It's a beautiful piece of work. I often wonder who (out of Brian and Freddie) who came up with the lyrics? The lyrics could be about Brian's feelings regarding his new relationship with Anita and the guilt he might have felt leaving his wife. I can't imagine Freddie would sing those lyrics about his life at that point, being the positive person we're told he was?
Sebastian · Member since
I like it. It's interesting.
Wiley · Member since
I like it. Matt z's comment got me thinking about it having a weepy feeling and being about resignation rather than, say, The Show Must Go On's defiance. Very straight-up, no humor.
Makes me wonder how big of a leap from this would it have been for Freddie to sing something like "New Dark Ages". Queen lore says Roger presented the song to the band but John strongly opposed they recorded it, threatening to leave the band or something.
Maybe if Roger wasn't so literal in his lyrics and with a different, less poppy arrangement it could have been a classic.
stevelondon20 · Member since
The message was for bucsateflon
KJ · Member since
The song is very dark and beautiful
tomchristie22 · Member since
I think it's overrated, owing to the sentimentality of it being one of Freddie's last recordings. I think it's a good song, but not among their greatest. Brian had the tendency to write some overly dreary songs - I'd say this leans towards being one of them.
Queen Fan MS · Member since
Not my favourite. too depressing.
Sheer Brass Neck · Member since
Hey mattz, I know you're a long time contributor with great knowledge and a good sense of humour, and you also love the shit out of Nuno and Gary from Extreme's version of Staying Power which is awesome so I think you're a good dude.
I absolutely love Queen. For my money, if not the best, then the most creative rock band by a million miles. But I hate MIH. It 1000% sounded contrived to me, like Brian wanted it to be this emotional farewell and I found everything about it flat and hokey.
To me, My life has been saved as B-side is uplifting and reminiscent of Queen in the 70s with Brian's melodic solo.
On Made in Heaven it became "made in keyboards" and lost it's vibrancy. That's the beauty of life, we don't have to all agree on everything. Great post though!
Khizzy · Member since
I think it's a good song, not Queen's best by any means but a solid album track. The only thing I don't like about it is the ending, which feels out of place and quite jarring.
Otherwise, it's a good change of pace. It's quite obviously a Brian song, sounds quite a bit like Wilderness during the guitar solo - particularly the chords. Could have fitted in well on Another World with a Brian solo vocal.
I'm quite sentimental when it comes to MIH because it was the first Queen album released after I became a fan but come to think of it, it is quite heavy on keyboards and is starting to sound quite dated in places but there are some songs that still sound fresh, like the title track, I Was Born To Love You, Heaven For Everyone and Too Much Love Will Kill You. A Winter's Tale is a brilliant song as well, very underrated.
matt z · Member since
Yeah, SHEER BRASS NECK, I recall the discussions on this board.
Just a comment on MY LIFE HAS BEEN SAVED. John really said a lot about his life in the tunes, I think.
Except for AOBTD, which prob had more input from Freddie and his relationship stuff instead of the original cowboy idea.
It's a shame that we'll never get the DEACON JOHN MEMOIRS.
Makes u wonder:
MISFIRE : Fun on the road
YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND: the wife n kids
YOU AND I: The wife and kids and dad on the road, "Guess I'm in this thing for real, u never know what can happen. Wait for me tomorrow, you'll see how good it'll be"
IN ONLY SEVEN DAYS: fun on the road
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT EM: fun on the road, messing around instead of beating himself up/off
EXECUTION OF FLASH/ARBORIA: that time John murdered someone then hid in the wilderness for 4 days
BACK CHAT: Trouble with the cocaine in Munich and paranoia
COOL CAT: Lounge stuff coming down
IWTBF: Dissatisfaction with being in the band (possibly marriage or both) "I've gotta get away from you! "
PAIN IS SO CLOSE TO PLEASURE: God, what was that Diana Ross song again?
ONE YEAR OF LOVE: God, this Rocky road relationship with the wife n kids. Gotta hit the road again. Gonna write an old style ballad
MY BABY DOES ME: an idea and bit finished w words by Mercury
MY LIFE HAS BEEN SAVED: (*the SECOND interesting part after 84 wanting to leave the band and 80, running into the forestwith the tree people)
"This is where we are today; people going separate ways.
This is the way things are now in disarray"
I read it in the papers, there's death on every page,
Oh Lord i thank the Lord above, my life has been saved.
HERE WE GO TELLING LIES....
..... was it an indication of the band having to declare falsities in the face of the UK harassment of Freddie? .... denials etc?
I really enjoyed Freddies ad libs on the original demo... "I'm in the dark"... etc.
Cheekily joking that the situation might well be about him and the band"
Some lyrics might be throw aways or done routinely, but John's always seemed revelatory
