Brian May mortified by Freddie Mercurys video for | Music News
Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May has disclosed he was “mortified” by Freddie Mercury’s idea for the video accompanying one of their hits, despite it being among the long-lasting frontman’s “most beautiful” compositions.
Nearly 12 years after Mercury’s passing in November 1991, May expressed his views in the liner notes for 2003’s Greatest Video Hits 2.
Discussing the 1984 monitor It’s a Hard Life, which appeared on their album The Works, he said: “To my mind, this is one of the most beautiful songs that Freddie ever wrote.
“It’s straight from the guts, and he opened up during the creation of it. I sat with him for hours and hours and hours, just pouring out every phrase and attempting to get the most out of it.
“It’s a very revealing thing about how relationships are, and he was talking about his relationship.
“But there’s everyone’s relationship in there, whatever form of relationship it’s. To me, it is one of his loveliest songs.”
Yet he confessed he was less enthusiastic about the accompanying video, which was filmed in an operatic, period-drama aesthetic featuring the band in ornate costumes.
The group allegedly found their outfits stifling and uncomfortable, with the decorative “eyes” on Mercury’s ensemble being compared to “a giant prawn” by May and fellow bandmates Roger Taylor and John Deacon.
Taylor candidly acknowledges “loving the document, but actually hating the video”. In the commentary for the Greatest Hits 2 video collection, he said: “I believe we glance more silly in this video than any other artist has regarded in a video.”
During the video shoot, May was also obligated to “play” a “cranium and bones-themed” guitar that allegedly cost over £1,000, equivalent to £4,172 in 2026.
“On the face of it, I believe I used to be mortified that he needed to make this form of video because it’s very distracting, clearly. But in Freddie’s thoughts, I’m not gonna say it is a joke – it is an ironic take,” May said.
Despite the guitarist’s hesitation relating to the promotional clip, the track climbed to quantity six in the UK singles chart and turned Queen’s third straight Top 10 single from the album.
In November 2014, the monitor was ranked nineteenth on The Nation’s Favourite Queen Song, which aired on ITV.
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