Freddie sang this 2 months before his death to AIDs. Barely being able to stand because of his illness, Brian May told Freddie he would sing the vocals for him. Freddie refused, mustered all of his strength, and sang his first take perfectly. This is what you're hearing now. He died 2 months prior to this. On with the show.
"I'll fucking do it, Darling." If anyone were to claim that Homosexuals would do nothing but wither away in their dying days from AIDS, do introduce them to Freddy Mercury. Prove anyone who holds such a misguided notion in their heads wrong.
_"I'll face it with a grin. I'm never giving in! On with the show!"_ Months to live, and he wrote that lyric. Haters can go die. The most fearless Rock front-man in history.
You can dislike it all you want. But anybody who knows what Freddie was going through, understands the raw emotion in this song. Freddie knew he was dying when he sang this. It's beautiful and heartbreaking. RIP Freddie Mercury..
The power that Freddie had in every song of his is incredible, he's a hero,another hero gone but never forgotten and loved forever goodbye my hero RIP Freddie Mercury
In the 80's, not only was AIDS incurable, but it was also almost always fatal. It was a sickness that slowly affected your immune system, causing you to become far more vulnerable to other illnesses. It addition, it caused numerous of it's own problems. Freddie died 4 years after being diagnosed with this awful disease, and the recording we are all listening to here was made in the final two months of his life. If you have a minute, look up some of the symptoms in the last stages of AIDS-- Freddie was unbelievably sick, to the point that Brian May offered to step up and do the vocals because he didn't think Freddie could. But Freddie did. He stepped up and performed this song in one single take, offering what many would consider to be his best vocals even as he sung a song he had written about his imminent death. While it is so clear what these lyrics portray, Freddie doesn't sound the least bit hopeless. After 4 years, he had accepted his fate. His legacy lives on.
Freddie left a an unbelieveble heritage with this song. The best he ever sung. Rest in peace, dear friend! And thanks to you, Brian May, for being Freddies best friend and everything else! Thank you!
This isn't the voice of a dying man. This is one of the last gifts he left us. A haunting, timeless message wrapped up in a chilling song that reminds everyone "it's only temporary"
When I used to listen to this at the time, I just used to think it was just another great Queen song. I listened to it today, knowing I probably won't even make Christmas, and every word Freddie sings tore my soul to shreds. If there's anything beyond all this, I'll give Freddie all your thanks.
*I got this from Wikipedia:* "Mercury was so ill when the band recorded the song in 1990 that [Brian] May had concerns as to whether he was physically capable of singing it. Recalling Mercury's performance, May states; 'I said, 'Fred, I don't know if this is going to be possible to sing.' And he went, 'I'll fucking do it, darling' - vodka down - and went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal'". Wow. Clearly this isn't the voice of a dying man, this is without question the voice of a man who became immortal.
Actually, I knew that before Wikipedia was even invented. I've fucked my life and let my family and friends down more than I am willing or capable to count. This song has kept me away from hangman's noose.
"I'll face it with a grin!" "I'm never giving in!" "On with the show!" No words could ever sum up the legend that was Freddie Mercury better than those lyrics.
Even if Freddie Mercury didn't write it. He felt that way! It was in his beautiful heart to keep going on no matter how horrible he was feeling. God bless you Freddie.
Listening to this song after my good friend died yesterday of terminal cancer. He never stopped smiling and was brave to the end. Inside, we knew his heart was breaking to leave his friends and family, but he faced it with a grin! God bless you bro, love you loads x
He was a warrior, this song shows all passion he put until the end... Nowadays we still listen to him with all energy and happiness... Freddie is inmortal... He is a legend!!!
Singers today cancel the concerts because they're tired or they are sick. This man had full blown aids, not to mention his lungs weren't looking so good. Yet, Freddie still performed his greatest and his hardest. A real singer.
Singers do that to preserve their voice. If you sing when you're sick or tired, it can do long term vocal damage. While Freddy is known for his legendary voice, the smoking, the drinking and the way he sang in the studio had damaging effects. I emphatise with the 'singers of today'; singing is their career and vocal damage is devastating. The human body is way too fragile
This is arguably his greatest ever vocal performance, the octave range he hits in this song are nothing short of staggering, he knew he was close to drying when he recorded this, it’s like he was singing to stay alive, he gave it the absolute beans
When I was younger I suffered from crippling depression and anxiety. Every little mistake I made was an ocean of a problem. Then I found this song, I listened to it without stop for hours whilst bawling my eyes out. From there on this became my motto and I always come back to this song whenever I feel like I need to remind myself that this is not the end of the world. Thank you Mr. Mercury! You are a legend!
Dear Fio - you were fortunate to find this song for yourself. You are not alone, I'm doing this for years. Bad day - I'm running to Freddie. Happy New Year!
U can really get a sense for just how much Brian loved Freddie. When he sings that his soul is painted like the wings of butterflies and that the fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die, that hit me. Such beautiful lyrics with so much love behind them
I think it's quite unfair, that we are talking just about Freddie. I know, he was dying and he did THAT, but we need to remember about Brian, Roger and John. YOU DID WELL, GUYS!!!
@@minecraftroksiak3306 I wholeheartedly agree! They all deserve an equal amount of credit. The music world today wouldn't be what it is today without all of them
3:21 always sends a chill down my spine. Incredible, Freddie was absolutely unbelievable. It's crazy to miss a person you've never met in your life but here we are
I get so attached to musicians I hate seeing them die or in my case, as I’m 16 I listen to their music and I just think it would be better if all of them were still with us
This song is not only incredibly great and amazing, it's also a big lesson to everyone who is claiming to have a role of spectacle in the world. This song says "You chosed to live for the scene, for the success, for the lights and the fame, for the nights and the shame. There has been bad and rough times, but all you have now has been given to you by the scene, so you have to give everything back to the scene, to the public who has given you so much. Wether they care or not about how you are going, wether they would help you or not, they have given you this life, this existence you love, and you have to pay them back, to thank them as the curtain is falling before you, on your life. They have given you everything you have, and you have to give them everything you have. The show must go on, because life goes on."
But his health turned to be so bad, That he also couldn't finished the Song "Mother Love" (last verse) from his last Queen album "Made in Heaven". So, the last verse had to be sung by Brian.
Mateusz Kunda actually dont mean to be critical but he after the shot of vodak he told the guy who said he couldnt do it in one take ,he said "I'll do it baby"
This is probably THE most powerful song i've ever heard in my entire life. It's haunting, uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time. The fact that Freddie really put his absolute best into this despite being in such poor health and only having a short time left to live makes it even more touching
And this was Freddie's attitude in a nutshell. He had every right to complain about his condition, but he never did. He spent hours and hours in the studio and was never satisfied with less than perfection. Even at home he refused to be trapped in his bed until his body stopped working. It is impossible not to admire that man. I am 100% sure that without that determination, he would have died 2 years earlier.
“My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies. Fairy tales of yesterday, will grow but never die, I can fly, my friends!” Yes Freddie, you are an angel in heaven that has earned your wings. You will live forever in our hearts. Thank you for the beautiful songs that you have left us for eternity.
So true I miss Freddy and I am so happy I am singing his song due to Corona for a show which is still going to be held cause if Freddy was here he would have said the show must go on . He is a true legend 💪🙏🙏 ♥️🙏♥️🙏 we miss you Freddy
This is the saddest song ever written. Queen recorded this 2 months before Freddie's death, during that time he can barely walk, it's a song Freddie put everything that's left in him into. But the show didn't go on as he wished. Rock n' Roll is practically dead. We can visit the classics, but no one is producing them anymore. It's Helium on earth. If no one comes and revives the genre, it will die off completely one day.
Thats a good and warming way of seeing it. I would extend this to every loved one we loose though. We should be happy about the times we were ablke to spend with them and cherish those.
I'm so glad I saw him perform live, I'm greatful he lived but I'm sad he's gone, Rock music lost one of its legends, although he will never die as long as we as people never forget him.
Clearly this song is Freddie's swan song given his life circumstances, but I think this song has evolved to take on a meaning of persevering through difficulties that life often throws at us, even if they try to break us in the process. It is a brilliant song in so many ways, and one of my favorites from Queen. Freddie was so amazing at conveying so much meaning and emotion through his singing and Queen through their lyrics.
One can only imagine how painful it must have been for Brian, Roger, and John to record this album not knowing if they were playing with the greatest legend in rock music ever for the last time, I would've been holding my tears 😭
Mercury was so ill when the band recorded the song in 1990 that Brian May had concerns as to whether he was physically capable of singing it. Recalling Mercury's performance, May states; "I said, 'Fred, I don't know if this is going to be possible to sing.' And he went, 'I'll fucking do it, darling' - vodka down - and went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal." ~ Absolute goosebumps all over my body....................................
"My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies... fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die... i can fly, my friends"... oh my... THAT part!..
@@akshayraj6490 he was at a point In life where he was about to die from aids, the guitarist Brian may was worried he couldn't sing. But Freddie said, and I quote, I'll fucking do it darling. He shoots some vodka, and goes and DESTROYS the lyrics first time. FUCKING LEGEND.
Michael John the song is yet so sad and if you already heard the story, Freddie was on his last leg and still was going on. You can hear his finale right there and then
This is my favorite song ever, and if you think about it, this is Freddie's goodbye. Most people say These are the Days of Our Lives is, I just don't see it. This fits the goodbye message way better.
Whenever I hear this song, I can only think that it was Freddie’s way of saying “I’m bowing out now darling, but do carry on without me. The show must go on”. As was his way every time. Total legend.
now, at many years from his death, my mum told me that yesterday she was in a supermarket and at the radio there was this song, and all the people who were buying things stopped and after a while started singing all together. he's a legend, and I will sing to my children Queen's songs. all should listen to them. (sorry for mistakes but I'm italian)
It's not intended to be heartbreaking. He's made peace with himself. His body may have been fading, but his essence, his being, his soul... THAT continued to stay beautiful. Once he made peace, his soul freed itself.
For the recording of “The Show Must Go On,” Mercury was nearing his last days of his battle with AIDS-related bronchopneumonia. The band wasn’t sure if he’d be able to accomplish the vocals, but Mercury swigged some vodka, said, “I’ll fucking do it, darling,” and legendarily pulled it off in one take. True royalty.
If they ever do make a biopic on Freddie Mercury and Queen, I imagine the best ending possible would be a re-enactment of the original recording of this song. Freddie, so weak he could barely stand, swigs some vodka and despite everyone's doubts, goes into the room and records this song in one savagely brilliant take. As he sings the full song, we cut to shots of his performing on stage when he was young, and his funeral. A kaleidoscope of past present and future showing that he truly lived when he could.
+JimmySteller They almost did but the other fucking Queen members didn't realize Sacha Baron Cohen can actually sing and be a serious actor as well as funny. Why would he mock Freddie, not much you can mock anyways.
R.I.P. Freddie Mercury..We love you always and will never forget you. You and Queen have seen me through a lot of fucking horrible times,and many great ones too..The Show Must Go On!! Such a powerful song,always gives me goosebumps and brings tears to my eyes. Forever Queen,Forever Freddie.
It was his final message, so he wanted to go in a blaze of glory. It was meant to be an emotional song, and I cried when I heard it, too. The song is that powerful, to where I cry like a little bitch.
There are songs that help us to identify ourselves sometimes and I think it depends in what we are going through. The song I was identified with was living on my own and the great pretender. I love this man and I will always love him. His body died but not his legacy.
I avoid listening to this track too many times, because I don't want it to stop having its effect on me. Gotta tell you, I am not sure that I have succeded in not listening to it a lot, but its magic sure hasn't stopped reaching me. Even though queen has many other emotional beautiful tracks, this one touches me the most. Today, I listened to it to get inspired to keep working and to sweeten my ear a little. Thank you Queen, thanks Brian for writing this, thank you Freddie for delivering it the most special way.
I just found my cat dead this morning. This is the first song I listened to, knowing that despite my grief, I have to keep going. As Freddie said, the show must go on.
My baby boy oogie had seizures in my hands he was a Maine coon he was only ten ..I can't describe how it went down without dying all over again but I saw your post and had to say something.i miss my oogie bear so much
Absolutely amazing talent, not only as a singer but as an entertainer, showman songwriter. He was dying when he did this. Bryan May told him to rest, but Freddie said he could do it and recorded this song on the first take. R.I.P.
This song makes me cry every time I listen to it. I was 16 when Freddie died and when I heard he sang this song while he was dying it broke my heart. God blessed Freddie with the greatest voice of all time. Freddie was my hero when I was a child and I still turn to him and is music to lift me up, encourage me, and give me hope
@@Cody357 to answer ur original question, stage makeup isn't gendered like cosmetic makeup. under stage lighting or in any fiction really, you want everyone to look as aesthetically pleasing as possible
LOL that's what he basically said. Heres a man that's on his last legs as Brian May said had no flesh on him yet some how found that power in his voice and gave everything. Makes me laugh u see these reality shows and some singers say they cant sing cause they have a cold. This man was near death and he sounded better than ever,.
My soul is painted like the wings of butterflies, fairy tales of yesterday will grow but never die, I can fly my friends... This surely has to be one of the best verses ever written. I was incredibly fortunate to see Queen live, in London in the mid 80s. The best experience of my life. Thanks to Queen for sharing that day with me and about 100k others.
When you were young you never liked Queen ??? Queen was the first band I ever knew. The first song I ever sang to was Queen. My parents were playing them before I could even understand the lyrics. I'm sure I heard Freddie when I was in the womb.
@@crschwarzbunt6489 I was about 6 when my dad introduced me to Queen. I dont listen to ANY bullshit we have now. I really wish we had a time machine and get the technogy to save Freddie....maybe soon...we will...I wish.nn
The most amazing thing about this song besides the song itself, is Brian said that Freddie did this entire song in just one take and reach deep down within himself and put much of what he had into the vocals and Brian said it was simply Amazing to witness and be part of
That is a very true statement, personally I think Freddie shot his load on that song he gave it all the strength in him to push song out. Yes he did other songs afterwards but that was all of his emotions I think he took that personally and Brian did write the song and Freddie intervened and help him also written some of the lyrics and if I am not mistaken Freddie asked Brian who or what this is about and Brian said nobody in particular but in reality it really was about Freddie wanting to continue recording new music during his illness and keep the band moving forward. Perfect title The Show Must Go On and fitting for what Freddie wanted to accomplish during his final years, months and Days of his life
Poor Freddie could barely walk at this stage, they doubted whether he was even physically capable of singing the chorus. He made it to the studio, downed a shot of vodka, said "I'll fucking do it, darling!", and gave his last great performance.
Never will I be able to listen to this song without tearing up... It's absoloutly brilliant! Actually brilliant is an understatement. I remember the first time I heard this song I was about 4 years old. It meant nothing to me then, it was just a rocking track that sounded good. Then as life went on things took a turn for the worst. I got bullied in school, I got abused by a family member, three of my friends took their own life, I nearly took mine and then got locked in a mental institution. As life went on I nearly gave up with everything. Then this song made itself present again! Only this time the meaning was oh so clear to me, I broke down in tears when I heard it!! What was once a fun rocking track to me was now a calling from up above! If ever a song spoke true words to me, this is that song! Then finding out about Fredie was even more inspirational. Even if you're on your dying sick bed, life goes on. No matter who you are or where you are from the show must go on! There are two things I really learnt from this song... The first is that if your heart is breaking or your make up is flaking, your smile stays on. The second is that positivity and optimism costs nothing. Use it, it's free and it brings out the best in you. RIP Fredie, the show will always go on!
After Bohemian Rapsody this is my most fav Queen song! The story behind the song and the lyrics is immensely powerful.. one who knows it, will fell the song. Miss you Freddie.. Century after century will admire your work and will remember you..
Freddie Mercury's vocal performance in this song ...simply incredible...although he was so sick at that time he fucking killed it.The talent of this man is still unmatchable,even after 25 years from his death nobody can touch him.He'll always be one of the greatest legends ever.Goosebumps.
Not many songs still bring a tear after 27 years but this one does. Who gets to write their own elegy, never mind sing it from the bottom of their heart and soul like Freddy Mercury did ?
I'm so glad I'm not deaf, that I can still hear. So that I can listen to this song. And I've listenned to this for so many times now... So sad I'm getting deaf. But the show must go on.
