"Who Wants to Live Forever" is a song by the English rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 band Queen

Queen (band)

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...

. The song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

 is the sixth track on the album A Kind of Magic

A Kind of Magic

A Kind of Magic is a 1986 album by British rock band Queen. It was the band's twelfth studio album and their first to be recorded digitally, and is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, the first in a series directed by Russell Mulcahy....

, released in June 1986, and was written by guitarist Brian May

Brian May

Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...

 for the soundtrack to the film Highlander

Highlander (film)

Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through interwoven past and...

, directed by Russell Mulcahy

Russell Mulcahy

Russell Mulcahy is an Australian film director. His work is easily recognized by his use of fast cuts, tracking shots and use of glowing lights.- Music videos :...

. The song peaked at No 24 in the UK charts and in 2012, will be the theme for Disney/Square Enix

Square Enix

is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...

 game Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance.

The song is used to frame the scenes in the film where Connor MacLeod

Connor MacLeod

Connor MacLeod, also known as The Highlander, is a fictional character in the Highlander film series, as well as the television programs Highlander: The Series, and Highlander: The Animated Series...

 must endure his beloved wife Heather growing old and dying while he, as an Immortal

Immortal (Highlander)

Immortals are a group of fictional characters seen in the movies and series of the Highlander franchise. Since they are immune to disease and stop aging after becoming Immortal, they can live forever and they only die when they are beheaded....

, remains forever young. (It was later used in the episodes "The Gathering", "Revenge is Sweet", "The Hunters", "Line of Fire", and "Leader of the Pack" of the Highlander television series

Highlander: The Series

Highlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...

.) The song's title is taken from a line in another movie scored by Brian May and Queen, Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon (film)

Flash Gordon is a 1980 British/American science fiction film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced and presented by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian...

(the line can be heard on Battle Theme from Queen Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon (album)

-Personnel:* John Deacon: bass guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer* Brian May: lead guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, piano on "Flash's Theme" and "The Hero," co-lead vocals on "Flash's Theme," guitar orchestration on "The Wedding March"...

soundtrack album).

May sings lead vocals on the first verse, before Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...

 takes over for most of the rest of the song, with May singing "But touch my tears with your lips" during Mercury's verse and then the final line of the song, "Who waits forever anyway?". An instrumental

Instrumental

An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....

 version of the song, titled "Forever", was included as a bonus track on the CD version of the album. This instrumental featured only a piano, with keyboard accompaniment during the chorus sections. The piano track was recorded solely by Brian May. Queen was backed up by an orchestra, with orchestrations by the co-composer of the film's score, Michael Kamen

Michael Kamen

Michael Arnold Kamen was an American composer , orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, song writer, and session musician.-Background:...

. Since its release, the song has been covered by a number of artists.

Music video

The video was directed by David Mallet

David Mallet (director)

David Mallet is a British director particularly noted for his work on music videos, including David Bowie's innovative "Ashes to Ashes", Rush's "Distant Early Warning, and Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want to Break Free" videos. He has also served as a producer on television programmes including...

 and filmed in a (now demolished) warehouse at Tobacco Wharf at London's East End in September 1986. It featured the National Philharmonic Orchestra

National Philharmonic Orchestra

The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA producer Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader / contractor Sidney Sax due in part to the requirements of the Reader's Digest-History:...

 with forty choirboys and hundreds and hundreds of candles which remain lit throughout filming as well as Mercury wearing a tuxedo suit. It is the only Queen video to feature bassist John Deacon

John Deacon

John Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...

 playing an upright bass.

An alternate version with clips from the film Highlander (which the song appears in) appears on the video single with A Kind Of Magic in October 1986 and later as a hidden music video on Queen Greatest Video Hits II DVD in November 2003.

Cover versions

• In 1988, Elaine Paige
  Elaine Paige
  Elaine Paige OBE is an English singer and actress best known for her work in musical theatre. Raised in Barnet, North London, Paige attended the Aida Foster stage school, making her first professional appearance on stage in 1964, at the age of 16...
  
  , recorded an album of Queen songs, and included a strong 'power ballad' version of the song.
• Seal
  Seal (musician)
  Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel , known simply as Seal, is a British soul and R&B singer-songwriter, of Nigerian and Brazilian background. Seal has won numerous music awards throughout his career, including three Brit Awards—winning Best British Male in 1992, four Grammy Awards, and an...
  
   performed a live version of this song at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
  The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
  The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
  
   in 1992, noting that the song made him cry when he first heard it.
• In 1995, Jennifer Rush
  Jennifer Rush
  Jennifer Rush is an American/German-based pop/rock singer, best known for the million-selling single "The Power of Love", which she co-wrote and which went on to be covered by Laura Branigan and Celine Dion.-Career:...
  
   recorded a version with Brian May on her Out of My Hands album. It featured May on lead-vocals for a verse plus backing vocals and guitar work.
• Luciano Pavarotti
  Luciano Pavarotti
  right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
  
   called Giorgia
  Giorgia Todrani
  Giorgia Todrani, best known as Giorgia is an Italian female singer and song-writer, known for her soulful voice, which is aided by a wide vocal range, high belting register and great vocal abilities. She is one of the most iconic and famous Italian singers. She has released ten studio albums,...
  
   for his charity concert Pavarotti & Friends where she performed the song. The recorded Live-CD was released in 1995.
• Shirley Bassey
  Shirley Bassey
  Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE , is a Welsh singer. She found fame in the late 1950s and was "one of the most popular female vocalists in Britain during the last half of the 20th century"...
  
   covered this song on her 1995 album Sings the Movies
  Sings the Movies
  Sings the Movies is a studio album from Shirley Bassey released in 1995.In 1995 Shirley Bassey signed a deal with the PolyGram TV label, she recorded and released two albums with the label. The first was a themed album of movie songs...
  
  , and performed it on "A Royal Gala" at the Royal Albert Hall
  Royal Albert Hall
  The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
  
   in 1996.
• Dune
  Dune (German band)
  Dune is a German Rave/Happy Hardcore/Techno/progressive trance band, not to be confused with the Danish rock band, Dúné. The band took its name from the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert.- History :...
  
   recorded an orchestrated version on the 1997 album Forever
  Forever (Dune album)
  Forever is the fourth album by German band Dune. It was released in 1997 on the label Orbit Records. The album is very different from the other albums released, because the style is classical...
  
  . It was also released as the first single from the album.
• The song is featured in the Queen jukebox musical
  Jukebox musical
  A jukebox musical is a stage or film musical that uses previously released popular songs as its musical score. Usually the songs have in common a connection with a particular popular musician or group — either because they were written by, or for, the artists in question, or were at least...
  
   We Will Rock You
  We Will Rock You (musical)
  We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. The musical was written by British comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor...
  
  . The version that appears on the original London cast recording
  We Will Rock You (The Original London Cast Recording)
  This recording was made over two nights to become the first audio release of the musical. A couple of tracks are actual Queen sound recordings, notably One Vision and Ogre Battle. This recording does not however include all songs performed in the musical...
  
   is sung by Tony Vincent
  Tony Vincent
  Tony Vincent, born Anthony Peter Strascina, is an American actor, singer and songwriter born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and based out of New York City, New York. He took the stage name Tony Vincent when he was preparing to release his first EP in 1993 .-Early career:Vincent's professional career...
  
   and Hannah Jane Fox
  Hannah Jane Fox
  Hannah Jane Fox is an English stage actress, best known for playing "Scaramouche" in the Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You. She is an alumna of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts.-Theatre:-TV:...
  
  .
• The symphonic metal band After Forever
  After Forever
  After Forever was a Dutch symphonic metal band with strong progressive metal influences. The band relied on the use of both soprano vocals and death grunts. In February 2009, it was announced that After Forever had disbanded.-Biography:...
  
   recorded a cover of this song and released it with their single "Emphasis" in 2002.
• Sarah Brightman
  Sarah Brightman
  Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
  
   covered this track on her 1997 album, Time to say Goodbye
  Time to Say Goodbye (album)
  Time to Say Goodbye, known as Timeless in Europe, is Sarah Brightman's most popular album, released in 1997. . The SACD 5.1 version released by EMI is entitled Time to Say Goodbye and follows the American track listing...
  
  .
• Polish singer Edyta Górniak
  Edyta Górniak
  Edyta Górniak is one of the most popular female singers from Poland.- Beginnings :At the age of 14 Górniak formed a band and was playing at private parties and evening dances. After taking singing lessons, in 1989, aged 16, she gave her first public appearance on a Polish television talent show...
  
   recorded a cover called "Nieśmiertelni" in 2003, released on Moja i Twoja muzyka, RMF FM
  RMF FM
  RMF FM - the most popular and the first commercial radio station in Poland. RMF FM started broadcasting on 15 January 1990 in Kraków. The current director is Tadeusz Sołtys. The radio is wholly owned by the German Bauer Verlagsgruppe.-Frequency FM in Poland:-External links:*...
  
   compilation album
  Compilation album
  A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
  
  .
• In 2005, the song was covered by Breaking Benjamin
  Breaking Benjamin
  Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
  
   on the album Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen
  Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen
  Killer Queen is a tribute album of Queen songs. The album is named for the 1974 Queen song of the same name that first appeared on the Sheer Heart Attack album.The album peaked at #104 on the Billboard 200 on August 27, 2005...
  
  .
• The Ten Tenors recorded a version on their album Here's to the Heroes, released in 2006.
• Rock Star: INXS
  Rock Star: INXS
  Rock Star: INXS is the first season of the reality television show Rock Star where 15 contestants competed to become the lead vocalist for the Australian rock band INXS....
  
  finalist, MiG Ayesa
  Mig Ayesa
  Miguel Alfonso Ramon Legarda "MiG" Ayesa is an Australian rock vocalist.-Biography:Born in Manila, Philippines and raised in Sydney, Australia, and has three-fourths-Spanish maternal ancestry and fourth-Ilonggo paternal and maternal ancestries. His Spanish ancestry came from Preysler lineage...
  
   covered the song on his debut album MiG
  MiG (album)
  MiG is MiG Ayesa's debut self-titled solo album, first released in April 2007. It is made up of rock covers with orchestral arrangements, including an arrangement of "Baby, I Love Your Way" which original artist, Peter Frampton, played the acoustic guitar in...
  
  in 2007.
• Katharine McPhee
  Katharine McPhee
  Katharine Hope McPhee is an American pop singer, songwriter, actress, model, and television personality. She gained fame as a contestant on the fifth season of the Fox reality show American Idol in 2006, eventually finishing as the runner-up.Her self-titled debut album was released on RCA Records...
  
   covered this song on the "Queen" themed week on American Idol
  American Idol
  American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
  
  's fifth season
  American Idol (season 5)
  The fifth season of American Idol began on January 17, 2006 and concluded on May 24, 2006. Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul and Simon Cowell returned to judge, and Ryan Seacrest returned to host. It is the most successful season to date ratings-wise and also with 18 contestants getting record deals -...
  
  .
• Eva Avila
  Eva Avila
  Eva Avila is a singer and songwriter. She won the fourth season of the CTV reality show Canadian Idol in 2006.-Early life:...
  
   covered this song on the "1980's" themed week on Canadian Idol
  Canadian Idol
  Canadian Idol is a Canadian reality television competition show which aired on CTV, based on the British show Pop Idol. The show was a competition to find the most talented young singer in Canada, and was hosted by Ben Mulroney. Jon Dore was the "roving reporter" for the first three seasons...
  
  's fourth season
  Canadian Idol (Season 4)
  The fourth season of Canadian Idol began in February 2006 ran until September 2006. Zack Werner, Jake Gold, Sass Jordan, and Farley Flex returned to judge, and Ben Mulroney returned to host, with Elena Juatco as the new roving reporter. The season premiered on May 29, five days after the finale of...
  
  .
• In 2007, the song was covered by the band Gregorian
  Gregorian (band)
  Gregorian is a German band headed by Frank Peterson that performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. The band features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment.- Band history :...
  
   on their album Masters of Chant Chapter VI
  Masters of Chant Chapter VI
  Masters of Chant Chapter VI is the ninth album by German band Gregorian. It was released on 28 September 2007.- Track listing :# "Guide Me God" # "Miracle of Love" # "Dreams" # "The Circle"...
  
  .
• Kady Malloy covered this song during "80's" week on American Idol
  American Idol
  American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
  
  's seventh season
  American Idol (season 7)
  The seventh season of American Idol, the annual reality show and singing competition, began on January 15, 2008 and concluded on May 21, 2008. Ryan Seacrest continued to host the show with Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson returning as judges...
  
  .
• Dutch diva Karin Bloemen did a cover in her 2007/2009 show "Overgang", in a translation by Jan Rot
  Jan Rot
  Jan Rot is a Dutch singer-songwriter who is famous in the Netherlands for his many translations of songs, pop as well as classic. His Dutch translation of Bach's St.Matthews Passion peaked Easter 2006 on the Dutch popalbum charts.-External links:*...
  
  , "Wie wil die leeft voor eeuwig" .
• Jonathan Ansell
  Jonathan Ansell
  Jonathan Mark Ansell is an English singer, formerly the high tenor of the vocal group G4.Jonathan Ansell was born in Bognor Regis in 1982, where both his parents were primary school teachers. Influenced by his mother’s tapes of Pavarotti and the Three Tenors, Jonathan joined the West Sussex Boys'...
  
   covered this song for his 2nd album Forever, released in 2008
• Rhydian Roberts
  Rhydian Roberts
  Rhydian James Roberts , popularly known as Rhydian, is a classically trained Welsh baritone and crossover artist. He rose to fame on The X Factor in 2007...
  
   covered this song on his debut album Rhydian, released on the 24th of November 2008.
• Katherine Jenkins
  Katherine Jenkins
  Katherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
  
   covered this song on her seventh album Believe
  Believe (Katherine Jenkins album)
  - Deluxe edition :The deluxe edition of the album, released on 29 March 2010 in the UK, includes two new tracks: "Love Never Dies" and "Endless Love", with a total of 13 tracks.The track "Se Si Perde Un Amore" from the standard edition is not included....
  
  , released on the 26th of October 2009.
• Stacey Solomon
  Stacey Solomon
  Stacey Solomon is a British singer, television presenter, model and reality TV star. She rose to fame during her time on the sixth series of The X Factor, coming third overall on the show...
  
   performed the song on the sixth series of The X Factor
  The X Factor (UK)
  The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
  
  .
• David Garrett
  David Garrett
  David Garrett may refer to:*David Garrett *David C. Garrett, Jr., American businessman*David Garrett , former New Zealand politician*David Garrett , American filmmaker...
  
   covered this song for his 8th album David Garrett, released in 2009.
• Kitty Brucknell performed the song on series eight
  The X Factor (UK series 8)
  The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. The eighth series began airing on ITV on 20 August 2011. Louis Walsh is the only judge from the previous series to return, as the other three, Simon Cowell, Dannii Minogue and Cheryl Cole, all left to join other...
  
   of The X-Factor

Dune version

German band Dune

Dune (German band)

Dune is a German Rave/Happy Hardcore/Techno/progressive trance band, not to be confused with the Danish rock band, Dúné. The band took its name from the Dune series of science fiction novels by Frank Herbert.- History :...

 released their cover of "Who Wants to Live Forever", from their album Forever

Forever (Dune album)

Forever is the fourth album by German band Dune. It was released in 1997 on the label Orbit Records. The album is very different from the other albums released, because the style is classical...

, as a single in October 1996.

Dune's version of "Who Wants to Live Forever" sold more than 500.000 copies in Germany. The single peaked at #3 in the Austrian singles charts, at #9 in the Swiss Charts, at #12 in the Dutch Charts and at #59 in the Swedish charts.

Track listing

1. Who Wants To Live Forever (Sixtysix Radio Mix) (3:54)
2. Who Wants To Live Forever (South Bound Mix) (3:58)
3. Highland Trilogy: One Day In Glencoe (4:49)
4. Highland Trilogy: Valley Of Tears (4:58)
5. Highland Trilogy: In The Air, Part 2 (10:29)

Remixes

Released: 4 December 1996

1. Who Wants To Live Forever (Komakino Remix) (5:32)
2. Who Wants To Live Forever (Future Breeze Remix) (7:03)
3. In The Air, Part 1 (5:13)

Sarah Brightman version

Soprano Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...

 released her cover of "Who Wants to Live Forever", from her album Timeless/Time to Say Goodbye

Time to Say Goodbye (album)

Time to Say Goodbye, known as Timeless in Europe, is Sarah Brightman's most popular album, released in 1997. . The SACD 5.1 version released by EMI is entitled Time to Say Goodbye and follows the American track listing...

, as a single in 1997 (See 1997 in music

1997 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...

). The single peaked at #45 in the UK singles chart.

CD single

1. "Who Wants to Live Forever" (Album version)
2. "Who Wants to Live Forever" (Xenomania
   Xenomania
   Xenomania is a British songwriting and production team founded by Brian Higgins and based in Kent, England. Formed after Higgins met Miranda Cooper, Xenomania has written and produced for renowned artists such as Cher, Kylie Minogue, Dannii Minogue, Pet Shop Boys, and Sugababes...
   
    club mix)

Maxi CD single

1. "Who Wants to Live Forever"
2. "A Question of Honour
   A Question of Honour (song)
   "A Question of Honour" is a 1995 single by soprano Sarah Brightman, from her album Fly. It peaked at #15 on the German Singles Chart in the last week of 1995, even though it was released over five months earlier....
   
   "
3. "Heaven Is Here"
4. "I Loved You"

12" vinyl

1. "Who Wants To Live Forever (Trouser Enthusiasts 'Cybernetic Odalisque' Mix)"
2. "Who Wants To Live Forever (Xenomania Club Mix)"
3. "Who Wants To Live Forever (Xenomania Dub Mix)"
4. "Who Wants To Live Forever (X-Citing Mix)

Edyta Górniak version

Polish singer Edyta Górniak

Edyta Górniak

Edyta Górniak is one of the most popular female singers from Poland.- Beginnings :At the age of 14 Górniak formed a band and was playing at private parties and evening dances. After taking singing lessons, in 1989, aged 16, she gave her first public appearance on a Polish television talent show...

 released a cover of "Who Wants to Live Forever" in 2003 called "Nieśmiertelni" (Immortals). She recorded the cover with Polish lyrics for the cover compilation album

Compilation album

A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 RMF FM - Moja i Twoja muzyka by Polish radio station RMF FM

RMF FM

RMF FM - the most popular and the first commercial radio station in Poland. RMF FM started broadcasting on 15 January 1990 in Kraków. The current director is Tadeusz Sołtys. The radio is wholly owned by the German Bauer Verlagsgruppe.-Frequency FM in Poland:-External links:*...

.

It was released as a promo radio single by Pomaton EMI. The image on the cover was shot by photographer Robert Wolański

External links