The Show Must Go On
Queen & Bossa Nova Lyrics

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Empty spaces, what are we living for?
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
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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Queen & Bossa Nova's song "The Show Must Go On" speaks to the resilience and determination we need to push through hard times, despite the pain and suffering we feel. The opening lines, "Empty spaces, what are we living for? Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and on" express the feeling of hopelessness and futility that we can feel in times of distress. The singer questions what the purpose of life is and discusses the abandoned and forgotten parts of the world we live in.

As the song progresses, the singer acknowledges the reality of heartbreak and failure, yet emphasizes the importance of continuing on with the show. The chorus, "The show must go on, the show must go on, yeah. Inside my heart is breaking, my makeup may be flaking, but my smile, still, stays on" instills a sense of resilience despite the pain we may feel. The show must go on symbolizes the resilience that is innate within people, pushing through our emotions and continuing on despite hardships.

Line by Line Meaning

Empty spaces, what are we living for?
Why are we here, what's the point of all this?

Abandoned places, I guess we know the score, on and on
Desolate areas, we must understand the reality, constantly

Does anybody know what we are looking for?
Does anyone know what we're really searching for?

Another hero, another mindless crime
Another hero dies while another senseless act occurs

Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
Behind the scenes, in the play

Hold the line
Remain steadfast

Does anybody want to take it anymore?
Does anyone want to endure it any longer?

The show must go on
Despite everything, the show must keep going

The show must go on, yeah
The show must go on, oh yes it must

Inside my heart is breaking
My heart is shattering internally

My makeup may be flaking
My makeup might be cracking

But my smile, still, stays on
But I'm still happy on the outside

Whatever happens, I'll leave it all to chance
I'll leave everything to fate

Another heartache, another failed romance, on and on
Another heartbreak, another love gone wrong, repeat

Does anybody know what we are living for?
Does anyone really know what we're living for?

I guess I'm learning
I suppose I'm learning

I must be warmer now
I need to be more compassionate now

I'll soon be turning, round the corner now
I'm about to make a change and turn the corner

Outside the dawn is breaking
The sun is rising outside

But inside in the dark I'm aching to be free
But internally I long to be free from this pain

My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies
My soul is like butterfly wings

Fairy tales of yesterday, grow but never die
Tales from long ago grow and live on

I can fly, my friends
I can soar, my companions

I'll face it with a grin
I'll take it on with a smile

I'm never giving in
I'm never surrendering

On with the show
Let the performance continue

I'll top the bill
I'll take the main spot

I'll overkill
I'll take it to extremes

I have to find the will to carry on
I must find the strength to keep going

Show must go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on
The show must continue, repeatedly

Lyrics © TuneCore Inc., BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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