The extended version was mostly distributed as 12-inch vinyl records and then reissued on the CD of The Works in 1991.īesides The Works, the song was featured in the albums Greatest Hits II, Box of Tricks, Greatest Hits (1992 US 'Red' edition) and Absolute Greatest and in the box-sets The Complete Works and The Platinum Collection. It lasts until 6:04, and the remaining minute contains fragments of other songs from The Works. The extended version lasts 7 minutes 16 seconds and features a longer introduction and ending. For the Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack the single introduction is added to the album version creating a 3 minutes 43 seconds edit. The introduction is played on an electronic keyboard and is assisted by cymbals, drums and a guitar ( Red Special). The regular single version lasts 4 minutes 21 seconds and differs from the album version by the 40-second introduction and a longer synthesizer solo which starts at 2:33. This version was released on the album The Works and on some singles. The song pauses at the final line "I've got to break free", followed by the fade out. The last verse starts in the second minute, it additionally features a synthesizer and a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. A synthesizer(Jupiter 8) solo starts at 1:33 and is assisted by a guitar. A stacked guitar accompaniment ( Red Special) appears at the end of the second verse (1:03), and between 1:15 and 1:17 it is replaced by a synthesizer. The first verse ends at 0:37 and is followed by a very similar second verse, which is however shorter by one line. This rhythm continues through most of the song, stopping only for its first line. Its first 6 seconds repeat the basic rhythm played with electronic drums, a Gibson acoustic guitar, a Fender bass guitar and a Fender Telecaster electric guitar. The album version is 3 minutes 20 seconds long. There are three versions of the song: album, single, and extended.
It has three verses with one bridge, no chorus, and relatively little section repetition. Most of the song follows a traditional 12 bar blues progression in E major. The song was written in 1983 by John Deacon and released in April 1984. The song features on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits II. It also topped the charts of Austria, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The single reached only number 45 on the US Billboard Hot 100, but reached number three in the UK and was certified silver with over 200,000 copies sold. Īfter its release in 1984, the song was well received in Europe and South America and is regarded as an anthem of the fight against oppression. Whereas the parody was acclaimed in the United Kingdom, where cross-dressing is a popular trope in British comedy, it caused controversy in the United States. The second part of the video included a composition rehearsed and performed with the Royal Ballet and choreographed by Wayne Eagling. The song is largely known for its music video for which all the band members dressed in drag, a concept proposed by drummer Roger Taylor, which parodied the long-running ITV soap opera Coronation Street. It came to be included in most live concerts by the group. It appears on the album The Works (1984), and was released in three versions: album, single and extended. " I Want to Break Free" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by their bassist John Deacon.