Queen’s “Who Wants To Live Forever?” has become an iconic song that will never lose its relevance even decades after the release. The song was written by Brian May and it was part of the soundtrack for the 1986 movie “Highlander.” The song’s lyrics carry a deep message about our mortality and the question of whether living forever is something anyone would really want to do. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the meaning behind the song and what Queen wanted to convey through it.
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The Context: The Movie “Highlander”
To understand the meaning of the song, we have to look at the context in which it was created. “Who Wants To Live Forever?” was written as part of the soundtrack for “Highlander,” a movie about immortal warriors who can only die if their heads are cut off. In the movie, the main character, Connor MacLeod, falls in love with a mortal woman named Brenda Wyatt. As they fall deeper in love, MacLeod realizes that he will eventually have to watch her grow old and die while he will remain eternally young. This is the backdrop against which May wrote the lyrics for the song.
Verse 1: Mortality and the Human Condition
The first verse of the song sets the tone for the rest of the lyrics. May sings:
“There’s no time for us
There’s no place for us
What is this thing that builds our dreams, yet slips away
From us?”
The lines speak to the human condition and the inevitability of our mortality. May is asking, “What is the point of life if it is so fleeting?” He is acknowledging that we all have dreams and aspirations, but that they can be taken away from us at any moment. The idea of time slipping away from us is a recurring theme throughout the song. May seems to be saying that life is precious because it is finite.
Chorus: The Temptation of Immortality
The chorus of “Who Wants To Live Forever?” is where May poses the titular question. He sings:
“Who wants to live forever?
Who wants to live forever?
There’s no chance for us
It’s all decided for us
This world has only one
Sweet moment set aside for us”
The chorus seems to be a considered reflection on the idea of immortality. May is questioning whether eternal life is really something that anyone would want. He is acknowledging that we all have a finite amount of time on this earth, but at the same time, he is wondering whether the temptation of immortality would be too great for most of us to resist. The lines “There’s no chance for us/ It’s all decided for us” suggest that we have no control over our own destiny. We cannot choose when we will die – it is a decision that is made for us.
Verse 2: Loss and the Pain of Grieving
The second verse of the song is where May delves deeper into the idea of loss and the pain of grieving. He sings:
“Touch my tears with your lips
Touch my world with your fingertips
And we can have forever
And we can love forever
Forever is our today”
The lines are a poignant reminder that all good things must come to an end. May seems to be saying that while we cannot live forever, we can create lasting memories with the people we love. He acknowledges that losing someone we love is painful, but suggests that the memories we create with them can last forever.
Bridge: The Transience of Life
The bridge of the song is where May reflects on the transience of life. He sings:
“Forever is our today
Who waits forever, anyway?
We only have one love
We only have one life
Only time slips away
We only have one love
We only have one life
Only time slips away”
The lines speak to the idea that we only have one chance at life and that time is constantly slipping away from us. May is suggesting that we should make the most of the time we have and not worry about what lies beyond this mortal coil. He seems to be saying that eternal life may not be worth pursuing if it means losing touch with the things that truly matter.
Conclusion
“Who Wants To Live Forever?” is a timeless classic that still resonates with audiences today. The song’s message about mortality and the human condition is as relevant now as it was when it was first released. May’s lyrics are a poignant reminder that life is precious because it is finite and that we should make the most of the time we have. While the temptation of immortality may be great, “Who Wants To Live Forever?” suggests that the pursuit of eternal life may not be worth the sacrifices that come with it.
