Who Wants to Live Forever

"Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It is the sixth track on the album A Kind of Magic, which was released in June 1986, and was written by lead guitarist Brian May for the soundtrack to the film Highlander.[1] Queen were backed up by an orchestra, with orchestrations by the co-composer of the film's score, Michael Kamen. The song peaked at No. 24 in the UK charts.[2] In 1991 it was included in the band’s Greatest Hits II.[3]

"Who Wants to Live Forever"
Single by Queen
from the album A Kind of Magic
Released15 September 1986
Recorded1986
GenreRock
Length
  • 5:15 (album version)
  • 4:55 (Greatest Hits II CD edit)
  • 4:01 (single version)
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Brian May
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Pain Is So Close to Pleasure"
(1986)		 "Who Wants to Live Forever"
(1986)		 "I Want It All"
(1989)
Music video
"Who Wants to Live Forever" on YouTube

Since its release, the song has been covered by many artists. Seal performed a live version of the song at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992. In 2014, Rolling Stone readers voted it their fifth favourite song by Queen.[4]

Recording

The song is used to frame the scenes in the film where Connor MacLeod must endure his beloved wife Heather MacLeod growing old and dying while he, as an Immortal, remains forever young. (It was later used in the episodes "The Gathering", "Revenge is Sweet", "The Hunters", "Line of Fire", and "Leader of the Pack" of the Highlander television series).

Brian May wrote the song in the backseat of his car after seeing a 20-minute first cut of the scene of Heather's death.[5]

In the film version, Freddie Mercury provides all the main vocals. On the album version, May sings lead vocals on the first verse before Mercury takes over, with May also singing "But touch my tears with your lips" during Mercury's verse and the closing line "Who waits forever anyway?". An instrumental version of the song, entitled "Forever", was included as a bonus track on the CD version of the album. This instrumental featured only a piano, with keyboard accompaniment during the chorus sections. The piano track was recorded solely by May. Queen were backed up by an orchestra, with orchestrations by the co-composer of the film's score, Michael Kamen.[1]

Music video

The video was directed by David Mallet and filmed in a (now demolished) warehouse at Tobacco Wharf at London's East End in September 1986.[6] It featured the National Philharmonic Orchestra with forty choirboys and hundreds and hundreds of candles which remain lit throughout filming as well as Mercury wearing a tuxedo suit.[6] The video also features bass guitarist John Deacon playing a white double bass, despite not performing on the original recording.

An alternate version with clips from the film Highlander (which the song appears in) appears on the video single with "A Kind of Magic" in October 1986 and later as a hidden music video on the Queen Greatest Video Hits II DVD in November 2003.[6][7]

Personnel
Queen
Additional musicians

Chart performance

In 1986, "Who Wants to Live Forever" peaked at #24 on the UK Singles Chart.[8]

Charts

Year-end charts
Chart (2019) Position
Portugal (AFP)[9] 1661

Sales and certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[10] Silver 250,000

sales+streaming figures based on certification alone

Legacy

Tributes

Funeral music

In a 2005 poll conducted by digital television station Music Choice on what song Britons would most like played at their funeral, the song was voted the fifth most popular.[14]

Dune version
"Who Wants to Live Forever"
Single by Dune
from the album Forever
Released23 October 1996
GenreClassical
Length3:54
Label
  • Orbit Records
  • Virgin
Songwriter(s)Brian May
Dune singles chronology
"Million Miles from Home"
(1996)		 "Who Wants to Live Forever"
(1996)		 "Nothing Compares 2 U"
(1997)
Music video
"Who Wants to Live Forever" on YouTube

German band Dune released their cover of "Who Wants to Live Forever", from their album, Forever, as a single in October 1996. It is sung by German singer Verena von Strenge and sold more than 500,000 copies in Germany alone, after reaching number 2 there. The single also peaked at number 3 in Austria, number 8 in Hungary, number 9 in Switzerland, number 12 in the Netherlands and number 59 in Sweden. On the Eurochart Hot 100, it reached number 13 in January 1997. "Who Wants to Live Forever" was nominated to the 1997 Echo Awards for the most successful national dance single.[15]

Music video

The music video for "Who Wants to Live Forever" was directed by Matt Broadley.[16] It was shot in the Scottish Highlands. The video begins on an old churchyard, where Oliver Froning plays a man who stands by a grave. He sees von Strenge appearing in ghost-like form, dressed in a white dress, singing to him. When Froning leaves the churchyard, he walks into the highlands. By a river, he stops for drinking some water, and again sees von Strenge standing in front of a waterfall, singing to him. In the end, he reaches the top of the mountains, where he is united with von Strenge.

Track listing
  1. Who Wants to Live Forever (Sixtysix Radio Mix) (3:54)
  2. Who Wants to Live Forever (South Bound Mix) (3:58)
  3. Highland Trilogy: One Day in Glencoe (4:49)
  4. Highland Trilogy: Valley of Tears (4:58)
  5. Highland Trilogy: In the Air, Part 2 (10:29)

Remixes

Released: 4 December 1996

  1. Who Wants to Live Forever (Komakino Remix) (5:32)
  2. Who Wants to Live Forever (Future Breeze Remix) (7:03)
  3. In the Air, Part 1 (5:13)

Charts

Sarah Brightman version
"Who Wants to Live Forever"
Single by Sarah Brightman
from the album Timeless
Released1997
GenreOperatic pop
Songwriter(s)Brian May
Producer(s)Frank Peterson
Sarah Brightman singles chronology
"Just Show Me How to Love You"
(1997)		 "Who Wants to Live Forever"
(1997)		 "Tu Quieres Volver"
(1997)

Soprano Sarah Brightman released her cover of "Who Wants to Live Forever", from her album Timeless/Time to Say Goodbye, as a single in 1997 (See 1997 in music). The single peaked at No. 45 in the UK singles chart.[28]

Track listing

CD single
  1. "Who Wants to Live Forever" (Album version)
  2. "Who Wants to Live Forever" (Xenomania club mix)

Maxi CD single
  1. "Who Wants to Live Forever"
  2. "A Question of Honour"
  3. "Heaven Is Here"
  4. "I Loved You"

12" vinyl
  1. "Who Wants to Live Forever (Trouser Enthusiasts 'Cybernetic Odalisque' Mix)"
  2. "Who Wants to Live Forever (Xenomania Club Mix)"
  3. "Who Wants to Live Forever (Xenomania Dub Mix)"
  4. "Who Wants to Live Forever (X-Citing Mix)
gollark: The default one just stringifies and unstringifies and/or reinterprets the bytes in memory.
gollark: 3.04%.
gollark: Wait, this increases the activity counters so it's fine.
gollark: This is extremely distressing.
gollark: Bee you.

References
  1. Who Wants To Live Forever. UltimateQueen.co.uk
  2. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited
  3. "Queen Greatest Hits II". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  4. "Readers' Poll: 10 Greatest Queen Songs". Rolling Stone. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  5. Georg Purvis (28 August 2012). Queen: The Complete Works. Titan. p. 935. ISBN 978-1-78116-287-3. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  6. Queen Promo Videos: Who Wants To Live Forever, Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 13 November 2019
  7. Greatest Video Hits 2 playlist on YouTube (Queen Forever)
  8. "Queen full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 August 2020.
  9. "Top AFP - Audiogest - Top 3000 Singles + EPs Digitais" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  10. "British single certifications – Who Wants To Live Forever". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Who Wants To Live Forever in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  11. "Queen / Seal Who Wants To Live Forever". Allmusic. Retrieved 13 March 2019.
  12. The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert: Who Wants To Live Forever Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 20 August 2011
  13. "Isle of Wight Festival: Queen pay tribute to Orlando shooting victims". BBC. 14 June 2016.
  14. "Angels 'favourite funeral song'". BBC News. 10 March 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  15. "Congratulations to the nominees for the 1997 Echo-Award" (PDF). Music & Media. p. 9. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  16. "Credits - Matt Broadley". mattbroadley.com. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
  17. "Austriancharts.at – Dune – Who Wants To Live Forever" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  18. "Music & Media: Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Dune – Who Wants To Live Forever". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 19 March 2019.
  20. "Top 10 Hungary" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
  21. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Dune" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  22. "Dutchcharts.nl – Dune – Who Wants To Live Forever" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  23. "Swedishcharts.com – Dune – Who Wants To Live Forever". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  24. "Swisscharts.com – Dune – Who Wants To Live Forever". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  25. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  26. "1997 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
  27. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  28. "who wants to live forever | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
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