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)
Who Needs You
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Always try to keep me hanging 'round
You little spoilt thing girl you kept me waiting
Never contemplating my point of view
This comes as no surprise
I'm a fool for I believed your lies
But now I've seen through your disguise
Who needs well I don't need who needs you?
Oh I believed you
Went on my knees to you
How I trusted you
But you turned me down
But it's dog eat dog in this rat race
And it leaves you bleeding lying flat on your face
Reaching out, reaching out for a helping hand
Where is that helping hand? (Oh, muchachos)
(I like it I like it)
Ooh, well I don't need you
How I was pushed around?
Don't let it get you down
You walked all over me
But don't you ever give in
Taking one step forward slipping two steps back
There's an empty feeling that you can't forget
Reaching out (reaching out) for a helping (for a helping hand) hand
When I met you you were always charming
Couldn't sleep at night 'til you were mine
You were oh so, so sophisticated
Never interested in what I'd say
I had to swallow my pride
So naive you took me for a ride
But now I'm the one to decide
Who needs, well I don't need, who needs you?
The lyrics of the song "Who Needs You" by Queen is about a relationship where one person is tired of being kept on hold and mistreated while the other person is always in control. The song begins by revealing that the singer has been waiting half past six, but his significant other will only arrive an hour later. The person being talked about is described as a spoiled girl who never considers the other person's point of view. The singer is admitting to being a fool for having faith in the other person.
In the chorus, the singer emphasizes that he does not need the other person and is now empowered to move on. He also bemoans that when he reached out for help, there was no one to be found. The second verse delves deeper into the relationship, casting the other person as someone who was manipulative, sophisticated, and disinterested in his ideas. The singer realized he had been taken for a ride by being too naive.
Overall, the song is a message of empowerment and standing up for oneself. The lyrics make us realize that people deserve to be treated with respect in relationships, and it is okay to walk away from people who devalue them.
Line by Line Meaning
I make it half past six you come at seven
You are always late when we have plans together.
Always try to keep me hanging 'round
You never respect my time or plans and it feels like I'm always waiting on you.
You little spoilt thing girl you kept me waiting
You act entitled and expect me to wait around for you.
Never contemplating my point of view
You never consider my feelings, thoughts, or opinions on anything we do.
This comes as no surprise
I am not shocked or surprised by your behavior anymore.
I'm a fool for I believed your lies
I was foolish to trust you and believe the lies you told me.
But now I've seen through your disguise
I have finally realized the true nature of your character and the facade you put on.
Who needs well I don't need who needs you?
I no longer need or want you in my life.
Oh I believed you
I used to believe the lies you told me.
Went on my knees to you
I begged and pleaded with you to stay in my life.
How I trusted you
I put my trust in you and thought you would never hurt me.
But you turned me down
You rejected me and didn't want to be with me.
But it's dog eat dog in this rat race
Life is tough and competitive, and everyone is fighting to come out on top.
And it leaves you bleeding lying flat on your face
Sometimes the harsh realities of life can leave you feeling defeated and helpless.
Reaching out, reaching out for a helping hand
In times of need, you may try to seek help from others.
Where is that helping hand? (Oh, muchachos)
Sometimes when you need help the most, it can feel like no one is there for you.
Ooh, well I don't need you
I no longer need you in my life.
How I was pushed around?
You mistreated me and didn't treat me with the respect I deserve.
Don't let it get you down
Don't let the mistreatment and disrespect from others affect your confidence and self-worth.
You walked all over me
You took advantage of me and treated me like a doormat.
But don't you ever give in
Don't let others bring you down or make you feel defeated.
Taking one step forward slipping two steps back
It can feel like progress is slow and difficult, and every step forward is met with setbacks.
There's an empty feeling that you can't forget
Sometimes the pain and hurt caused by others can leave a lasting impact on your emotions and well-being.
When I met you you were always charming
When we first met, you were always kind and likeable.
Couldn't sleep at night 'til you were mine
I had strong feelings for you and couldn't stop thinking about you until we were together.
You were oh so, so sophisticated
You acted in a way that made you seem worldly and cultured.
Never interested in what I'd say
You never really cared about my thoughts or opinions.
I had to swallow my pride
I had to put aside my self-respect and dignity to be with you.
So naive you took me for a ride
I was too innocent and trusting, and you were able to deceive and manipulate me.
But now I'm the one to decide
I am the one in control of my life and choices now, not you.
Who needs, well I don't need, who needs you?
I no longer need or want you in my life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Deacon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind