This song was a tribute to Led Zeppelin. They were one of Queen's influences from Queen I right up through the end. It's interesting that in interviews and such they said the lyrics were the tribute to Led Zep, but I think the music also reminds me quite a bit of them too, with it's middle eastern flavor.
This was the last great Queen epic, with a great and dramatic story, and multiple seemingly random motifs and key changes. The neapolitan chords in the versus give it a Middle Eastern (zoroastrian?) epic feel. I wasn't a fan of Queen in 1991 (was only 12) but I've read that this album did quite well on the charts, and this is before the Wayne's World revival (by a year) so it did so on its own merit. This is cool to me because everyone always thought Queen's "era" was over after The Game in '80, but as soon as they went back and did music similar to that of their golden era (Miracle, somewhat, then Innuendo) they did almost as well in 1991.
I think this song is Freddie, and the others, asking the eternal questions as his life comes to an end. Here we are on earth, doing (mostly) what we're supposed to, and what for? Do we really know what we came from and where we are? But the human spirit is to keep on trying, even though we don't know-- a much more optimistic take on "hanging on in quiet desperation..." (which I like). The middle interlude, aside from being amazing musically, is also great lyrically as a break from this.. "Fuck it. Time is short. Do what you want!" -- a little piece of young Freddie that still existed even at the end.
The solos are a genius touch-- one in flamenco, which fits the progression, and the other in trademark electric guitar. The tempo varies from 6 beats to 4 in the flamenco part, which makes it seem even more authentic against the constant 6 of the electric echo section. Chord sequence here is traditional flamenco too-- and also traditional pop (Hazy Shade of Winter and Dream On, for example).
Finally, having just read the book "Wicked" a few months ago, I can't think of a song that better encapsulates what that book is about than this one. So weird.
This song was a tribute to Led Zeppelin. They were one of Queen's influences from Queen I right up through the end. It's interesting that in interviews and such they said the lyrics were the tribute to Led Zep, but I think the music also reminds me quite a bit of them too, with it's middle eastern flavor.
This was the last great Queen epic, with a great and dramatic story, and multiple seemingly random motifs and key changes. The neapolitan chords in the versus give it a Middle Eastern (zoroastrian?) epic feel. I wasn't a fan of Queen in 1991 (was only 12) but I've read that this album did quite well on the charts, and this is before the Wayne's World revival (by a year) so it did so on its own merit. This is cool to me because everyone always thought Queen's "era" was over after The Game in '80, but as soon as they went back and did music similar to that of their golden era (Miracle, somewhat, then Innuendo) they did almost as well in 1991.
I think this song is Freddie, and the others, asking the eternal questions as his life comes to an end. Here we are on earth, doing (mostly) what we're supposed to, and what for? Do we really know what we came from and where we are? But the human spirit is to keep on trying, even though we don't know-- a much more optimistic take on "hanging on in quiet desperation..." (which I like). The middle interlude, aside from being amazing musically, is also great lyrically as a break from this.. "Fuck it. Time is short. Do what you want!" -- a little piece of young Freddie that still existed even at the end. The solos are a genius touch-- one in flamenco, which fits the progression, and the other in trademark electric guitar. The tempo varies from 6 beats to 4 in the flamenco part, which makes it seem even more authentic against the constant 6 of the electric echo section. Chord sequence here is traditional flamenco too-- and also traditional pop (Hazy Shade of Winter and Dream On, for example).
Finally, having just read the book "Wicked" a few months ago, I can't think of a song that better encapsulates what that book is about than this one. So weird.