystery around Track 13. Over time, May has discussed it and shed a bit more light on it, such as the aforementioned creation by David Richards and the subsequent involvement by himself and Taylor.
Musically, the three tracks (11, 12 and 13) can be played without interruption as a single twenty-five minute piece. The 22 minute length of Track 13 echoes the 22 year gap between the release of 'Made in Heaven' and Queen, the band's first album, with key moments in the time-span (such as Freddie Mercury's death in 1991 (18:00)) being echoed with more dramatic and eerie notes than earlier minutes in the piece. At the end following a symbol build-up, a sound resembling a cartoonish spaceship is heard, which could be signaling that Mercury has left the planet as all of his vocals have been used up. Finally, at the end of the "Untitled" Track 13, a voice is heard (likely Freddie's) saying 'Fab!'
Untitled Hidden Track" (Track 13) was an experiment by producer David Richards with an Ensoniq ASR13 sampler. He took the opening chords of 'It's a Beautiful Day' and made them loop, and then added Mercury's voice through strange echoes. May and Taylor also added some ideas to the track. This track is only available on the CD edition of the album and the aforementioned promo cassettes.
Standard cassettes of the album end with the shortened "It's a Beautiful Day (Reprise)", fading out after the second "Yeah" (Track 12 on the CD), where this Untitled track would continue on. The Untitled Track can be purchased also as part of the full album or as a separate piece from Queen's official online store.
The LP (vinyl) edition of the album has only the first few seconds, which run into the run-off of the groove on the record, which actually means that if a listener has a record player which does not have an automatic stop activated at this point, it will play indefinitely, consisting only of the few seconds looped over constantly.
Untitled
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Are you running? (are you running?) (are you running?)
Are you running? (are you running?) (are you running?)
Ha ha ha
H'huu h'huu
Fab
Queen's "Untitled" is a somewhat obscure track that is essentially an instrumental, with Freddie Mercury's voice providing only a few phrases sporadically spread throughout the piece. The repeated question of "Are you running?" gives the impression of a chase or some sort of pursuit. The laughter and grunting sounds added to the vocals add a sense of chaos to the song, and the shortness of the phrases leave the interpretation open to the listener's imagination.
The instrumentals are the true focus of the song, with Brian May's guitar work being especially prominent. The song starts off with a simple riff that grows in intensity as the drums and bass join in, building the tension of the track. The guitar work becomes more intricate as the song progresses, with May demonstrating his skill and creativity in the solos. The use of sound effects, such as the occasional crash of breaking glass, add to the song's chaotic atmosphere. Overall, the track gives the impression of a frantic chase, with the intense instrumentals and Mercury's brief contributions to the song adding to the feeling of a pursuit.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you running? (are you running?) (are you running?)
Do you feel like you're constantly on the move or trying to escape something?
Are you running? (are you running?) (are you running?)
Do you feel like you're always in a hurry and can never catch a break?
Are you running? (are you running?) (are you running?)
Do you feel like you're literally running away from something or someone?
Ha ha ha
The laughter could indicate a sarcastic or bitter tone towards the subject or situation at hand.
H'huu h'huu
This wordless sound could represent heavy breathing, exhaustion or frustration.
Fab
This one-word exclamation could either be a dismissive response or an ironic expression of approval.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind