The Show Must Go On (Queen song)
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| “The Show Must Go On” | |||||
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| Single by Queen from the album Innuendo |
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| Released | 14 October 1991 (UK) 6 February 1992 (US) |
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| Format | 7"/12", CD single | ||||
| Recorded | 1990,1991 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 4:31 | ||||
| Label | Parlophone (Europe), Hollywood Records (US) | ||||
| Writer(s) | Queen | ||||
| Producer | Queen and David Richards | ||||
| Queen singles chronology | |||||
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"The Show Must Go On" is a song by English rock band Queen, featured as the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album Innuendo. It is credited to Queen. The song chronicles the effort of Freddie Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his life.[1] The title is derived from the phrase "the show must go on", and may be in reaction to the numerous press speculations about lead singer Mercury's declining health since the late 1980s. Much of the lyrics and imagery of the song can also be construed to be a reflection on life and imminent death. It is regarded as one of Queen's most emotive, powerful songs by many fans.[1]
It was released as a single in the United Kingdom on October 14, 1991, just six weeks before Mercury died. Following Mercury's death in November 1991, the song re-entered the British charts and spent longer in the top 75 than it did on its original release, eventually reaching a peak of 16. A live version with Elton John on vocals appeared on Queen's Greatest Hits III album.
The song was chosen as the favorite funeral song in a survey conducted in Europe [2]
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[edit] Songwriting process
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After listening to John Deacon and Roger Taylor playing the chord sequence that later on would be the basis for almost the entire song, Brian May sat down with Freddie Mercury and the two of them decided the theme of the song and wrote some lyrics. May wrote down the rest of the words as well as the melody, and put a bridge with chord sequence inspired by Pachelbel's canon.
Demo versions featured May singing, having to sing some parts in falsetto because they were too high, but Mercury recorded them without problems. To this day, both Brian May and many fans regard this vocal performance as one of Mercury's finest ever. Rumour has it that Freddie recorded the song in just one take, regarded as surprising considering Mercury's faltering health at the time.
For the record, May sang most of the backing vocals (including the very last line) and played Yamaha DX-7 synthesiser as well as guitar. Producer David Richards suggested the key-shift in the third verse.
[edit] Promotional video
Due to Mercury's deteriorating health at the time, no new footage of the lead singer could be shot. With the song released within just a few weeks of his death, shots of Freddie Mercury instead had to be salvaged from previous videos. The video was conceived and released as a montage of clips spanning Queen's entire (video clip) career from 1981 to 1991.
During the section of the video where a number of masks appear sequentially, one of the masks is of a Roboto, from the music video of "Mr. Roboto" by Styx.
The music video was compiled and edited by Austrian director team DoRo, consisting of Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher.
[edit] Charts
| Country | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. | 2 |
| France | 2 |
| Poland | 3 |
| Italy | 6 |
| Germany | 7 |
| Netherlands | 7 |
| Switzerland | 11 |
| UK | 16 |
| Canada | 18 |
| Sweden | 30 |
| Australia | 60 |
[edit] Cover versions
- The song was one of many used in the 2001 film Moulin Rouge!, performed by Jim Broadbent and Nicole Kidman.
- The music was recorded in 2006 by Divinefire for their album Into a New Dimension.
- It is one of the last songs Grégory Lemarchal premonitorily sang before his death.
- It was also covered by Michael Ball on his album Music.
- The Esperanto group Kore sings an Esperanto version of the song on their album Tielas Vivo, translation to Esperanto by Roel Haveman
- It also appears on Pet Shop Boys album Back To Mine as a Chris Lowe selection.
- It has also been covered by German power metal band Metalium on their album Nothing to Undo: Chapter Six.
- Extracts from the song appear in the first movement of The Queen Symphony by Tolga Kashif
- Celine Dion sang this song in her 2008-2009 Taking Chances Tour.
- This was the song used by the Pied Piper (comics) in DC Comics Countdown to Final Crisis weekly series to destroy the planet of Apokolips.
- The song was covered on the Danish final of their edition of X-Factor in 2008, with several of the "rejects" and "outsiders" who never made it far, but made a lasting impression on many viewers, performed the song together.
- Paris Bennett performed an abridged version of the song on the fifth season of American Idol.
- Carly Smithson performed an abridged version of the song, and recorded a lyrically complete studio version, for the seventh season of American Idol.
- Elton John performed the song on his 1992 tour; the song appears on the DVD Live In Barcelona.
[edit] External links
[edit] References
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