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About

Genius Annotation

Truly a fantastic Queen song recorded while lead singer Freddie Mercury was battling his symptoms from HIV/AIDS, “The Show Must Go On” is a compellingly powerful final coda to Freddie’s legacy. The song closes Queen’s final studio album-release during Freddie’s lifetime.

While the “The Show Must Go On” was mainly written by lead guitarist Brian May, the song’s theme is driven by the probability it would be Freddie Mercury’s “finale”. His severe symptoms made recording Innuendo difficult.

Freddie’s struggles with HIV/AIDS were kept secret from the public-at-large until his official 1991, November 23rd, press-release divulging that he was, in fact, dying from AIDS-related complications.

Previously the British paparazzi had speculated, cruelly, and reported, that Freddie was diagnosed with the disease (from the time his diagnosis was “leaked”), and proceeded to stalk him, adding insult to injury.

Intentionally or not, Freddie’s announcing his illness on November 23rd was prescient:
Approximately 24 hours after the press release, Freddie Mercury died.

(Side-note: Mercury was British in his demeanor and cultural heritage. Yet he was also Persian-Parsee, born Farrokh Bulsara, on September 5th, 1946, in Zanzibar, Africa, a quasi-British colony at the time. Freddie died 45 years young, in his home in Kensington, West London. His birth-place, now part of Tanzania, considers the man a disgrace, given AIDS, etc.)

The “Innuendo” recording sessions were completed by November 1990; the album was released in February 1991. After those sessions, Freddie continued to record studio vocals as much as his health would allow. He loved his work; or rather, he passionately loved making music, and had always tried to keep his personal life private.

During these last recording sessions sometimes Mercury was so ill he could barely walk, making the recording process erratic, emotionally wrought, and logistically difficult for the band, especially for guitarist Brian May, a studio perfectionist.

Brian told a feeble Freddie not to over-exert himself during a session for the final track’s vocals, intimating he wasn’t up to the challenge. According to Queen lore, a frustrated Freddie responded by slamming a shot, or two, of vodka, saying, “I’ll fucking do it, darling”. May recalled Mercury’s performance:

He went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal"

And the show has very much gone on …

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Queen say about "The Show Must Go On"?
Genius Answer

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.


It’s my favorite song on the album, now. It’s got that kind of sadness, but it’s hopeful.

Brian May – August 1991, Guitar World


Typical Queen, sort of a closing track, metaphorical in a way.

Roger Taylor – 1993


‘The Show Must Go On’ came from Roger and John playing the sequence, and I started to put things down. At the beginning, it was just this chord sequence, but I had this strange feeling that it could be somehow important, and I got very impassioned and went and beavered away at it. I sat down with Freddie, and we decided what the theme should be and wrote the first verse. It’s a long story, that song, but I always felt it would be important because we were dealing with things that were hard to talk about at the time, but in the world of music, you could do it.

Brian May – 1994


To me, the most autobiographical line was: ‘My make-up may be flaking but my smile still stays on.’ That was true. No matter how ill Freddie felt, he never grumbled to anyone or sought sympathy of any kind. It was his battle, no one else’s, and he always wore a brave face against the ever-increasing odds against him.

Jim Hutton – 1994

What certifications did this track receive?
Genius Answer

“The Show Must Go On” was certified gold by the RIAA on May 6, 1992.

Credits
Produced By
Background Vocals
Mastering Engineer
Electric Guitar
Bass Guitar
Release Date
February 5, 1991
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