'39

the song years of this name and other uses 39 (disambiguation)39 1976 song by Queen December 2020 March 2015 39 Queen 39.jpeg The back sleeve of the Italian single sleeve for "You're My Best Friend" Queen A Night at the Opera You're My Best Friend Queen Music Ltd. 18 June 1976 August–November 1975 Progressive rockErlewine Stephen Thomas Stephen Thomas Erlewine A Night at the Opera - Queen Songs, Reviews, Credits https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-night-at-the-opera-mw0000391519 17 September 2015 AllMusic pop rockNicholson Kris 8 April 1976 A Night at the Opera https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/a-night-at-the-opera-250972/ 26 February 2018 Rolling Stone folkErlewine Stephen Thomas Stephen Thomas Erlewine A Day at the Races - Queen Songs, Reviews, Credits https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-day-at-the-races-mw0000182727 26 February 2018 AllMusichttps://www.billboard.com/music/rock/queen-songs-best-hits-list-8092620/ The 25 Best Queen Songs Gary Graff 4 January 2018 Billboard 5 September 2026 skiffleRivadavia Eduardo 21 November 2015 Revisiting Queen's Masterpiece, 'A Night at the Opera' https://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-a-night-at-the-opera/ 26 February 2018 Ultimate Classic Rockhttps://americansongwriter.com/on-this-day-queen-scored-their-first-no-1-album-a-night-at-the-opera/ On This Day: Queen Scored Their First No. 1 Album with ‘A Night at the Opera’ Tina Benitez-Eves 27 December 2023 American Songwriter 5 September 2026 3:30 EMI Elektra Brian May Roy Thomas Baker Queen "39" is a song by British rock band Queen. Composed and sung by lead guitarist Brian May, it is the fifth track on their fourth studio album A Night at the Opera. The song was also the B-side to "You're My Best Friend". Inspired by May's studies in astrophysics, the song relates the tale of a group of astronauts who embark on what is, from their perspective, a year-long voyage. Upon their return, however, they realise that a hundred years have passed on Earth due to the effects of time dilation from traveling at relativistic speeds, and the loved ones they left behind are now all dead or aged.https://www.songfacts.com/facts/queen/39 '39 Songfacts 30 March 2016 Recording 25% I felt a little like that about my home at the time, having been away and seen this vastly different world of rock music which was totally different from the way I was brought up. People may not generally admit it but I think that when most people write songs there is more than one level to them – they'll be about one thing on the surface, but underneath they're probably trying, maybe even unconsciously, to say something about their own life, their own experience – and in nearly all my stuff, there is a personal feeling. Brian May, on the meaning of "39" May sings lead vocal on the studio recording of the song, one of his few lead vocals on Queen recordings. May had asked bassist John Deacon to play double bass as a joke but a couple of days later he found Deacon in the studio with the instrument, and he had already learned to play it.http://queen.musichall.cz/index_en.php?s=fc&d=facts Queen Legends Brian May Queen.musichall.cz May had been working on his thesis in astrophysics, but eventually abandoned his studies to pursue his career with Queen. In 2006, he resumed his studies and eventually completed his thesis, titled A Survey of Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud, and received his PhD in 2008.https://bestclassicbands.com/queen-39-song-facts-3-14-188/ Queen's Homage to Space Exploration: '39 Best Classic Bands 14 November 2018 Since Queen had named their albums A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races after two of the Marx Brothers' most popular films, surviving brother Groucho Marx invited Queen to visit him at his Los Angeles home in March 1977 (five months before he died). The band thanked him, and performed "39" a cappella.Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock 96 Voyageur Press 2009 The song is the 39th album track released by the band when counting each album track from the debut album onwards. Live performances The song was a live favourite throughout the 1970s, often being used as a singalong in concert.https://www.allmusic.com/song/39-mt0041538301 '39 - Queen AllMusic Bruce Eder 14 November 2018 It was first performed in Edinburgh in September 1976 and remained in setlists until December 1979, although the song was briefly performed in 1984. Instead of May singing the lead vocals live, Mercury did. The Guardian later commented that live performances of the song were played as "a raucous, rollicking sea shanty".https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2012/mar/20/old-music-queen-39 Old Music: Queen - '39 The Guardian 20 March 2012 14 November 2018 The version recorded at concert at Festhalle Frankfurt on 2 February 1979 is featured on the live album Live Killers.Fricke David David Fricke 6 September 1979 Live Killers https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/live-killers-191639/ 9 May 2021 Rolling Stone George Michael performed "39" at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992.http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/videos/fmtributedvd.htm The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Ultimate Queen 6 July 2011https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIZvd1wt1-k https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/oIZvd1wt1-k 2021-12-21 live Queen & George Michael – '39 (Freddie Mercury Tribute) 9 November 2008 Francesco Bignardi YouTube 6 July 2011 Michael cited this song as his favourite Queen song, saying he used to busk it on the London Underground.http://www.queenzone.com/news/a-night-at-the-opera.aspx A Night At The Opera 17 August 2007 QueenZone.com 6 July 2011 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150510152854/http://www.queenzone.com/news/a-night-at-the-opera.aspx 10 May 2015 Later the song was included by Queen on the setlists of their Queen + Adam Lambert tours in 2012 and 2014–2015 featuring Adam LambertQueen + Adam Lambert Set List: Calgary, Saddledome http://www.queenonline.com/en/news-archive/queen-adam-lambert-set-list-calgary-saddledome/ Queen Online 22 October 2014 & both Queen + Paul Rodgers Tours, which were Queen + Paul Rodgers Tour & Rock the Cosmos featuring Paul Rodgers; as on the album, it is sung by May. Personnel Information is taken from the album's Liner NotesA Night at the Opera EMI Records EMTC 103 1975 except where noted Brian May – lead vocals, backing vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar Freddie Mercury – backing vocals Roger Taylor – tambourine,http://www.queensongs.info/album-analysis/a-night-at-the-opera Album Analysis: A Night At The Opera Queensongs.info 10 May 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20180613134247/https://www.queensongs.info/album-analysis/a-night-at-the-opera 13 June 2018 dead bass drum, backing vocals John Deacon – double bass References Category:Queen (band) songs Category:1975 songs Category:English folk songs Category:Skiffle songs Category:Songs about outer space Category:Songs about time travel Category:Song recordings produced by Roy Thomas Baker Category:Songs written by Brian May Category:Fiction about time dilation