31 years since Freddie Mercury's death: The sad story behind Queen's biggest hit

Photo: Flickr

Today marks the 31st anniversary of the death of one of the best singers of all time - Freddie Mercury. The legendary singer "Queen" died of AIDS on November 24, 1991.

Queen is one of the most popular rock bands ever. Although they made many hits throughout their career, one song in particular stood out. "The Show Must Go On" is a song by Queen from their 1991 album Innuendo.

It became one of the most famous songs that marked an entire generation.

Photo: Profimedia

Although it is believed to have been written by Freddie Mercury and is his farewell song, this is only partially true. In fact, he wrote the foundation guitarist Brian May, inspired by Mercury's battle with the disease, his courage and perseverance in the last days.

Mercury was suffering from AIDS, although this was not officially known at the time. By mid-1991, he was already so ill that he could barely walk, so May was concerned about whether he was physically capable of singing such a difficult song. So the demo version was sung by May, although he had to use falsetto on certain parts that were too high.

However, to the surprise of all the band members, when it came time to record, Freddie entered the studio, drank some vodka, stood up, said: “So I'll sing it, baby!” and then he sang the whole song without a mistake on the first try. "He started and tore it apart, he completely 'ripped' that vocal," May later recounted.

After that, Freddie Mercury was already too weak to record the video, so no new material was made for it, but a collage was made of the group's videos made between 1981 and 1991.

The song talks about stage life in general, about how all personal problems must be put aside when performing, and the lyrics are full of allusions and metaphors. In the end, the text talks about determination and the desire to live: "I have to find the will to carry on with the show" ("I have to find the will to carry on with the show").

Jim Hutton, Mercury's partner for the last six years of his life, once stated that there is a verse that best describes the last days of Freddie's life.

"In my opinion, the most autobiographical verse is: "My make-up may be flaking but my smile still stay on". That's exactly how it was. No matter how bad Freddie was, he never grumbled or sought any sympathy. "That battle was his and no one else's, and he always put on a brave face, despite the worst of the situation," Jim said in a 1994 interview.

Photo: Profimedia

Unfortunately, Freddie Mercury didn't get to perform the song live at a show. He died on November 24, 1991, shortly after the album's release. Even today he is considered one of the best singers who ever lived.

Freddie Mercury's life story: He did not want to be a rock star but a legend, and he achieved that

The legendary Freddie Mercury got a street in London

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