Contrary to popular belief, the song was not written by Freddie Mercury, but by the band’s bassist, . While many listeners interpreted the lyrics through the lens of Mercury’s sexuality or the fight against political oppression (it became a major protest anthem in South Africa and South America), Deacon originally wrote it from a universal perspective about the desire to escape a stifling relationship or situation. The Iconic Music Video

Released in 1984 as the second single from the album The Works , Queen’s is one of the most recognizable anthems in rock history. While it is celebrated globally as a song about liberation, its legacy is defined by a sharp divide in how it was received on either side of the Atlantic. The Songwriting and Meaning

The song is inseparable from its music video, directed by David Mallet. A parody of the long-running British soap opera Coronation Street , it featured all four members of Queen in .

played a dressing-gown-clad woman waking up in bed. Roger Taylor portrayed a schoolgirl. John Deacon appeared as a conservative grandmother. A Tale of Two Markets