We Will Rock You
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| "We Will Rock You" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Queen | ||
| from the album News Of The World | ||
| Released | 7 October 1977 | |
| Format | vinyl record (7") | |
| Recorded | 1977 | |
| Genre | Hard Rock | |
| Length | 2:01 | |
| Label | EMI; Elektra (US) | |
| Writer(s) | Brian May | |
| Producer(s) | Queen, assisted by Mike Stone | |
| Chart positions | ||
| Queen singles chronology | ||
| "Long Away" (1977) |
"We Will Rock You" / "We Are the Champions" (1977) |
"Spread Your Wings" (1978) |
- This article is about the song and record. For the musical play, see We Will Rock You (musical).
We Will Rock You is a song written by Brian May, and recorded and performed by Queen. One version was used as the opening track on their 1977 album News Of The World. This version consists of a stamping-clapping beat, and a power chorus, being somewhat of an anthem. When performed live, this version is usually followed by "We Are the Champions", another of the album's hits, as they were both made to lead into each other. It has since been used extensively at sporting events. The band also performed the song in another arrangement (known as the "fast version"), which featured a faster tempo and a full guitar, bass and drums backing track throughout. The band would often open their live sets in the late 1970s with this version, as captured on their Live Killers double album.
The stamping effects in the recording were created by the band in an old church, using the wooden floorboards to produce the sound. The song is often associated with and played at sporting events.
The "fast version" is available in a studio performance. In 1977, it was recorded for John Peel's show on BBC Radio 1. This version is on the 1992 Italian bootleg CD "Queen - We Will Rock You" (On Stage CD 12018). It is part of a longer cut that starts out with the slow version. In 2002, the fast version was officially released on a promo single distributed by the tabloid The Sun. The "fast" BBC studio version can also be found on King Biscuit Live: Best of, Vol. 1. Between the two versions, there is a brief cut of a female voice discussing Brahmanism, used in a BBC Radio documentary. Obviously an error, the band, however, thought it was "cool", and left it in.
The song was performed by Queen with guest singer Axl Rose at the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert.
In 2000, the surviving members of Queen (without John Deacon) recorded a rap-style version of the song with boy band 5ive. It went to #1 in the UK.
A version of the song was performed by Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Pink in a Pepsi TV ad only shown in the UK and Brazil. Producer of this version was Brian May. The scenario was the Collosseum in ancient Rome; Pink, Beyoncé and Britney were female gladiators who defeated the emperor - played by Enrique Iglesias - by singing "We Will Rock You" together with the audience.
Contents |
[edit] Queen about the record
Brian May:
| That was a response to a particular phase in our career when the audience was almost becoming a bigger part of the show than we were. They would sing all the songs. In a place like Birmingham, they'd be so vociferous that we'd have to stop the show and let them sing to us. So both Freddie and I thought it would be an interesting experiment to write songs with audience participation specifically in mind. My feeling was that everyone can stamp and clap and sing a simple motif. We did that record at Wessex, which is an old converted church that has a naturally good sound to it. There are no drums on there. It's just us, stamping on boards many times with many primitive delay machines and clapping. A bit of singing, a bit of guitar playing and that's it... At concerts, I discovered, people tend to do three claps rather than two stamps and a clap. The amazing thing is to go to football matches, or sports events in general, and hear people do it. It's very gratifying to find that it has become part of folklore, sort of. I'll die happy because of that. |
[edit] Uses in popular culture
- One of the more inventive, if whimsical, applications of "We Will Rock You" comes in the film A Knight's Tale (2001). Featured as the soundtrack of the opening sequence of this 21st century Chaucerian tale, medieval English peasants are seen stomping and clapping in the bleachers of a jousting match. This film relies heavily upon 1970s rock classics, especially to indulge in its favorite delight of anachronistic play between modern and medieval times.
- The Detroit Pistons used the song as their theme during the Bad Boys era of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The current Pistons also play it at their home games, especially since their city gained popularity through the film Detroit Rock City.
- Chicago White Sox organist Nancy Faust includes it in her playlist, and the fans put a twist on the chant: "We will, we will, SOX YOU!"
- Blondie's song "Good Boys" (2003) contains lyrics that are a modified quote from "We Will Rock You" sung in a rap style reminiscent of the original.
- This song was used as the official song of soccer game Winning Eleven 5.
- In an episode of Cheers, bar patrons spontaneously stomped floorboards and broke out with the song.
- In an episode of Friends, Ross Geller recorded the audio message of the answering machine using this song, but changing the lyrics to "We will, we will, call you back".
- In an episode of Full House, while Rebecca Donaldson was in labour and doing her breathing exercises, Danny Tanner (who was with her) began sing "We Will, we will, rock you" to the beat of her breathing.
- This song was used as the promotional song for The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas movie.
- In a Taco Bell commercial with a crunchy taco, three men bang their elbows on the table and bite their tacos to the tune of "We Will Rock You", then say, "We will, we will" and a woman says "Stop doing that!" Later, they say, "You've got cheese on your face, you big disgrace!"
- In The 10th Kingdom, Virginia comes up with an alternate version of this song, "We Will Shear You," to win a sheep competition.
- In the 1994 movie D2: The Mighty Ducks during a montage of a hockey game the audience cheers "We Will Quack You" as the Mighty Ducks go onto victory. This is followed several minutes later in the credits with the Ducks singing "We Are the Champions" around a campfire.
[edit] Cover versions and remixes
- In 1991, Rick Rubin did some remixes of "We Will Rock You", released by Hollywood Records. The "Ruined Remix" also contains contributions by Flea and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
- Los Angeles-based hair metal band Warrant covered the song for the 1992 film Gladiator.
- A cover version of the song was played in the video game Dance Dance Revolution Extreme and was sung by Houseboyz.
- Nickelback covered the song as a bonus track, through a promotion with Wal-Mart, for their 2005 album All The Right Reasons.
- Italian darkwave band Kirlian Camera covered this song on their 1991 album Todesengel. The Fall Of Life.
[edit] Trivia
- The flip side of the 45 of this song's original vinyl record release contains "We Are The Champions", which is why the songs are often paired on the radio and in sports.
- The original lyrics to the song were "We Will Beat You", but were changed when Freddie Mercury said it "sounded stupid".[citation needed]
- In 2004, the song was ranked #330 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
- Ranked #146 on the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) list of Songs of the Century
- "We Will Rock You" is the first track on the compilation album VH1 Rocks.
- A groan or gruff sigh can be heard, just, at the very start of the song.
[edit] See also
| Queen |
| John Deacon | Brian May | Freddie Mercury | Roger Taylor History | Live performances | Songs |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums: Queen | Queen II | Sheer Heart Attack | A Night at the Opera | A Day at the Races | News of the World | Jazz | The Game | Flash Gordon | Hot Space | The Works | A Kind of Magic | The Miracle | Innuendo | Made in Heaven |
| Live albums: Live Killers | Live Magic | Live at Wembley '86 | Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl | Return of the Champions |
| Compilation albums: Greatest Hits | At the Beeb | Greatest Hits II | Classic Queen | Queen Rocks | Greatest Hits III | Stone Cold Classics |
| DVDs: We Will Rock You | The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert | Greatest Video Hits 1 | Live at Wembley Stadium | Greatest Video Hits 2 | We Are the Champions: Final Live in Japan | Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl | Return of the Champions | Super Live in Japan |
| Related Articles |
| Ibex | Larry Lurex | Smile | The Cross | Queen + Paul Rodgers | We Will Rock You Musical |
