I Want to Break Free

by

Queen

Album: The Works      Released: 1984

US Chart: 45     UK Chart: 3

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Songfacts:  You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.

Queen bass player John Deacon wrote this from the male perspective of the women's liberation movement.

This song became an anthem for the ANC in South Africa in the late-'80s when Nelson Mandela was still in jail and the white government's apartheid policies were still in place. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England, for above 2)

The video for this song parodies a popular British television soap, Coronation Street. The opening sequence features all the band members in drag (Mercury as a housewife, Deacon as grandmother, Taylor as a schoolgirl, and May as a housewife). This confused many people who didn't catch the reference. (thanks, Bryn - Blackburn, England and James - Vancouver, Canada)

Singles are often edited down from the album version of songs, but this was the opposite, as the version on The Works is about 30 seconds shorter - the single has a longer synthesizer intro and a longer solo.

Lisa Stansfield sang this at the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. She came on the Wembley Stadium stage wearing hair curlers and pushing a vacuum cleaner in tribute to the song's video. (thanks, Bertrand - Paris, France, for above 2)

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Comments:

Definitely one of my favorite songs from Queen.
- Jessica, Tulsa, OK

'I want to break free from your lies/ You're so self-satisfied I don't need you' One of my favourite rock lyrics of all time. What better way is there to tell somebody to **** off? :)
- Mark, Dartmouth, NS

Everyone claims (John included) that Deacon is happily married, and has always been perfectly happy with his home life...but I doubt this, when you look at the songs he wrote after '76: "Spread Your Wings", "Who Needs You", "In Only Seven Days", "Another One Bites The Dust", "Back Chat", "I Want To Break Free", "One Year Of Love"; even "You and I" from 'A Day At The Races' seems to point so some trouble at home... "You know I never could forsee the future years / I never could see where life was leading me / but will we be together forever? / What will be my love? / Can't you see that I just don't know..."
- Ryan, Eaton, IN

Freddie Mercury said that part of the band's success was because of the fact that everyone wrote songs, so one member didn't get more money than others. John Deacon wrote some awesome songs!
- Mary, Rochester, MN

love this song. totally embodies how i feel. i love freddie mercury and his voice
- melissa, newtown, PA

this is another one of those songs that i thought had been a one hit wonder for some unknown band until about '92 i found out all these catchy pop hits were on greatest hits 2! i remember the petrol commercial this song was used for with the chain breaking! was probably shell, cos esso had the tiger ads.
- Matt, all over the shop, --

i love JOHN DEACON so much because he wrote most of my QUEEN favorite songs.... take a bow John!
- ched -, La Union, Philippines, -

best queen song ever
- marcus, Richmond, VA

I have always liked this song, back in the mid-80's it was a great dance tune in all the clubs.
- Joe, Jax, FL

Jonathon, I agree with you about Spread Your Wings, a really underrated song by John Deacon. According to Brian May, also the famous bassline of Under Pressure was John's.
- Stefano, Rome, Italy

Wow that's weird. My favorite songs by Queen are written by John Deacon
- Johnny, Los Angeles, CA

This was one of Deacon's three biggest songs, along with "Another One Bites The Dust" and "You're My Best Friend", but he also has a lot of underrated songs like "Spread Your Wings"...
- Jonathon, Clermont, FL

the song was featured in a Coca-Cola commercial. it featured people doing things that would get them in trouble.
- Billy, Otway, OH

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