Queen's Brian May reveals he didn't like 'Don't Stop Me Now' at first
Queen lead guitarist Brian May spoke about not liking the hit “Don't Stop Me Now” at first because he thought Freddie Mercury's lyrics played down the dangers of AIDS in the early '80s.
The single, which was taken from the band's 1978 album “Jazz,” was released a year later.
He then eventually “gave in” and warmed up to the song after realizing that it gave people “great joy.”
Brian told Guitar Player Magazine, “I didn't really take to it in the beginning. I didn't feel totally comfortable with what Freddie was singing at the time.
“I found it a little bit too flippant in view of the dangers of AIDS and stuff. But as time went on, I realised that it gave people great joy.”
He continued, “I had to give in. It's a great song -- there's no way around it.”
Brian then praised the late singer for having a knack for doing things to make people “feel a bit more alive.”
He explained, “It's a phenomenon, that song.
“I've seen it played at all sorts of functions. It's become the most requested song at hen parties and stag parties and marriages and weddings and funerals -- just because it brings joy.”
After giving in, Brian said he enjoys playing it on stage and it feels wonderful that everyone wants to sing it with him and the rest of the band.
“It's wonderful that everyone wants to sing it. In singing with us, they express their own joy and their own determination to make the best out of their lives and to keep on and not get knocked down by things.
“It's an amazing kind of spiritual life -- that's what the song has become.”
Listen to “Don't Stop Me Now” below:
Freddie Mercury died in 1991 of bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.
“Don't Stop Me Now” reached the number 9 in the UK charts but has remained popular over the years thanks to its inclusion in many popular movies and films, most especially in the 2004 cult classic zombie apocalypse film Shaun of the Dead.
In 2014, Rolling Stone readers voted “Don't Stop me Now” as their third favorite song by Queen.