Queen - These Are The Days Of Our Lives
"These Are the Days of Our Lives" is a song by English rock band Queen. Although credited to the whole band, it was largely written by drummer Roger Taylor, and is the eighth track on the band's 1991 album Innuendo.
Keyboards were programmed by the four band members in the studio, and conga percussion (a synthesised conga) was recorded by their producer David Richards (although it was mimed in the video by Roger Taylor).
It was released as a single in the United States on Freddie Mercury's 45th birthday, 5 September 1991, and as double A-side single in the UK three months later on 9 December, in the wake of Mercury's death, with the seminal Queen track "Bohemian Rhapsody".
The single debuted at #1 on the UK Singles Chart, and remained at the top for five weeks.
The song was awarded a BRIT Award for "Best Single" in 1992.
"These Are the Days of Our Lives" hearkens back to similarly themed 1975 Queen song "Love of My Life", twice using the line "I still love you".
At the end of the song, Mercury simply speaks those words, as he would often do in live versions of "Love of My Life."
Live performances and covers
The song was first played live on April 20th 1992 at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, sung by George Michael and Lisa Stansfield. This live version was included on the 1993 album "Five Live (EP)", credited to 'George Michael with Queen & Lisa Stansfield'.
The song was played on the 2005/06 Queen + Paul Rodgers tours with vocals provided by Roger Taylor. On stage the song was accompanied by a video of the band in their early days in Japan, including many shots focusing on ex-band members Mercury and Deacon.
The song was used on 1 July 2007 at the Concert for Diana. It was a concert held at the new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, who had died 10 years earlier. At the end of the performances, a video montage of Diana as a child was presented and this song was playing in the background.
A cover version by Petula Clark is included on her 2008 compilation album Then & Now.
The lyrics:
Sometimes I get to feelin'
I was back in the old days long ago
When we were kids, when we were young
Things seemed so perfect you know?
The days were endless, we were crazy we were young
The sun was always shinin' we just lived for fun
Sometimes it seems like lately I just don't know
The rest of my life's been just a show
Those were the days of our lives
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing is true
When I look and I find, I still love you
You can't turn back the clock, you can't turn back the tide
Ain't that a shame?
I'd like to go back one time on a roller coaster ride
When life was just a game
No use sitting and thinkin' on what you did
When you can lay back and enjoy it through your kids
Sometimes it seems like lately I just don't know
Better sit back and go with the flow
'Cos these are the days of our lives
They've flown in the swiftness of time
These days are all gone now but some things remain
When I look and I find no change
Those were the days of our lives, yeah
The bad things in life were so few
Those days are all gone now but one thing's still true
When I look and I find, I still love you
I still love you
