From album
We Will Rock You
Queen · 1992 · Track 6
Details
TonalidadD
Compás4/4
Tempo83 BPM
Duración3:35
CompositorFreddie Mercury
ÁlbumWe Will Rock You
Año1992
ISRCGBUM71100536
Credits
Music Freddie Mercury
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The story behind
There are songs that, when played, immediately transport you to a specific moment, and Love of My Life is one of them. What makes this piece so special is the way Freddie Mercury conceived it: a heartfelt ballad that was born on both piano and guitar. Later, Brian May took the melody and transformed it, adapting it for his twelve-string acoustic guitar, even lowering the pitch to better fit live performances. On the original recording, May contributed small guitar details and recreated those slide-harp effects by piecing together several takes of loose chords. The recording of this piece, along with the rest of the album A Night at the Opera, took place in 1975, with a rehearsal period in a barn and then a rented house before arriving at Rockfield Studios.
The connection of Love of My Life with the audience became evident from 1977, during the News of the World tour. It became an absolute concert favorite, so much so that Mercury often let the audience sing the song in its entirety, guiding them with gestures. This response was particularly intense in South America, leading to the live version recorded in Frankfurt in 1979, included on the album Live Killers, being released as a single there. In Argentina and Brazil, this version reached number one and remained on the charts for a full year. Following the passing of Freddie Mercury, Brian May has continued to dedicate this song to his memory in his own performances, although there have been emotional moments when he has dedicated it to his mother. Even in more recent performances, such as at the Rock in Rio festival in 2015, May's vocals have been combined with archival footage of Mercury performing it.
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