ABOUT THE SONG

I Want to Break Free is a song performed by Queen, which was written exclusively by bassist John Deacon. It featured on their 1984 album The Works. In the UK Chart, it peaked at number 3, and remained in the chart for fifteen consecutive weeks.

Two differing versions of the song are in circulation. The version on The Works is in fact shorter than the single remix by nearly a minute, because of a fade-in synthesiser introduction and a longer solo in which both the synthesiser and guitar feature separately. This is in contrast to "Hammer to Fall", a song which was edited down by thirty seconds from the album version to be released as a single.

The music video, directed by David Mallet, was a parody of the northern British soap opera Coronation Street. During part of the video, the band members dressed in drag, as mildly similar characters found in the soap at the time. The video also depicted the band in what appeared to be a coal mine in their normal look, and it also features a ballet piece with the Royal Ballet (one of the dancers was Jeremy Sheffield), for which Freddie Mercury shaved off his trademark moustache to portray Nijinsky. The video was initially banned by MTV in the U.S., but the ban was lifted in 1991 when it aired on VH1's My Generation 2-part episodes devoted to Queen hosted by guitarist Brian May. The song received renewed attention when it was used in a media advertising campaign for the soft drink Coca-Cola C2.

At the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Lisa Stansfield performed the song. She entered the Wembley stage wearing hair curlers (à la Hilda Ogden) and pushing a vacuum cleaner in a direct reference and tribute to the song's video.

LYRICS



I WANT TO BREAK FREE
Song Duration 3:17
Written by John Deacon.


I want to break bree
I want to break bree
I want to break bree from your lies
You're so self satisfied I don't need you
I've got to break bree
God knows, God knows I want to Break Free


I've fallen in love
I've fallen in love for the first time
And this time I know it's for real
I've fallen in love, yeah
God knows, God knows I've fallen in love


It's strange but it's true
Hey, I can't get over the way you love me like you do
But I have to be sure
When I walk out that door
Oh how I want to be free, baby
Oh how I want to be free
Oh how I want to break Free


But life still goes on
I can't get used to living without, living without
Living without you by my side
I don't want to live alone, hey
God knows, got to make it on my own
So baby can't you see
I've got to break bree


I've got to break Free
I want to break Free, yeah
I want, I want, I want, I want to Break Free
Ooh yeah
I want to break - yeah eah


DETAILS



Released 22 April 1984
Format vinyl record (7", 12")
Recorded 1983
Genre Pop
Length 3:20 (Album Version)
4:21 (Single Remix)
7:16 (12" Extended Mix)
Label EMI / Capitol
Writer(s) John Deacon
Producer(s) Queen and Mack
Peak chart positions

CHART POSITION



#1 (Austria; Belgium; Netherlands; South Africa)
#2 (Ireland; Switzerland)
#3 (UK: silver)
#4 (Germany)
#5 (Spain)
#9 (Australia; France)
#26 (Canada)
#45 (US)



[Wikipedia.org]