Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own | On Stage

Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own | On Stage

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 215. Freddie Mercury | Autograph manuscript lyrics to 'Life Is Real', c.1981.

Freddie Mercury | Autograph manuscript lyrics to 'Life Is Real', c.1981

Auction Closed

September 7, 04:38 PM GMT

Estimate

3,000 - 5,000 GBP

Lot Details

Description

Freddie Mercury


Autograph manuscript working lyrics to the song 'Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)'


Complete draft with scattered revisions in blue ballpoint, 2 pages, on a single leaf of Hilton International Munich headed stationery (280 x 210mm), c.1981


'Life is Real' was written in the aftermath of the murder of John Lennon on 8 December 1980. Mercury had a profound admiration for Lennon as a songwriter and was deeply affected by his death. The song appeared on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space and this manuscript was evidently written when the singer was in Munich, presumably in the early summer of 1981 when the band began work on the album at Musicland Studios. 


Like 'Killer Queen', this was a song in which Mercury reversed his usual method of composition: "I write the song around the melody most of the time. Sometimes a lyric will get me started. 'Life Is Real' was one of those, because the words came first. I just really got into it, pages after pages, all kinds of words. Then I just put it to a song. I just felt that it could be a Lennon-type thing" (interview, 1982).


SPECIAL NOTICE

No right to reproduce or commercially exploit the copyright or other intellectual property

or image rights in any lot is included with the sale of the lot (including but not limited to

song lyrics, sketches, drawings and garment designs). Queen Productions Limited, Queen

Music Limited and other rights holders reserve all their rights.

 

No right to exhibit in public or reproduce this lot is included with the sale of this lot

without the prior written consent of Queen Productions Limited, who shall act in good faith

to consider any such requests.

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