The murder of John Lennon in 1980 was a shock to millions of fans of the famous British musician and many of his colleagues on stage. Members of Queen reacted to this tragic event by including the composition “Imagine” in the concert repertoire, and a little later, Freddie Mercury dedicated the track “Life Is Real” to the former Beatle.
“Life Is Real” was one of the few Queen songs for which the lyrics were written before the music. Here is what Freddie Mercury said about the history of the song “Life Is Real”:
I usually write music [begin]. Most often I compose a song based on a melody. Sometimes I start with text. One of those songs was “Life Is Real” because the words came first. They just grabbed me… And then I made a song out of it. I thought it might be a Lennon-esque thing.
1982
Indeed, “Life Is Real” is written in the style of John Lennon. This is a sad song with a simple arrangement, in which the author laments the cruelty of life, realizing that it continues even after the death of such a brilliant musician.
The title “Life Is Real” is believed to refer listeners to the line “love is real” from Lennon’s song “Love”. Others see it as an allusion to the words “nothing is real” from “Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles.
“Life Is Real” begins with three notes played on the piano like a bell. John Lennon used this technique in several of his songs, so we can also talk about a reference to his work.
The composition “Life Is Real” became one of the tracks of the album “Hot Space”, which The Queen released in 1982. It was not released as a single and did not chart.
Life Is Real Lyrics by Queen
Guilt stains on my pillow
Blood on my terraces
Torsos in my closet
Shadows from my past
Life is real, life is real
Life is real, so real
Blood on the terrace
The torsos of the statues in my closet –
Shadows from the past
Life is real, life is real
Life is real, so real Sleeping is my leisure
Waking up in a minefield
Dream is just a pleasure dome
Love is a roulette wheel
Life is real, life is real
Life is real, oh yeah
I wake up like in a minefield
Sleep is just a resort
Love is a roulette wheel
Life is real, life is real
Life is real, oh yeah Success is my breathing space
I brought it on myself
I will price it, I will cash it
I can take it or leave it
Loneliness is my hiding place
breastfeeding myself
What more can I say?
I have swallowed the bitter pill
I can taste it I can taste it
Life is real, life is real
Life is real
I brought it on myself
I will appreciate it, I will earn on it,
I can accept or reject it
Loneliness is my refuge
Feeding me
What else can I say?
I swallowed a bitter pill
I can still taste her
Life is real, life is real
Life is real Music will be my mistress
Loving like a girl
Lennon is a genius
Living in every time
Life is real, life is real
Life is real, so real
Life is cruel, life is a bitch
Life is real, so real
Life is real, life is real, yeah
Life is real. Music will be my mistress
Who loves like a girl
Lennon is a genius
Living on in every cell
Life is real, life is real
Life is real, so real
Life is cruel, life is a bitch
Life is real, so real
Life is real, life is real, yeah
life is real
