It's a Hard Life

Infobox Single


Name = It's a Hard Life
Artist = Queen
from Album = The Works
B-side = Is This the World We Created...?
Released = 16 July 1984
Format = vinyl record (7", 12")
Recorded = 1983
Genre = Glam rock, Power Ballad, Rock
Length =

• 4:08 (Album Version)

• 5:05 (12" Extended Version)

Label = EMI / Capitol
Writer = Freddie Mercury
Producer = Queen and Mack
Chart position =

• #2 (Ireland)

• #6 (UK)

• #26 (Germany)

• #72 (US)

• #87 (Australia)

Reviews =
Last single = "I Want to Break Free" (1984)
This single = "It's a Hard Life" (1984)
Next single = "Hammer to Fall" (1984)

"It's a Hard Life" is a song by English rock band Queen, written by lead singer Freddie Mercury. It was featured on their 1984 album "The Works", and it was the third single from that album. It reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart and was their third consecutive Top 10 single from the album.

The opening lyric of "It's a Hard Life" is based on the line "Ridi, Pagliaccio, sul tuo amore infranto!" (Laugh, Pagliaccio, at your broken love!) from "Vesti la giubba", an aria from Ruggiero Leoncavallo's opera "Pagliacci". Mercury was well-known for his love of opera, which influenced many Queen songs, notably Bohemian Rhapsody.

Musically, the song strongly features Mercury's piano playing and a controlled guitar solo by Brian May.

Promotional video

Tim Pope's video which accompanies the song (which is full of visual jokes) has been created in an operatic 'style', with the band and extras appearing in period "operatic-style" costume. The video also featured an unusual "skull and bones"-themed guitar that cost more than £1,000 Queen, "Box of Flix", 1991, Picture Music International, liner notes p. 7] played by May, which can be seen on the single cover.

The band found the costumes hot and uncomfortable and the "eyes" on Mercury's outfit were ridiculed by the others, saying he looked "like a giant prawn"Queen, "Box of Flix", 1991, Picture Music International, liner notes p. 7] . Both Roger Taylor and Brian May [See also Mark Blake. "Cash for Questions. Answered in Brian's living room, Windlesham, Surrey on 29 April 98." "Q", July 1998. ( [http://www.queenarchives.com/viewtopic.php?t=12 Queen Archives] )] groaned out loud when shown this video during their commentary for the "Greatest Video Hits 2" collection. Taylor said it was "the worst music video ever." May pointed out more positively that the video was a thematic joke, as it portrayed Mercury as a wealthy man singing about how hard life and love are, and at that point Mercury in real life possessed great wealth but was still searching for love.

Roger Taylor, by his side, remarked that he'd "actually loved the song, hated the video".

One of the extras in the clip is Mercury's then-lover, Barbara Valentin.

Live recordings

*Live in Rio (VHS)
* (DVD)

Trivia

The song has been criticised for being "too similar" to "Play the Game".

References

External links

* [http://www.queenpicturehall.com/singles/q26iahl.shtml "It's a Hard Life" at Queen Picture Hall]