Before Queen, Taylor founded Smile with Brian May. Smile released one album in Japan which is now available throughout the world as Ghost of a Smile. Smile wrote a few of the songs which would later appear on Queen's self-titled debut album, and one - Doin' Alright was featured on the Smile album.
Taylor also fronted another band, The Cross from 1987 to 1991. The first album, Shove it (1988) was a solo album by Taylor in all but name - he wrote all the songs and played most of the instruments himself. This was an experiment that didn't really work for Taylor and in the other two albums by The Cross he allowed the other members of the band to contribute more, resulting in more traditionally styled rock albums.
Out of the four original members of Queen Taylor and guitarist Brian May continued to play as Queen + Paul Rodgers between 2004 and 2008. Of the other original members singer Freddie Mercury tragically died in 1991 and bassist John Deacon retired from music business in the mid-1990's.
In 2009, after the partnership between him, Brian and Paul ended, Roger worked on some new solo material from which his single The Unblinking Eye (Everything is Broken) was digitally released at 23th November at Queenonline.com. At the moment it is unclear how the future of Queen will look like, though Roger has announced that he will do a short tour in the spring of 2010.
Old Friends
Roger Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We used to share a drink - and let the demons out.
We let the good times rock, you made the bad times roll
We used to laugh a lot, you had a lot of soul.
Old friends in better times.
And when the going got hard,
We put our backs to the wall,
You used to strut your stuff.
With a head held high, and a heart so big,
One fist at the sky and shake a leg.
Old friends in better times
(Even though, even though we miss you now
Look forward don't look back
We'll get by somehow)
And so I raise my glass in a last goodbye!
Sleep in peace old friend, for me you'll never die.
The best thing I can say, after all this time, is
You were a real friend, of mine.
Old friends in better times.
The song Old Friends by Roger Taylor is an emotional ode to a departed friend. The lyrics speak of the good and bad times shared with this friend, and the camaraderie and joy that came along with their company. The opening lines "When the sun got big, and the night came down, We used to share a drink - and let the demons out" depict the moments of letting go of one's inhibitions and enjoying the company of a good friend. The following lines "We let the good times rock, you made the bad times roll, We used to laugh a lot, you had a lot of soul" reminisce the moments of laughter and soulful conversations shared with this friend.
The next few lines describe how the friend stood by the singer during tough times with their backs against the wall. The lines "With a head held high, and a heart so big, One fist at the sky and shake a leg" bring out the image of a strong and supportive friend who always knew how to lift up their spirits. The final goodbye is emotional and heartfelt as the singer raises a glass to the departed friend and says "Sleep in peace old friend, for me you'll never die. The best thing I can say, after all this time, is You were a real friend, of mine." The song is a tribute to the deep bonds of friendship that last beyond time and space.
Line by Line Meaning
When the sun got big, and the night came down,
Back in the day, when the sun was setting and the night was falling,
We used to share a drink - and let the demons out.
We used to drink together and talk through our troubles.
We let the good times rock, you made the bad times roll
We enjoyed the good times and when bad times came, you helped us get through them.
We used to laugh a lot, you had a lot of soul.
We used to have fun and laugh a lot, and you always had a great spirit.
Old friends in better times.
We were old friends who had a great time together in the past.
And when the going got hard,
When things got tough,
When times were tough.
During difficult times.
We put our backs to the wall,
We stood our ground and faced the challenge.
You used to strut your stuff.
You used to show your confidence and strength.
With a head held high, and a heart so big,
You had a strong character and a big heart.
One fist at the sky and shake a leg.
You showed your passion and enthusiasm by raising your fist and dancing.
Old friends in better times.
We were old friends who got through tough times together.
(Even though, even though we miss you now
(Even though we miss you very much now,
Look forward don't look back
Let's focus on the future, not the past.
We'll get by somehow)
We'll find a way to cope with your absence.)
And so I raise my glass in a last goodbye!
I say my final farewell by raising my glass.
Sleep in peace old friend, for me you'll never die.
Rest in peace, my old friend, you'll live on in my memory.
The best thing I can say, after all this time, is
The most important thing I want to say, even after all these years, is,
You were a real friend, of mine.
You were a true friend of mine.
Old friends in better times.
We were old friends who had some great moments together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROGER TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@almamarquez7543
When the sun got big, and the night came down,
We used to share a drink - and let the demons out.
We let the good times rock, you made the bad times roll
We used to laugh a lot, you had a lot of soul.
Old friends in better times.
And when the going got hard,
When times were tough.
We put our backs to the wall,
You used to strut your stuff.
With a head held high, and a heart so big,
One fist at the sky and shake a leg.
Old friends in better times
(Even though, even though we miss you now
Look forward don't look back
We'll get by somehow)
And so I raise my glass in a last goodbye!
Sleep in peace old friend, for me you'll never die.
The best thing I can say, after all this time, is
You were a real friend, of mine.
Old friends in better times.
@giuliaconti6174
Testo (per me😊)
When the sun got big, and the night came down
We used to share a drink - and let the demons out.
We let the good times rock, you made the bad times roll
We used to laugh a lot, you had a lot of soul
Old friends... in better times
And when the going got hard,
When times were tough
We put our backs to the wall,
You used to strut your stuff.
With a head held high and a heart so big
One fist at the sky... and shake a leg.
Old friends in better times
(Even though, even though we miss you now
Look forward don't look back
We'll get by somehow)
And so I raise my glass in a last goodbye
Sleep in peace old friend, for me you'll never die
The best thing I can say, after all this time, is
You were a real friend, of mine
Old friends... in better times
@anij8226
Poor Roger. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for him when Freddie died. I'm sure it has effected him ever since. And how much harder to have to be constantly reminded of your loss. I don't know how he does it. It would break my heart. "Look forward don't look back. We'll get by somehow" are inspiring words, but it is very hard to actually do this in real life.
@sandymollins
"Sleep in peace old friend... For me you'll never die".
@rogerscar3470
😭😭😭😭😭
@joycevanrijnberk8759
Goosebumps all over my body ❤️
@claudiuroman2475
This is a awesome song to sing for a friend 😊
@emilypetsche1
That line got me the most 😭
@arlittarodriguez5268
Thank you Roger. It brings back such beautiful visuals of you and Freddie. It also makes us think about all the lovely friends we have had through our lives. Queen is one of them.
@thedarkwolf3577
A beautiful song, dedicated to Freddie Mercury, Roger's best friend. Friends will be friends right 'till the end.
@joycevanrijnberk8759
Wow, I love this song. The first time I heard it I cried. I love it, it's a beautiful tribute to a beautiful friendship between two beautiful men! ❤️❤️
@damdam2525
I cry each time I hear this song you can feel it 😢 GOD BLESS YOU 🙏