Show Must Go on-Queen Lyric Synopsis
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It is widely accepted that the group Queen are one of the best rock bands of all time. In 2001 they were voted second best to The Beatles in a poll in Britain. In their time, as a signed band, they released numerous albums and singles, which benefited from experimentation with their sound. Some tracks received critical acclaim and some concepts went totally over peoples heads. However, they were never afraid to take risks. A good example of where they trod this line was the album “Innuendo”. This album was nearly two years in the making, which angered the record company due to loss of potential profits. However, it could not be helped due to Freddie Mercurys ill health due to AIDS.
The most critically acclaimed song on the album was the last track, called The Show Must Go On. It was released as a single on October 14th 1991. It was said that this was Queen at its most entertaining stage.
The final draft for the lyrics was written by Brian May, however the original idea came from Freddie. Brian wrote this as a reflective, inspired by the loss of their dear friend and the voice of the band. Unlike many bands Queen shared the task of writing songs equally. Whoever had the best idea was the one they used. This helped with their varying sound and style.
Freddies delivery during the song, backing Brian is overwhelming emotional. The energy and power within his voice is even more surprising considering that he was only a few months away from death.
Every line in the song seems to be saying goodbye to, and from Freddie.
The lyrics are a biography of Freddies life told from Brians perspective. The line “empty spaces, what are we waiting for” suggests that both the writer and singer are annoyed that the only thing that is certain in life is death.
The chorus line and title suggests that Mercury is predicting and demanding that life should go on after his passing. When he broke the news to the band that he was suffering from AIDS he said that he did not want them to act differently around him. He just wanted to be one of the guys to the very end. However, he found this increasingly difficult as his body was deteriorating. In other words “my make-up may be flaking / but my smile still stays on”. He may not act or feel the same, but his soul is still the same as it