Released 28 October 1977, reached number 4, on chart for 20 weeks, achieved Platinum status.
Album length 39:24. 2011 reissue bonus EP length 17:05.
40th anniversary boxed set 'Raw Sessions' length 43:34, 'Bonus Tracks' length 68:22.
1. We Will Rock You
2. We Are The Champions
3. Sheer Heart Attack
4. All Dead, All Dead
5. Spread Your Wings
6. Fight From The Inside
7. Get Down, Make Love
8. Sleeping On The Sidewalk
9. Who Needs You
10. It's Late
11. My Melancholy Blues
12. We Will Rock You (1991 Remix)
1. Feelings, Feelings (Take 10, July 1977)
2. Spread Your Wings (BBC Session, October 1977)
3. My Melancholy Blues (BBC Session, October 1977)
4. Sheer Heart Attack (live version from the Pavilion De Paris, Paris, February 1979)
5. We Will Rock You (fast version) (live version from Seibu Lions Stadium, Tokyo, November 1982)
6. My Melancholy Blues (live version from The Summit, Houston, Texas, December 1977)
7. Sheer Heart Attack (live version from the Hammersmith Odeon, London, December 1979)
8. We Will Rock You ('Queen Rocks' promo video)
1. Feelings, Feelings (Take 10, July 1977)
2. We Will Rock You (slow) (BBC Session, October 1977)
3. We Will Rock You (fast) (BBC Session, October 1977)
4. Spread Your Wings (BBC Session, October 1977)
5. It's Late (BBC Session, October 1977)
6. My Melancholy Blues (BBC Session, October 1977)
7. We Will Rock You (instrumental version)
8. We Are The Champions (instrumental version)
9. Spread Your Wings (instrumental version)
10. Fight From The Inside ('The Eye' instrumental version)
11. Get Down, Make Love ('The Eye' instrumental version)
12. It's Late (US Radio Edit)
13. Sheer Heart Attack (live version from the Pavilion De Paris, Paris, February 1979)
14. We Will Rock You (fast version) (live version from Seibu Lions Stadium, Tokyo, November 1982)
15. My Melancholy Blues (live version from The Summit, Houston, Texas, December 1977)
16. Get Down, Make Love (live version from The Forum, Montreal, November 1981)
17. Spread Your Wings (live version from 'Live Killers', Europe, 1979)
18. We Will Rock You (live version from the Milton Keynes Bowl, June 1982)
19. We Are The Champions (live version from the Milton Keynes Bowl, June 1982)
We Are The Champions (with Robbie Williams)
We Will Rock You (fast version)
We Will Rock You (Pepsi Advert with Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles and Pink)
We Will Rock You (with Five)
We Will Rock You (with John Farnham)
We Will Rock You Vonlichten (with Vonlichten)
Batteries Not Included
Silver Salmon (possibly)
Produced by Queen, assisted by Mike Stone
Engineered by Mike Stone
Recorded at Basing Street, Wessex, July-September 1977
John Deacon - bass guitar
Brian May - guitar, backing vocals
Freddie Mercury - vocals, piano
Roger Taylor - drums, backing vocals
Equipment supervision - John Harris
Coordination - Peter Brown, Paul Prenter
Tour manager - Gerry Stickells
Our thanks to our road crew
Original artwork by Frank Kelly Freas (based on the cover of the October 1953 edition of 'Astounding Science Fiction')
Layout and sleeve coordination - Cream
2011 Reissue Notes:
This 2011 version has been meticulously re-created using the finest modern analogue and digital technology from the original first-generation master mixes.
Executive producers - Brian May and Roger Taylor
Mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, ME
Audio supervised by Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson
Additional audio restoration by Kris Fredriksson
Additional audio supervision by Joshua J. Macrae
Special thanks to Greg Brooks and Gary Taylor
Sleeve notes by Greg Brooks and Gary Taylor
Bonus material mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine, audio restoration by Kris Fredriksson.
Special thanks to Greg Brooks, Gary Taylor, Declan O'Regan, All at British Grove Studios and FX Copyroom.
40th Anniversary Boxed Set Notes:
Executive producers - Brian May and Roger Taylor
Queen management: Jim Beach
Audio compiled by Justin Shirley-Smith, Kris Fredriksson and Greg Brooks
Audio restoration by Kris Fredriksson
Art direction and design by Richard Gray
Archive material research: Greg Brooks, with thanks to Jim Jenkins
Picture research: Richard Gray and Paul Davies
For Queen Productions Ltd: Tilda Beach, Sara Bricusse, Nigel Burchett, Peter Chant, Matthew Cocker, Dean S Crathern, Emma Donoghue, Justine Ellis, Sally Frost, Pete Malandrone, Declan O'Regan, Janice Page, Nick Weymouth, Erica McDaniel and all at Universal Audio
For Universal Music Group: Ted Cockle, Andrew Daw, Emma Shalless, Graham Simpson, Jack Thomson
For Hollywood Records: Steve Sherr, Lincoln Wheeler
Original Album:
Mastered by Bob Ludwig, Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine
Vinyl LP Pure Analogue Cut by Sean Magee, Abbey Road Studios, London
'Raw Sessions' Disc:
Produced by Justin Shirley-Smith, Kris Fredriksson and Joshua J Macrae
Original production by Queen, assisted by Mike Stone. Recorded by Mike Stone
Mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine
'Bonus Tracks' Disc:
Mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine
Tracks 1, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 produced by Queen, assisted by Mike Stone, recorded by Mike Stone
Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 produced by Jeff Griffin, engineered by Mike Robinson
Tracks 13 and 17 recorded by John Etchells
Track 14 recorded by Mr Takanashi
Track 16 recorded by Mack and Kooster McAllister
Tracks 18 and 19 recorded by Mack and Mick McKenna
Tracks 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 mixed by Mike Robinson
Track 12 mixed by Queen and Mike Stone
All other tracks mixed variously by Joshua J Macrae, Justin Shirley-Smith, Kris Fredriksson, Neil Amor and John Etchells
A boxed set was released on 17 November 2017 to mark the 40th anniversary of the album. This included the original album on CD, a 'Raw Sessions' CD, a 'Bonus Tracks' CD, a DVD containing a new documentary 'The American Dream', a 60 page book, and replica memorabilia including three posters, a tour laminate, stickers, and an Elektra press kit with a newspaper, 7 photographs, and 5 biographical pages. The 'Raw Sessions' disc contains alternate versions of 10 album tracks, created from outtakes from the original recording sessions, plus the only known live performance of 'Sleeping On The Sidewalk'. The 'Bonus Tracks' disc contains various mixes and live versions, all previously released, including the US radio edit of 'It's Late' for the first time on CD.
- We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You (no 2, 7 October 1977) [discography]
- Spread Your Wings / Sheer Heart Attack (no 34, 10 February 1978) [discography]
- It's Late / Sheer Heart Attack (USA (no 74), Japan, Canada and New Zealand only, 25 April 1978) [discography]
- We Will Rock You (with Five) / other Five tracks (no 1, 17 July 2000) [discography]
- We Will Rock You (album version / BBC Fast version / Musical version / video) (given away free through 'The Sun' newspaper, 17 October 2002) [discography]
- We Are The Champions EP (various versions) (download only, 14 June 2006) [discography]
- We Will Rock You Vonlichten (with Vonlichten) (download only, 13 November 2012 (USA) and 3 December 2012 (UK)) [discography]
- We Are The Champions (raw sessions) (download only, 6 October 2017) [discography]
- We Will Rock You (raw sessions) (download only, 6 October 2017) [discography]
- We Are The Champions (album version) / We Will Rock You (album version) (24 November 2017) [discography]
'We Are The Champions' and 'We Will Rock You' have been reissued many times, as the original studio version, live versions, and remixes, full details of these can be found on the Multiple Releases page.
We Will Rock You
Track 1. Written by Brian May. Length 2:00.
The track was also recorded as an alternative fast version, and re-recorded with Five, John Farnham, Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles and Pink and Vonlichten. A short excerpt was also included in the 2008 track 'Still Burnin' by Queen + Paul Rodgers, while elements also appear in the Drum Extravaganza performed by the 'SOS All Stars' (featuring Roger) at Live Earth in 2007, in a mash-up with 'I Want It All' for the 2011 film 'Sucker Punch', and in Brian's solo tracks 'The Dark' and 'One Night In Hell'.
The track was also extensively remixed by Rick Rubin, and full details are available on the Hollywood Records Remixes page.
Details are also available of an unreleased acetate version and the 'Greatest Video Hits I' surround sound mix. The Cast of We Will Rock You (vocals)
Phil Collins (drums) 1. Raw Sessions Alternative Version (2:01) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 2:28; this is very similar to the album version, with studio dialogue at the start, complete lyrics, and a much shorter guitar solo)
2. Instrumental Version (2:00) (on the 'Greatest Karaoke Hits' CD, DVD and video, the 'Artist Karaoke Series' US CD, and the 40th anniversary boxed set; this retains some backing vocals)
3. Film Version (2:10) (in the 'A Knight's Tale' film, but not the soundtrack CD; the same as the album version, but between 5 and 10% faster, with a repeated section, and crowd noise; contains the sections from 0:09 to 0:47, 1:11 to 1:21, 0:58 to 1:21, 0:34 to 0:56 and 1:20 onwards)
4. Air Guitar Edit (0:15) (on 'The Best Air Guitar Album In The World Ever' and 'Jewels II', as part of 'Tie Your Mother Down'; an instrumental containing the first 6 seconds then 1:52 to 2:01)
5. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Insert (0:08) (an edit of the instrumental version from 0:45 to 0:53)
6. DVD Menu Edit 1 (0:18) (on the 'Live At Wembley Stadium' and 'Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl' DVD's, as the menus load; an edit of the instrumental version from 0:12 to 0:30, containing only 'we will, we will, rock you')
7. DVD Menu Edit 2 (1:02) (available on the main menu on 'The American Dream' DVD, as part of the 40th anniversary boxed set; this is an edit of the track, containing the first 0:32, and then 1:31 onwards)
8. The Eye UK Version (0:57) (derived from the 'Live At Wembley' intro, with English commentary over the top)
9. The Eye German Version (0:58) (derived from the 'Live At Wembley' intro, with German commentary over the top) 1. BBC Session 6 (1:14) (recorded at Maida Vale Studio, London, on 28 October 1977; available on the 'On Air' album and the 40th anniversary boxed set)
2. Live Killers (2:37) (recorded in Frankfurt, Germany, on 2 February 1979)
3. We Will Rock You / Queen Rock Montreal (2:09) (recorded in Montreal, Canada, on 24/25 November 1981; not released on the original 60 minute VHS release)
4. Vienna 1982 (2:17) (recorded in Vienna, Austria, on 12 May 1982, on the 'Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl' DVD)
5. Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl (2:04) (recorded in Milton Keynes, England, on 5 June 1982; also included in the 40th anniversary boxed set)
6. Live In Japan (2:19) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 3 November 1982; also available on the Japanese 'Days Of Our Lives' DVD and Blu-ray release)
7. Live In Rio (2:25) (recorded in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on 12 January 1985)
8. Final Concert Live In Japan (2:36) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 11 May 1985)
9. Live Aid (1:15) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 13 July 1985, available on the 'Rare Live' video, 'Live Aid' DVD, and on the double DVD 'Queen Rock Montreal And Live Aid')
10. Live Aid Edit (0:44) (on the 'Live Aid' DVD, on the menu on disc 4) (an instrumental, containing the first 20 seconds of guitar intro then 23 seconds of the outro)
11. Live At Wembley, First Night (2:47) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 11 July 1986; available on the 2011 DVD only)
12. Live At Wembley, Second Night (2:48) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 12 July 1986)
13. Live At Wembley, Second Night Excerpt (0:25) (on the 'Live At Wembley Stadium' 2003 DVD song selection screen; an instrumental excerpt of the above version from 0:04 to 0:29)
14. Hungarian Rhapsody / Live In Budapest (3:00) (recorded in Budapest, Hungary, on 27 July 1986; also available as a streaming video as part of the 'Absolute Greatest' release)
15. Live Magic (1:32) (recorded at Knebworth Park, England, on 9 August 1986) 1. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert (2:29) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 20 April 1992, with lead vocals by Axl Rose)
2. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Excerpt (1:19) (available on the 2002 reissue DVD, in the 'QueenOnline' section; an edit of the above live version, fading both in and out)
3. Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2001 (3:25) (available on the 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Volume 6: 2000-2001' download exclusive to Amazon and iTunes in the US; recorded in New York in 2001, with lead vocals by Brian then Roger)
4. Queen's Day 2002 (2:29) (recorded at the Musumplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 30 April 2002, with lead vocals by Brian; available on the Heineken 'Queen's Day' CD-Rom)
5. Party At The Palace 2002 (1:45) (recorded at Buckingham Palace, London, on 3 June 2002, with lead vocals by Brian)
6. 46664 South Africa (2:50) (recorded at Green Point Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa, on 29 November 2003, with lead vocals by Anastacia)
7. Foo Fighters Live In Hyde Park (1:21) (recorded in Hyde Park, London, on 17 June 2006; performed by the Foo Fighters with Brian and Roger)
8. London 2012 Olympics Full (3:24) (recorded at the Olympic Stadium, London, England, on 12 August 2012, with Jessie J on vocals; available on the 'London 2012 Olympic Games' DVD/Blu-ray; I am unsure whether this contains the true live performance, or has vocal overdubs)
9. London 2012 Olympics Edit (2:31) (available on the 'A Symphony Of British Music' album; this trims the intro down from 1:10 to 0:38, omits a closing reprise lasting 0:22, and features vocal overdubs throughout) 1. Official Download, Pesaro 2005 (2:23) (recorded in Pesaro, Italy, on 8 April 2005)
2. Official Download, Prague 2005 (2:31) (recorded in Prague, Czech Republic, on 16 April 2005)
3. Return Of The Champions (2:28) (recorded in Sheffield, England, on 9 May 2005)
4. Super Live In Japan (2:21) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 27 October 2005, and also available on the Highlights CD/DVD)
5. Live In Ukraine (2:15) (recorded in Kharkov, Ukraine, on 12 September 2008)
6. Official Download, Riga 2008 (2:18) (recorded in Riga, Latvia, on 19 September 2008)
7. Official Download, Zurich 2008 (2:33) (recorded in Zurich, Switzerland, on 29 September 2008)
8. Official Download, London 2008 (2:25) (recorded in London, England, on 8 November 2008) 1. Live In Japan (2:38) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 17 August 2014)
2. VR The Champions (2:38) (recorded at the Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain, on 22 May 2016) 1. Live At The Brixton Academy (2:09) (recorded at the Brixton Academy, London, on 15 June 1993; available on the 'Live At The Brixton Academy' releases, the 'Last Horizon' CD single, and the 2021 'Back To The Light' deluxe double CD reissue and boxed set; this segues into a fast version)
2. Radio 1 Live Lounge Session (2:58) (recorded at an unknown studio with Dappy on 27 February 2012; available on the deluxe versions of Dappy's 'Bad Intentions' album)
3. Starmus - Sonic Universe (2:35) (recorded with Tangerine Dream at the Starmus Festival, Tenerife, Spain, on 24 June 2011) 1. The Candlelight Concerts - Live At Montreux 2013 (2:18) (recorded at the Stravinski Hall, Montreux, Switzerland, on 19 July 2013) 1. London Cast Recording (2:02)
2. Spanish Cast Recording (2:05)
3. German Cast Medley (1:45) (recorded for the 'Wetten Dass' TV programme in Germany, on 11 December 2004, by Queen and the German cast; available on the 'We Will Rock You - Around The World' download EP and the UK cast album 10th anniversary reissue)
4. German Cast Recording (2:11) Mike Stone: Right this'll be take one, take one
Freddie: We will, mmm, right We will, we will, rock you Mike Stone: Right, go
Brian: Oh god
Mike Stone: This'll be take one, take one
Freddie: Mud on your face, big disgrace
Brian: Do I do a count-in? One, two, three, four Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place Singing We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day
You got blood on your face
Big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place, come on We will, we will, rock you, sing it, ohhh We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
You got mud blood on your face
Big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place
We will, we will, rock you, sing it
We will, we will, rock you, everybody We will, we will, rock you Ooh, we will, we will, rock you, alright Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place
Singing
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day
You got blood on your face
You big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place
We will, we will, rock you, sing it
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place
We will, we will, rock you, sing it
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day
You got blood on your face
You big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place
We will, we will, rock you, sing it
We will, we will, rock you, everybody
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you, alright
We Are The Champions
Track 2. Written by Freddie Mercury. Length 3:00.
The track was later re-recorded with Robbie Williams and covered by Hank Marvin featuring Brian May.
Details are also available of a different version recorded for 'Top Of The Pops', the 'Days Of Our Lives' recording out-takes, and the 'Greatest Video Hits I' surround sound mix. Will Young (vocals)
London cast of We Will Rock You (vocals)
Phil Collins (drums)
Justin Shirley-Smith (mixing) 1. Raw Sessions Alternative Version (4:13) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 4:34; most of the track is very similar to the album version, with extra guitar from Brian throughout, but it is extended with two extra choruses and a guitar solo)
2. 'Greatest Karaoke Hits' Edit (2:56) (on the 'Greatest Karaoke Hits' DVD only; this is a slight edit, which fades out earlier)
3. Instrumental Version (2:56) (on the 'Greatest Karaoke Hits' CD, DVD and video, the 'Artist Karaoke Series' US CD, and the 40th anniversary boxed set; an instrumental version of the above edit, retaining some backing vocals)
4. Extra Guitar Version (2:59) (available on early versions of the 'Greatest Flix' video only; this seems to be the same as the album version, with additional guitar in several places, and the audience clapping along)
5. George Bush Version (3:09) (on Promo CD's issued after the Gulf War; the same as the album version, but adds quotes from a speech by George Bush)
6. Rick Rubin Ruined Remix (3:23) (on the 'Queen Basic Bootlegs' US promo, and the 'We Will Rock You' 1992 remix single; this adds new percussion and some extra vocals throughout, giving the track a completely different feel)
7. 2011 Promo Video Version (3:01) (on the 'Days Of Our Lives' DVD and Blu-ray only; this is a new version of the track featuring footage of the band recording a new version of the song; it loses many of the lyrics, and has some different elements including much heavier guitar, a piano outro at the end, and alternate vocal takes, and includes dialogue in places)
8. Rock Band Video Game Version (3:02) (available as part of the Rock Band 'Lego Rock Band' game and 'Queen Extravaganza 01' download, and the Guitar Hero 'On Tour: Decades' game and 'Queen Track Pack' download; this is the album version, with some slight remixing in places, and Brian's guitar note at the end of the track continues for longer)
9. DVD Menu Edit (1:14) (available on the chapters menu on 'The American Dream' DVD, as part of the 40th anniversary boxed set; this is an edit of the track the start to 1:14, fading from 1:11 onwards) 1. Houston 1977 (3:16) (recorded at The Summit, Houston, Texas, on 11 December 1977; available during the 'The American Dream' DVD documentary, as part of the 40th anniversary boxed set only)
2. Live Killers (3:22) (possibly recorded in Zagreb, Croatia, on 6 February 1979)
3. We Will Rock You / Queen Rock Montreal (3:25) (recorded in Montreal, Canada, on 24/25 November 1981; not released on the original 60 minute VHS release)
4. Vienna 1982 (3:23) (recorded in Vienna, Austria, on 12 May 1982, on the 'Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl' DVD)
5. Rare Live (1:53) (a compilation of footage, recorded in Vienna, Austria, on 12 May 1982, and at Knebworth Park, England, on 9 August 1986)
6. Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl (3:27) (recorded in Milton Keynes, England, on 5 June 1982; also included in the 40th anniversary boxed set)
7. Live In Japan (3:31) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 3 November 1982)
8. Live In Rio (4:02) (recorded in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on 12 January 1985)
9. Final Concert Live In Japan (3:47) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 11 May 1985)
10. Live Aid (3:27) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 13 July 1985, available on the 'Live Aid' DVD, and on the double DVD 'Queen Rock Montreal And Live Aid')
11. Live At Wembley, First Night (3:51) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 11 July 1986; available on the 2011 DVD only)
12. Live At Wembley, First Night Excerpt (0:32) (this is the instrumental ending of the above track, available on the 2003 DVD as part of 'God Save The Queen')
13. Live At Wembley, Second Night (3:59) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 12 July 1986; also available as a streaming video as part of the 'Absolute Greatest' release)
14. Live At Wembley, Second Night Excerpt 1 (0:25) (on the 'Live At Wembley Stadium' 2003 DVD song selection screen; this is an edit of the above version from 0:47 to 1:12)
15. Live At Wembley, Second Night Excerpt 2 (0:25) (on the 'Live At Wembley Stadium' 2003 DVD song selection screen for 'God Save The Queen'; this is an instrumental edit of the above version from 3:27 to 3:53)
16. Live At Wembley, Second Night Excerpt 3 (1:00) (on the 'Live At Wembley Stadium' 2003 DVD 'Queen Cam' Roger screen; an edit of the above live version from 0:00 to 1:00)
17. Hungarian Rhapsody / Live In Budapest (3:51) (recorded in Budapest, Hungary, on 27 July 1986)
18. Live Magic (1:56) (recorded at Knebworth Park, England, on 9 August 1986) 1. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert (4:56) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 20 April 1992, with lead vocals by Liza Minelli)
2. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Excerpt (0:24) (available on the 2002 reissue DVD, as the menu loads) (an edit of the above live version, fading both in and out)
3. Queen's Day 2002 (4:06) (recorded at the Musumplein, Amsterdam, Netherlands, on 30 April 2002, with lead vocals by Trijnte Oosterhuis; available on the Heineken 'Queen's Day' CD-Rom)
4. Party At The Palace 2002 (2:29) (recorded at Buckingham Palace, London, on 3 June 2002, with lead vocals by Will Young)
5. 46664 South Africa (2:53) (recorded at Green Point Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa, on 29 November 2003, with lead vocals by Anastacia) 1. Official Download, Hamburg 2005 (4:13) (recorded in Hamburg, Germany, on 28 April 2005)
2. Official Download, Cardiff 2005 (4:04) (recorded in Cardiff, Wales, on 7 May 2005)
3. Return Of The Champions (4:26) (recorded in Sheffield, England, on 9 May 2005)
4. Super Live In Japan (4:32) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 27 October 2005)
5. Super Live In Japan Edit (4:20) (available on the Highlights CD/DVD only)
6. Live In Ukraine (2:50) (recorded in Kharkov, Ukraine, on 12 September 2008)
7. Official Download, Nottingham 2008 (4:09) (recorded in Nottingham, England, on 10 October 2008)
8. Official Download, Cardiff 2008 (4:09) (recorded in Cardiff, Wales, on 14 October 2008)
9. Official Download, London 2008 (4:15) (recorded in London, England, on 8 November 2008) 1. Live In Japan (4:27) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 17 August 2014)
2. VR The Champions (4:26) (recorded at the Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain, on 22 May 2016) 1. London Cast Recording (2:21)
2. Spanish Cast Recording (2:51)
3. German Cast Medley (1:53) (recorded for the 'Wetten Dass' TV programme in Germany, on 11 December 2004, by Queen and the German cast; available on the 'We Will Rock You - Around The World' download EP and the UK cast album 10th anniversary reissue)
4. German Cast Recording (2:21) (available on the 'We Are The Champions' 2006 download EP and the German cast album) Freddie: One, two, three (starts playing and stops), ha, ha, ha, see I'm trying to sing it in my mind aswell, because it sort of goes 'dah-dah-dah-dahh'
Mike Stone: This'll be take thirty seven thousand
Freddie: One, two, three I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand
Kicked in my face
But I've come through
And I need to go on and on and on and on
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions
Of the world
I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls
You've brought me fame and fortune
And everything that goes with it, I thank you all
But it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
And I ain't gonna lose
And I need to go on and on and on and on
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions
Of the world
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end Oh, we are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions Of the world
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
Yes, we are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions
Of the world
We are the champions
We are the champions
(Ooooh, oooh)
We are the champions Freddie: That was a lovely feel (Roger: it was) that's exactly how it should be Our armed forces fought with honour and valour
Aggression is defeated, the war is over I've paid my dues (all of us grieve for the victims of war) Time after time
I've done my sentence (Sadaam Hussein was the villain) But committed no crime (Kuwait the victim) And bad mistakes
I've made a few (Iraq must not have access to the instruments of war) I've had my share of sand
Kicked in my face
But I've come through
And I need to go on and on and on and on (Sadaam walks amidst ruin. His war machine is crushed) We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions
Of the world This nation has watched it's sons and daughters with pride I've taken my bows (with confidence and pride) And my curtain calls (we stood our ground) You've brought me fame and fortune
And everything that goes with it, I thank you all (I thank the American people) But it's been no bed of roses (to sacrifice nobly) No pleasure cruise (all united against aggression) I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
And I ain't gonna lose
And I need to go on and on and on and on
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions (tonight, Kuwait is free) Of the world
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
Oh, we are the champions
We are the champions (we're coming home now) No time for losers (ooooh, oooh) (proud, confident) 'Cos we are the champions It's great to be back! Director: Take eight Three, four
I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes (Freddie: What are you doing now? Voice: I'm just gonna get a rough balance, OK?) We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end (voice: guitars, guitars, guitars) We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions
Of the world
I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls
But it's been no bed of roses (Freddie: that's nice, that's nice) No pleasure cruise (voice: oh, that's the other guitars, right) I consider it a
And we'll keep on fight-
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers (ooooh, oooh)
'Cos we are the champions Roger: Oooh, let's open a bottle of wine
Voice: Yes, well, where is the screwdriver?
Sheer Heart Attack
Track 3. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:25.
Bass and rhythm guitars by Roger Taylor.
This track was originally intended for the 1974 album of the same name, but was not completed in time. 1. Raw Sessions Original Rough Mix (4:10) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 4:10; musically, this is almost identical to the album version, but features a guitar intro and outro, and continues after the track normal ends. It also only contains Roger's backing vocals, with no lead vocals)
2. Video Version (3:11) (on the 'Queen Rocks' video only; some of the high pitched section is edited out, from 2:32 to 2:46)
3. DVD Menu Edit (0:59) (available on the chapters menu on 'The American Dream' DVD, as part of the 40th anniversary boxed set; this is an edit of the track from 0:00 to 0:53, followed by 3:19 onwards) 1. Rare Live (2:25) (recorded at The Summit, Houston, Texas, on 11 December 1977, with excerpts from other concerts)
2. Live Killers (3:14) (recorded at an unknown venue in Europe in 1979)
3. Paris 1979 (3:26) (recorded at the Pavilion De Paris, France, on 28 February 1979; available on the 2011 double disc reissue and 40th anniversary boxed set only)
4. Concerts For Kampuchea, 1979 (3:11) (recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, on 26 December 1979; available on the 2011 iTunes LP as a bonus video)
5. We Will Rock You / Queen Rock Montreal (3:51) (recorded in Montreal, Canada, on 24/25 November 1981; not released on the original 60 minute VHS release)
6. Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl (3:20) (recorded in Milton Keynes, England, on 5 June 1982) Roger: Can I have some of the other lights on? Well, you're just 17 all you wanna do is disappear
Know what I mean there's a lot of space between our ears
The way that you touch don't feel you nothing
Hey, hey, hey, hey, it was the D.N.A
Hey, hey, hey, hey, that made me this way
Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel
Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel Sheer heart attack
Sheer heart attack
Real cardiac I feel so inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-ticulate
Gotta feeling, gotta feeling, gotta feeling like a paralyse
It ain't no, it ain't no, it ain't no, it ain't no surprise
Turn on the TV let it drip right down in your eyes
Hey, hey, hey, hey, it was the D.N.A
Hey, hey, hey, hey, that made me this way
Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel
Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel Sheer heart attack
Sheer heart attack
Real cardiac I feel so inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-inar-ticulate
Just how I feel
Do you know, do you know, do you know, do you know, just how I feel
Do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel
Do you know, do you know, do you know, do you know just how I feel Sheer heart attack
Sheer heart attack
Real cardiac
All Dead, All Dead
Track 4. Written by Brian May. Length 3:08.
Lead vocals are sung by Brian.
The original inner sleeve included additional lyrics at the start of the track, which were not on the album, and were finally released in 2017 as part of the Raw Sessions version.
Details are also available of an unreleased instrumental take. 1. Raw Sessions Original Rough Mix (3:08) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 3:10; this is a demo version with Freddie on lead vocals, with numerous lyric changes; it loses the backing vocals but is musically very similar to the album version)
2. Promo Video Hybrid Edit (3:08) (available in the animated promo video only; this is a hybrid of the two versions, which includes the raw sessions version from 0:00 to 1:32, the album version from 1:32 to 1:38, raw sessions from 1:38 to 1:43, the album from 1:43 to 2:37, raw sessions from 2:37 to 2:41, and finally the album version from 2:41 onwards; it features the same lyrics as the Raw Sessions version)
3. DVD Menu Edit (0:34) (available on the subtitle options menu on 'The American Dream' DVD, as part of the 40th anniversary boxed set; this is an edit of the track from around 1:10 to 1:44, which fades out from around 1:42 onwards) Memories, memories
How long can you stay
To haunt my days
'Twas not for talk of loving
'Twas not for talk at all She came without a farthing
A babe without a name So much ado about nothing Is what she'd try to say Would be her only call So much ado my lover
So many games we played
Through many a every fleeted summer
Through every precious day
All dead, all dead
All the dreams we had
And I wonder why I still live on
All dead, all dead
And alone I'm spared
My sweeter half instead
All dead
And gone
All dead
All dead, all dead
At the rainbows end And still I hear her own sweet song
All dead, all dead
Take me back again
You know my little friend's
All dead
And gone Haunting her ways are always with me
I wander all the while
But please you must forgive me
I am old but still a child
All dead, all dead
But I should not grieve
In time it comes to everyone
All dead, all dead
But in hope I breathe (all dead, all dead) Of course I don't believe (oooh, oooh, oooh) You're dead
And gone
All dead
And gone
Spread Your Wings
Track 5. Written by John Deacon. Length 4:32.
Details are also available of the 'Greatest Video Hits I' surround sound mix. 1. Raw Sessions Alternative Take (4:54) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 4:57; this is very similar to the album version with a new piano intro, and a longer outro with additional vocals; instead of fading out the band just stop playing)
2. Single Version (4:28) (on the 7" single only; apparently this version fades out earlier, trimming some of the instrumental outro)
3. 'Forever' Edit (4:30) (on the 'Forever' double disc album only; this simply fades out earlier, trimming some of the outro; it is possible that this is the same as the above single version)
4. 'Greatest Flix' Edit (3:57) (on 'Greatest Flix' only; this starts at 0:02 and fades out from 3:52 to 3:59, before going into 'Bicycle Race')
5. 'Greatest Video Hits' Edit (4:22) (on 'Greatest Video Hits I' and the 'Greatest Hits In Japan' DVD; this simply fades out earlier, between 4:08 and 4:22)
6. 'Greatest Karaoke Hits' Edit (4:20) (on the 'Greatest Karaoke Hits' DVD only; another edit, which fades out earlier)
7. Instrumental Version (4:20) (on the 'Greatest Karaoke Hits' CD, DVD and video, and the 40th anniversary boxed set; an instrumental version of the above edit, only retaining the lyric 'Fly with me' at the end; elements of the track come from a different take, especially around the guitar solo) 1. BBC Session 6 (5:23) (recorded at Maida Vale Studio, London, on 28 October 1977; available on the 2011 double disc reissue, the 40th anniversary boxed set, and the 'On Air' album)
2. Live Killers (4:51) (recorded at an unknown venue in Europe in 1979; also included in the 40th anniversary boxed set)
3. Live Killers Japanese Single Version (4:45) (available on the Japanese 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' 7" single only; this simply runs faster, giving a shorter length) Sammy was low
Just watching the show
Over and over again He knew it was time
He'd made up his mind
To leave his dead life behind, yeah His boss said to him
'Boy you'd better begin
To get those crazy notions right out of your head
Sammy, who do you think that you are?
You should've been sweeping up the Emerald Bar'
Spread your wings and fly away
Fly away, far away
Spread your little wings and fly away Far fly away, far away
Pull yourself together
'Cos you know you should could do better
That's because you're a free man
He spends his evenings alone in his hotel room
Keeping his thoughts to himself, he'd be leaving soon
Wishing he was miles and miles away
Nothing in this world, nothing, would make him stay
Since he was small
Had no luck at all
Nothing came easy to him
Now it was time
He'd made up his mind
'This could be my last chance'
His boss said to him
'Now listen boy
You're always dreaming
You've got no real ambition, you won't get very far
Sammy boy, don't you know who you are?
Why can't you be happy at the Emerald Bar'
So honey Spread your wings and fly away
Fly away, far away
Spread your little wings and fly away
Fly away, far away
Pull yourself together 'Cos you know you should do better Ooh, that's because you're a free man Come on honey
Fly with me Take me away with you
Spread your little wings
And fly away, far away
Spread your little wings
And fly away, oh, honey
Spread your wings
Fly, fly, fly away
Spread your wings
Fly away, yeah
Fly away
Far away Freddie: Oh, what a jam
Fight From The Inside
Track 6. Written by Roger Taylor. Length 3:01.
Bass guitar and lead vocal by Roger Taylor. Guitars by Brian May and Roger Taylor. 1. Raw Sessions Demo Vocal Version (3:07) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 3:08; this is musically similar to the album version, but features a rough demo vocal by Roger which has plenty of lyric changes, and a different verse)
2. The Eye Instrumental (3:01) (a full instrumental version; also included in the 40th anniversary boxed set) Roger: Plenty of drums Hey you boy, hey you Hey you boy, hey you Hey you boy think that you know what you're doing
You think you're gonna set things to rights That ain't so easy from the middle of a circle of your parasites You're just another picture on a teenage wall You're just another sucker ready for a fall
You gotta fight from the inside
Attack from the rear Creep up in the world Fight from the inside
You can't win with your hands tied
Fight from the inside Save me the place at the victory table
You can wash the dishes and I can taste the wine
Save me a place for dinner with the winner Ooooh, oooh, oooh
Ooooh, oooh, oooh
Ahhhhhh Gotta fight from the inside
Right down the line Hey you, hey you boy, hey you Hey you boy, think that you know what you're doing
You think that out in the street is all cool streets is all true You're just another, money spinner tool
You're just another, fool You're just another You gotta fight from the inside
Attack from the rear Creep up in the world Fight from the inside You can't win with your hands tied
Fight from the inside Save me the place at the victory table
You can wash the dishes and I can taste the wine
Save me a place for dinner with the winner Ooooh, oooh, oooh
Ooooh, oooh, oooh
Ahhhhhh Gotta fight from the inside
Right down the line Right down the line
Right down the line
Get Down Make Love
Track 7. Written by Freddie Mercury. Length 3:50.
Elements from this track were performed as part of the BBC version of 'It's Late'. 1. Raw Sessions Early Take (3:37) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 4:02; this is a great version, which has more dominant piano giving it a different feel, with many lyric changes, missing vocals, and a lengthy instrumental section)
2. The Eye Instrumental (3:47) (a full instrumental version; also included in the 40th anniversary boxed set) 1. Rehearsal and Houston 1977 (3:23) (recorded at rehearsals for the tour, and The Summit, Houston, Texas, on 11 December 1977; available during the 'The American Dream' DVD documentary, as part of the 40th anniversary boxed set only; the first 1:30 comes from tour rehearsals, which then jumps to the last 1:53 from the Houston show)
2. Live Killers (4:24) (recorded at various venues including Frankfurt, Germany, on 2 February, Barcelona, Spain, on 20 February, and Paris, France, on 1 March 1979)
3. We Will Rock You / Queen Rock Montreal (4:22) (recorded in Montreal, Canada, on 24/25 November 1981; also included in the 40th anniversary boxed set)
4. Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl (3:37) (recorded in Milton Keynes, England, on 5 June 1982) Roger: Just give a little nod
Brian: OK. Do you like that sustained note, or not?
Freddie: Yes, that was very good
Roger: Yeah, I thought it was sounding quite nice that
Freddie: That was very good but can't you some, for the first bit do like bum-bum-chuck, and cut it off, so that (Brian: OK yeah) there's that gap
Mike Stone: Take five
Freddie: One, two, three, four Get down, make love
Get down, make love
Get down, make love
Get down, make love You take my body - I give you heat
You say you hungry - I give you meat (get down) I suck your mind (make love) you blow my head (get down) Make love (make love) inside your bed
Everybody get down, make love
Get down, make love
Get down, make love
Get down, make love
Everytime I get it gets hot - you wanna cool down
Everytime I get gets high - you say you wanna come down Get it too hot - it tells you to stop You say it's enough - in fact it's too much Everytime I get a wanna Get down, get down, get down, make love Oooh
Ssssss
Ahhhhh
Get down - I can squeeze Make love - you can shake it me Get down - I can feel Make love - when you break me you can make it
(Get down) get down
Get down, make love Get down - come on so heavy - make love
Get down - when you take me - make love
You make love, you make love
Get down - you make love, you make love - make love
You can make everybody
Get down, make love
Get down, make love Everytime I get high - you wanna come down
Everytime I get hot - you say you wanna cool down
You say it's enough - in fact it's too much
Everytime I wanna
Get down, get down, get down
Ahhhh
Oooh, oooh
(Make love, make love, make love, make love, make love, make love)
Ahhhh Get down, make love
Get down, make love
Get down, make love
Get down, make love
Everytime I get it gets hot - you wanna cool down
Everytime I get it gets high - you say you wanna come down You say it's enough - in fact it's just too much You say it's too hot - na, nah, nah, nah Everytime I wanna
Get down, get down, get down, make love Freddie: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. Sorry, something fell, oh the piano fell down
Roger: There were some good bits
Sleeping On The Sidewalk
Track 8. Written by Brian May. Length 3:05.
Brian May sings lead vocals.
This song was recorded in the first take. As a result, the 'Raw Sessions' disc contains the only known live performance of the track. 1. Live In The USA, 1977 (3:30) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 3:51; this was probably recorded at the Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, USA, on 11 November 1977, and has Freddie on vocals) One, two, three
I was nothing but a silly boy
Trumpet was my only toy
Been blowing my horn
Since I knew I was born
But there ain't nobody wants to know
I've been
Sleeping on the sidewalk
Rolling down the road
I may get hungry
But I sure don't wanna go home
So round the corner comes a limousine
And the biggest grin I ever seen
'Hey, sonny won't you sign
Right along the dotted line'
What you saying?
Are you playing?
Sure you don't mean me?
I was
Sleeping on the sidewalk
Rolling down the road
I may get hungry
But I sure don't wanna go home
Hey, I'll tell you what happened
They took me to a room without a table
Said 'blow your trumpet into here'
Played around as well as I was able
And soon we had the record of the year
I was a legend all through the land
I was blowing to a million fans
Nothing was a missing
All the people want to listen
You'd have thought I was a happy man
And I was
Sleeping like a princess
Never touched the road
I don't get hungry
And I sure don't wanna go home
Have to have some fun, yeah
And now they tell me that I ain't so fashionable
And that I owe the man a million bucks a year
So I told him where to stick the fancy label
It's just me and the road from here, yeah
Yeah
I'm back to playing and laying
I'm back on the game
I was
Sleeping on the sidewalk
Rolling down the road
I sure get hungry
And I sure do wanna go home
Yeah
Who Needs You
Track 9. Written by John Deacon. Length 3:05.
Acoustic guitars by John Deacon and Brian May, maracas by Brian May and cowbell by Freddie Mercury.
Freddie's vocals come through only the right channel, so the left gives a full instrumental version. 1. Raw Sessions Acoustic Take (2:08) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 2:38; this is an early and much shorter version of the track, which just features Freddie's vocals, maracas, and John's acoustic guitar, with numerous lyric changes throughout) Freddie: Let's do a, let's have a run through, come on
John: OK
Freddie: Right
John: Shall we start with that old intro of a (plays) and then you bring it in?
Freddie: You should keep it flowing (ad-libs)
John: OK, try again then
Mike Stone: This'll be take two, take two
John: One, two, one, two, three, four OK I make it half past six you come at seven What you trying to tell me, please explain Always trying to keep me hanging round You little spoilt thing, girl you need a lesson kept me waiting Girl you've got it coming, coming to you Never contemplating my point of view (Ad-libbed vocals) This comes as no surprise
I'm a fool for I believed your lies
But now I see through your disguise Who needs, well I don't need
Who needs you? OK-kay Oh yeah Oh, I believed you
Went on my knees to you Oooh how I trusted you
But you turned me down
But it's dog eat dog in this rat race
And it leaves you bleeding lying flat on your face
Reaching out, reaching out for a helping hand Where is that helping hand? I make it half past six you come at seven
What you trying to tell me, please explain
You little spoilt thing, girl you need a lesson
Girl you've got it coming, coming to you (Ad-libbed vocals) Oh, muchachos
I like it, I like it
Um
Oooh
Well I don't need you
How I was pushed around
Don't let it get you down
You walked all over me
But don't you ever give in
Taking one step forward, slipping two steps back
There's an empty feeling that you can't forget
Reaching out (reaching out)
For a helping hand (for a helping hand)
When I met you, you were always charming
Couldn't sleep at night till you were mine
You were oh so, so sophisticated
Never interested in what I'd say
I had to swallow my pride
So naive, you took me for a ride
But now, I'm the one to decide Who needs, well I don't need Well, I don't need you, yeah Who needs you? Yeah John: How was that?
Freddie: Oh, that's lovely
It's Late
Track 10. Written by Brian May. Length 6:25. 1. Raw Sessions Alternative Version (6:40) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 6:50; this is similar to the album version with many lyric changes, and a false start from Freddie)
2. US Radio Edit (3:50) (available on a US promo 7" single, and also the 40th anniversary boxed set; this omits the sections from 1:33 to 3:02 and 3:28 to 4:35)
3. Queen Rocks Video Edit (3:47) (on the video only; this omits the section from 2:37 to 5:15)
4. Hollywood Records Album Error (6:23) (on early pressings of the 1991 Hollywood Records album only; the track misses off the first part of the opening guitar chord but is otherwise the same)
5. The Eye Edit (1:06) (a straight edit from 1:33 to 2:36, with some changes to the start/end) 1. BBC Session 6 (6:34) (recorded at Maida Vale Studio, London, on 28 October 1977; available on the 'On Air' album and the 40th anniversary boxed set; this includes elements from 'Get Down, Make Love') Mike Stone: Take 2
Freddie: One two, one two, ohh, yeah You say Freddie: Alright You say you love me
And I hardly know your name
And if I say I love you in the candle light
There's no-one but myself to blame
But there's something inside That's turning my mind away
Woh-oh, how I could love you But I don't know the way
Oh, but you should love me If I could let you stay
It's late - and I'm bleeding deep inside
It's late - ooh, is it just my sickly pride
Too late - even now the feeling seems to steal away
So late - though I'm crying I can't help but hear you say
It's late, it's late, it's late
But not too late Um, yeah The way you love me
Is the sweetest love around
But after all this time
The more I'm trying
The more I seem to let you down, yes yeah Now you tell me you're leaving
And I just can't believe it's true
Oh, you know that I can love you
Though I know I can't be true
Oh, you made me love you
Don't tell me that we're through
It's late - oh, and it's driving me so mad
It's late - yes I know but don't try to tell me that it's
Too late - save our love you can't turn out the light
So late - I've been wrong but I'll learn to be right
It's late, it's late, it's late
But not too late
I've been so long
You've been so long
We've been so long, ohhh, trying to work it out, yeah I ain't got long
You ain't got long
We've gotta know what this life is all about Oh, tell me, take it Trying to work it out, yeah Ooh, too late, yeah, too late, is it much too late
Ooh, ahhh, we've got to get to get, ooh yeah You're staring at me, yeah With suspicion in your eye, yes You say what game are you playing?
What's this that you're saying?
I know that I can't give no reply, yes, come on If I take you tonight
Is it making my life a lie, yeah Oh, you make me wonder
Did I live my life right
It's late - ooh, yes it's late but it's time to set me free
It's late - ooh yes I know but there's no way it has to be
Too late - so let the fire take our bodies this night
So late - let the waters take our guilt in the tide now (It's late, it's late, it's late, it's late) yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah It's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late Oh, it's all too late Oooh, it's all too late
Ooh, you're driving me, driving, you're driving me mad, it's late
Oooh, too, too, too, too late, yeah yeah, oh yeah Wow, oh, it's too late, come on
Um, late, too late, oh yeah Freddie: I forget it's so short
Mike Stone: Oh, I like that
Brian: Good, I wanted it to be a little bit angry
Mike Stone: Right, it's good
Brian: Let's hear that then You say you love me
And I hardly know your name
And if I say I love you in the candle light
There's no-one but myself to blame
But there's something inside
That's turning my mind away
Woh-oh, how I could love you
If I could let you stay
It's late - and I'm bleeding deep inside
It's late - ooh, is it just my sickly pride
Too late - even now the feeling seems to steal away
So late - though I'm crying I can't help but hear you say
It's late, it's late, it's late
But not too late Um, yeah
The way you love me
Is the sweetest love around
But after all this time
The more I'm trying
The more I seem to let you down, yes
Now you tell me you're leaving
And I just can't believe it's true
Oh, you know that I can love you
Though I know I can't be true
Oh, you made me love you
Don't tell me that we're through I've been so long
You've been so long
We've been so long trying to work it out
I ain't got long
You ain't got long
We've gotta know what this life is all about
You're staring at me, yeah
With suspicion in your eye
You say what game are you playing?
What's this that you're saying?
I know that I can't reply
If I take you tonight
Is it making my life a lie?
Oh, you make me wonder
Did I live my life right It's late - ooh, but it's time to set me free
It's late - ooh yes I know but there's no way it has to be
Too late - so let the fire take our bodies this night
So late - let the waters take our guilt in the tide now
It's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late, it's late
Oh, it's all too late
Wow, oh, it's too late, come on
Um, late, too late, oh yeah
My Melancholy Blues
Track 11. Written by Freddie Mercury. Length 3:29. 1. Raw Sessions Original Rough Mix (3:36) (in the 40th anniversary boxed set only, with a track length of 3:42; this is very similar to the album version with just a couple of lyric changes, and a slightly longer piano outro)
2. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Insert (1:14) (an edited version; contains the sections from 0:08 to 1:15 and 3:04 to 3:10, fading out from 3:07 onwards)
3. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Documentary Edit (1:19) (an edit from 0:15 to 1:33, fading out from 1:28 onwards) 1. BBC Session 6 (3:10) (recorded at Maida Vale Studio, London, on 28 October 1977; available on the 2011 double disc reissue, the 40th anniversary boxed set, and the 'On Air' album)
2. Houston 1977 (3:43) (recorded at The Summit, Houston, Texas, on 11 December 1977; available on 'The Miracle' CD and 12" singles, as a streaming video as part of the 'Absolute Greatest' release, on the 2011 iTunes LP as a bonus video, and in the 40th anniversary boxed set)
3. Houston 1977 Edit (2:48) (on the 'Rare Live' video only, an edit of the above version) Another party's over
And I'm left cold sober My baby left me for somebody new, oooh, oooh
I don't wanna talk about it
Want to forget about it Wanna be I'm intoxicated with that special brew
So come and get me
Let me
Get in that sinking feeling
That says my heart is on an all time low, so
Don't expect me
To behave perfectly
And wear that sunny smile
My guess is I'm in for a cloudy and overcast
Don't try and stop me
'Cos I'm heading for that stormy weather soon
I'm causing a mild sensation
With this new occupation
I'm permanently glued
To this extraordinary mood
So now move over
And let me take over
With my
Melancholy blues
I'm causing a mild sensation
With this new occupation
I'm in the news I'm just getting used to my new exposure
Come into my enclosure
And meet my
Melancholy blues
We Will Rock You
(fast version)
Non-album track. Written by Brian May. Length 2:45.
This is a re-worked, faster version of the track. It was recorded during Queen's sixth BBC session, was often performed live, and it is possible that a full studio version also exists.
Click here for details of the original (slow) version. 1. BBC Session 6 (2:45) (recorded at Maida Vale Studio, London, on 28 October 1977; available on the 'On Air' album, the 40th anniversary boxed set, and 'The Sun' 2002 promo CD)
2. Greatest Flix / Greatest Video Hits I (2:15) (recorded at The Summit, Houston, Texas, on 11 December 1977)
3. Live Killers (3:01) (recorded at an unknown venue in Europe in 1979)
4. Tokyo 1979 (3:10) (recorded on an unknown date at the Budokan Hall in April 1979; available as a streaming video as part of the 'Absolute Greatest' release)
5. Sao Paulo 1981 (2:50) (recorded at the Morumbi Stadium, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 20 March 1981; available on the 'On Air' 6CD set)
6. We Will Rock You / Queen Rock Montreal (2:54) (recorded in Montreal, Canada, on 24/25 November 1981)
7. Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl (2:48) (recorded in Milton Keynes, England, on 5 June 1982)
8. Tokyo 1982 (2:47) (recorded at the Seibu Lions Stadium, Tokyo, Japan, on 3 November 1982; available on the 2011 double disc reissue and the 40th anniversary boxed set) 1. Live At The Brixton Academy Edit (1:40) (recorded at the Brixton Academy, London, on 15 June 1993; available on the album only, this segues from the slow version)
2. Live At The Brixton Academy Full (2:23) (available on the video, the 'Last Horizon' CD single, and the 2021 'Back To The Light' double CD reissue and boxed set; this is the full version, with a longer outro) 1. London Cast Recording (2:17)
2. Spanish Cast Recording (1:06) (this is the end of the track only)
3. German Cast Recording (0:55) (again this is the end of the track only) Oooh, oooh, yeah
Yeah, come on
Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day
Blood on your face
Big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place
Sing it
We will, we will, rock you, oh yes ah
We will, we will, rock
Oh, oh, oh, oh
We will, we will, rock you, yes
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
Mud on your face
Big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place
We will, we will, rock you, come on
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Oh, rock you
Right on
Feelings, Feelings
Available on the 2011 double disc reissue, and the 40th anniversary boxed set. Written by Brian May. Length 1:53.
This track evolved from another track titled 'Feelings', which may have originated from before John Deacon joined Queen in 1971.
This demo, Take 10, was recorded at Basing Street Studios, London, in July 1977.
Details are also available of anoher demo, Take 9, which is very similar but has slightly different lyrics. Brian: One, two, three Wooh
Gotta get rid of this feeling I'm feeling done
Yes, I've gotta get rid of this feeling that's under my tongue, key set
I've been waiting so long, I've got to be all fingers and thumbs
Oh, sitting all alone with just a feeling, I'm feeling bad
Yes that feeling is driving me, it's driving me mad
Oh, now that I'm here, got to give you all that I ever had, sure do
Now that I'm here
I can see you so clearly
It's the way I should say it
It's not what I say it's the way that I say it
It's not how I play it's the way that I play it
Ooh, wooh, wooh, yeah, I feel, yeah
Oooh, now that I'm here
Oh, got to get a rid of this feeling I'm feeling inside, yes
Got to get you into that feeling that's driving me mad, alright, baby
Oh, now that I'm here, I've got to give you all that I ever had, stop
Yes
We Will Rock You
(with Five)
Non-Album Track. Written by Brian May.
This re-recording was released as a single in 2000 and reached no. 1. Brian May plays all guitars and bass, while Roger drums.
Additional raps were written by J Brown and R Breen.
Click here for details of the original version. Produced by Richard Stannard, Julian Gallacher and Brian May
Recorded at the Windmill Lane Studio, Dublin
Recorded by Adrian Rushby and Ash Howes
Mixed by Ash Howes, with additional engineering by Justin Shirley-Smith Andy Caine (Backing Vocals)
Biff & Jules (all other instruments)
Mista Dexta (Turntablist)
Jake Davies and David McCraken (Protools) 1. Radio Version (3:07) (on all singles)
2. Album Version (2:55) (on the 'Invincible' album only; this is similar to the radio version but restructured; it starts and ends with drums, rather than explosions, it reorders the verses, loses one of the 'buddy' verses, loses a verse of rap vocals but adds another, and features more chorus vocals)
3. Enhanced CD Edit (0:14) (on both CD's as the disc loads; an edit of the normal version, from 0:09 to 0:14 twice, then 0:09 to 0:12; has no vocals at all)
4. Five Megamix Edit (0:12) (on the cassette, second CD, and on the first CD as a video; an edit which features drums and two bursts of 'we will, we will rock you', with some vocals from other songs over the top) We're causing utter devastation
When we step into the place and better believe that you can see
We're gonna rock and never stop and here we go again
Hit you with the flow again, kick it up the second time around
We'll bring it on again, shout it out
Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got blood on your face, come on
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place, singing
We will, we will, rock you, ha, ha
We will, we will, rock you, come on
How about a little something
Get you in the mood know what I mean
Watch your back - we got Queen on this track
Bring the feedback, and let it drop
As long as Five bring the funk
Queen bring the rock and it don't stop, come on
Buddy you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day
You got blood on your face
You big disgrace, yeah
Waving your banner all over the place, come on, singing
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock you, baby
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock, yeah
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock you, baby
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
You got mud on your face, come on
You big disgrace
Somebody better put you back in your place, singing
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock you, baby, come on, come on
We will, we will, rock you - yeah, wow
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock you, baby
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock you, baby
We will, we will, rock you - yeah, we're gonna rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got blood on your face, come on
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place, singing
We will, we will, rock you, ha, ha
We will, we will, rock you, come on
Keep the beat up
Why? I'm gonna turn your heat up
Gotta get you on the floor, I'm gonna burn your feet up
Rockin' you like I never rocked you before
Like the way I do, got you screaming for more
We're causing utter devastation
When we step into the place and better believe that you can see
We're gonna rock and never stop and here we go again
Hit you with the flow again, kick it up the second time around
We'll bring it on again, shout it out
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock you, baby
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock, yeah
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock you, baby
We will, we will, rock you
Ah, buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
You got mud on your face, come on
You big disgrace
Somebody better put you back in your place, singing
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock you, baby
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, yeah
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock, we're gonna rock you, baby
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you - we're gonna rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We Will Rock You
(with John Farnham)
Non-Album Track. Written by Brian May. Length 3:06.
This re-recorded track first appeared on the album 'True Colours - The Official Album Of The Rugby World Cup 2003', but was also released as a promo single, and appears on John Farnham's 'Greatest Hits' album.
The start of the track is derived from the instrumental version of 'We Will Rock You' (but it loses a verse and a chorus), and contains one word sung by Freddie ('alright'). At around 1:31, new guitars kick in, and there is a much heavier section, and a new ending. The chorus vocals towards the end seem to be taken from the version recorded with Five.
Click here for details of the original version. Produced by Brian May and Justin Shirley-Smith
John Farnham's vocals recorded by Doug Brady and produced by Ross Fraser. Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place
Singing
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Yeah, buddy you're a young man, hard man
Fighting in the street gonna take on the world some day
You got blood on your face
You big disgrace
Waving that banner all over the place
We will, we will, rock you, oh yeah
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you, oh
We will, we will, rock you
Alright
Buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
There's mud on your face
You big disgrace
Somebody gonna put you back into your place
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you (I'm gonna rock you)
We will, we will, rock you (gonna rock, gonna rock, gonna rock you, yeah)
We will, we will, rock you (yeah, we're gonna rock you baby)
Yeah, yeah
Yeah
I'm gonna rock you, rock you
We're gonna rock you
We Will Rock You
(Pepsi Advert with Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles and Pink)
Non-Album Track. Written by Brian May. Length 2:29.
This re-recording was made for a Pepsi advert, set during a Gladiator tournament in Rome. The advert was filmed in Rome on 26 September 2003, and premiered on Monday 26 January 2004, and also features Enrique Iglesias. It was subsequently released in Austria only as various promo CD's.
The track begins with the crowd practising the tune, but this is not included in the above time.
Produced by Brian and Roger, and featuring vocals by Britney Spears, Beyonce Knowles and Pink.
Click here for details of the original version. We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you, yeah
Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place
Singing
We will, we will, rock you, ah, I said
We will, we will, rock you, ooh yeah
Buddy you're a young man, hard man
Fighting in the street gonna take on the world some day
Blood on your face
Big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place, yeah
We will, we will, rock you, we will rock you, yeah
We will, we will, rock you, oh yeah
Buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
You got mud on your face
Big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place
We will, we will, rock you, we're gonna, we're gonna
We will, we will, rock you, sing it, come on
We will, we will, rock you, yeah, yeah
We will, we will, rock you
(Crowd) We will, we will, rock you
(Crowd) We will, we will, rock you
We Will Rock You Vonlichten
(with Vonlichten)
Non-Album Track. Written by Brian May. Length 3:15.
This track features Freddie's vocals, stomps and handclaps from the original version, newly recorded guitar from Brian, and orchestral parts and piano from Vonlichten. The track is extended by a 48 second instrumental intro and 33 second instrumental outro.
It was used in the USA during coverage of the NFL in 2012 and 2013 and the 2013 Superbowl. The track was released as a download in the USA on 13 November 2012, and in the UK on 3 December 2012.
Click here for details of the original version. Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place
Singing
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day
You got blood on your face
You big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place
We will, we will, rock you, sing it
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place
We will, we will, rock you, sing it
We will, we will, rock you, everybody
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you, sing it
We will, we will, rock you
Alright
We Are The Champions
(with Robbie Williams)
Non Album Track. Written by Freddie Mercury. Length 3:52.
This re-recording was made for the film 'A Knight's Tale', the full version appears on the soundtrack CD, and an edited version appears in the film.
Re-recorded music by Roger Taylor and Brian May.
Click here for the details of the original version. Produced by Guy Chambers, Steve Power and Queen
Engineered by Richard Flack and Justin Shirley-Smith
Mixed by Steve Power
Recorded at the Air Studios in London 1. Main Radio Mix (3:53) (available on a promo CD only; this is apparently identical to the album version, but ends slightly differently, without the fade out)
1. Film Version (2:56) (has some of Brian's guitar, and a verse, edited out; it loses 0:00 to 0:11, 2:08 to 2:41 and 3:17 to 3:25, and fades slightly earlier) I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
And bad mistakes
I've made a few
I've had my share of sand
Kicked in my face
But I've come through
And I need to go on and on and on and on
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cos we are the champions
Of the world
I've taken my bows
And my curtain calls
You've brought me fame and fortune
And everything that goes with it, I thank you all
But it's been no bed of roses
No pleasure cruise
I consider it a challenge before the whole human race
That I ain't gonna lose
And I need to go on and on and on and on
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cos we are the champions
We are the champions, my friends
And we'll keep on fighting till the end
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cos we are the champions
We are the champions
We are the champions
No time for losers
'Cos we are the champions
