You make bold statements, my friend. A song “nobody” knows. That’s a pretty wild redefinition of the word “nobody”. You do realize that MILLIONS bought A Night at the Opera and Live killers? And MILLIONS sang along to 39 on Queen’s concert tours?
There's nothing wrong, being a nobody. I bought the record. I sang along. But did I really know the song? Did I? Did I know all the ins and out, all the facts Konner explained? No, I didn't. I'm just a nobody, who didn't really know the song. But did you know? If you did, you should be very proud of yourself. You might be that nobody, whom Konner gave credit for knowing the song, saying "the song nobody knew".
@@bjornkinding6998 I dont quite get you. He is not unveiling any new groundbreaking research to the world. He is just regurgitating that which has been known for decades. He’s pretending to bring us new insights while actually just spoon feeding us his warm diarrhea.
Well, as I said, if you know all this, you should be really proud of yourself! And I'm grateful that Konner has forwarded this knowledge to the rest of us, just like someone did decades ago, when you acquired all your knowledge.
Really surprised to find more "'39" lovers, as a physicist and a Queen fan this song is just pure beauty. My list of favorite Queen songs starts with '39 followed with Bohemian Rhapsody, so when I saw the thumbnail my reaction was "of course, it is called '39" but honestly didn't expect it to be about '39. Thanks for this.
Add me to the list! Amateur astronomer, writing a children's SciFi/Fantasy story arc (set of books). One of my favourite books of all time is Poul Anderson's "Tau Zero". Tau (time dilation) = SQRT ( (1 - v2) / c2) - where v = velocity in m/sec and c is speed of light. At Tau zero (light speed), time stops.
Same album: The Prophet's Song. IMHO, the best song on the album, even better than Bohemian Rhapsody. Different album: Sheer Heart Attack: Bring Back that Leroy Brown. Another fun, silly song, brilliantly written, arranged, performed, and produced.
My favourite “lesser-known” Queen songs :- Liar, Jesus, Nevermore, The March of The Black Queen, Flick of The Wrist, Lily of The Valley, The Millionaire Waltz, My Melancholy Blues, Mustapha, Jealousy
Prophet Song, It's Late, Father to Son, the entire Jazz album, Sail Away Sweet Sister, the Game, Innuendo, the Show Must Go On, She Makes Me, Drowse, Teo Torriate, Fight from the Inside, Save Me, etc.
Good List, very good list. A special shout out again to Nevermore. Its very short, not rock but oh so melodic. Father to Son (mentioned in the comment below) also my favorite song from Queen II. My daughter describes it as Epic.
*A worthy list. But, we will all have our own additions to it. "Doing All Right", "Great King Rat", "Dead On Time", & Brighton Rock" are just a few off the top of my head.*
As a lifelong Queen fan, 39' has always been one of my favourite tracks. I thought this would be a bout Prophet's Song, which is closer in feel to Bohemian Rhapsody. But I've always wondered just what the song was written about. Thank you so much for explaining it to me!!! Now that you have explained the lyrics to me, I'm blown away AGAIN by how good they are. It's like a complete sci-fi novel in a 3 minute song! Just...........WOOOOW. Brian, I've always loved your music, but now it's on a different level!
Yes.. "prophet's song" is incredibly intricate and beautiful.. and when I first heard "39" I didn't get it, either.. but then again, I also did not "get" the subject of Brian's song "All Dead".. about his childhood CAT... lol.. I've always loved Brian and always will...
The best 2 Queen songs that are lesser known to my mind are both on the severely underrated Queen II album. 'March of the Black Queen' is utter madness musically and kind of a pre-Bohemian Rhapsody in complexity and abstract structure, then there's 'Fairy-fellers master stroke,' which is musically very cool but also lyrically jaw dropping, I have no idea how Freddie Mercury managed to write such a complex song involving every character in a massive painting, whilst including the word 'tatterdemalion' in the lyrics, just awesome!
Queen II is probably the favourite album for the "serious" Queen fans. I've seen it called the favourite many times by people online by people who are obviously very familiar with the bands albums
Yes! *absitively* the right answer! these are my two all time favorite Queen tunes. and yep, my 14-yr-old self in 1975 hadda go look up wth 'tatterdemelian' meant, lol
When I first heard the song, I was struck by the similarity to a totally different song I grew up with. In my East German home, there was a band called PUHDYS who had a major hit (in East Germany) called "Alt wie ein Baum". The lyrics deal with the dream of near immortality: I wanna get old as a tree. The music sounds like a scaled-down cover version of 39. So much so that when I first heard the Queen song, I started singing the German lyrics before realising that something was off...
Brian May's most beautiful composition was a power ballad called Sail Away Sweet Sister. He sang lead vocal on most of the song with Freddie singing the bridge.
Queen is one of those bands that amaze you the more you dig into the discography. The most well known songs may be gold but there are diamonds amongst the other ones. Since each member had an input there's so many different kinds of sounds and ideas mixed that it's an entire experience, it's so fun to learn how each song came to be too. Personally my favorite albums are Queen II and Innuendo.
And they experimented with differend trends, when they first started they where "Hard Rock", but later they got into popmusic, country, disco, some electronic work on the album Flash Gordon what is also amazing for a Rock band!
I love My Melancholy Blues as well. Queen helped me to appreciate older music and other styles. Have you ever listened to Ella Fitzgerald's version of I've Got A Crush On You off of the Ella Sings Gershwin album? I think My Melancholy Blues fans would dig it. The whole album is great.
It is a great song. Unfortunately its similarities to Bo Rap probably helped lead to the perception that A Day at the Races is a pale imitation of A Night at the Opera. (It's not; while the structures are similar, Day at the Races is a bit more experimental and weirder)
@@TheGerkuman Strange. I never thought Day At the Races was an attempt to copy Night At the Opera, but I did think it was more mainstream, more of a pop album.
@@scottmcneely1927 yeah, not everyone feels that it is a copy. But there are a lot of similarities, especially in regard to White Man vs Prophet Song, Millionnaire Waltz vs Bo Rap, Tie Your Mother Down vs Death on Two Legs etc. The order is very different though, and I don't think Somebody To Love has a counterpart. (Or Drowse, now that I think about it)
Love 39. Although with this song you also have to comment on the absurdly high notes Roger Taylor hits in it! I love watching the videos of them performing this live at the front of the stage. Queen live is always amazing!
'39' was an extreme favorite for me, for the time-travel message. I think part of the reason not that many heard it was because radio omitted it as it was sort of grafted to the end of 'You're My Best Friend' (which played long and well on radio). To include it would have made the piece too long for radio in the day. May's 12-string lead in with their symphonic vocals and eerie message is absolutely unforgettable. Thanks for the spotlight! -- Texas
As an avid Queen fan I'm so happy to see someone discussing something other than BoRhap and Live Aid, there's *so much* to dissect. Not only is '39 the 39th song (excluding B-sides) the planet Mercury is 0,39 astronomical units from the sun, and Interstellar came out 39 years after A Night at the Opera. It also makes sense that Brian would use sounds from the early 1900's, since he's over time taken a lot of inspiration from that era. (See Good Company)
This was the song that sold me on Queen. My brother was away at a school camp and I "borrowed" his copy of Opera. When I heard '39, I was blown away. My brother never got the record back. Brian May is my no.1 musician of all time.
‘39 was my fathers ringtone on my phone until he passed. He was born in 1939, and worked on the communications system for Skylab when he worked for AT&T… I always took “write your letters in the sand” to be an allusion to the silicon used in transistors and microchips, used in high tech telecommunications equipment. Brian May loves using weird scientific imagery and metaphors in his poetry and lyrics and I always thought this was one of those sci-fi metaphors-not literally “writing letters in sand…” Also, that 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 descending cord progression isn’t a mistake-it’s obviously a reference to the countdown of a rocket launch.
Fans of Queen know about this song - the public at large isn't aware because they either didn't buy the albums or see them in concert, so they only know what's played on the radio. I've always (since 1976 when I got the album) loved this song, but didn't get the astrophysical aspect until later, and love the song even more because of it.
Germany here. I was 16 or 17 yrs old when I bought "A Night At The Opera". I've got to admit that I didn't properly understand the lyrics back then (and obviously never made a serious attempt for a better understanding). To me, "'39" was an elegy about a soldier who left his home and family to fight in WWII and returned another man who wouldn't fit with his loved ones anymore. This misunderstanding is even more embarrassing since I'm a huge fan of science fiction literature. I'm especially fond of stories about time dilatation and its effects on the fate of individuals. Thanks for having opened the door to understanding this wonderful song!
It’s hard to grasp- the actual meaning is buried well within the lyrics! Without Brian May’s interviews, I don’t think I would have been able to figure it out. I do love that the ambiguity of the lyrics makes it more open to interpretation- my impression is that this was by design.
A lot of people share that misunderstanding. I did at first. A musician friend of mine, who's a big Queen fan, only learnt from me what the song was really about a couple of years ago. I even gave him the astrophysicist clue before I finally had to spell it out for him.
And especially when Brian's guitar, just before the latter part of the solo, speeds up from low to a high note! Done using a reel-to-reel and the tape sped up!
Shocked when you revealed the song title - assumed it was going to be something that I was only dimly aware of but turned out to be my favourite Queen song.
Me seeing the video title: "it can't possibly be 39, no one gets that song... WHAT?" I heard this song as a teen, a total sci fi geek and budding songwriter. No one cared about this track, and people thought Star Wars was good science fiction. It spoke to me in a really personal way and is one of my favourite songs of all time, even though it's nowhere near own alt rock music tastes.
Somewhere I read that upon initial presentation of the song to the rest of the band, John Deacon asked Brain May for what sort of bass style he wanted. Supposedly, Brian May jokingly said "upright bass". And this was the FIRST time John Deacon had ever played upright. Okay, just confirmed this on the Wikipedia page. I had to learn the bass part myself for my gigging acoustic trio, but sadly COVID intervened & broke us up before we could ever actually play it out. A real shame. I agree this is a fantastic song. GREAT analysis here by the way, Will subscribe as I am also a songwriter.
I did stumble upon this during my research... hard to believe from hearing it! He totally pulled it off. Sounds like you need to get another band together purely as an excuse to play this song 😂
Even *Scandal* was a single here in Australia with *My Life Has Been Saved* [eventually released on *Made In Heaven* ] as the B-Side. Queen were on fire throughout the 80s *AND* the 90s too, not just the 70s.
This has always been a favourite. My interpretation of the lyrics is that it is not his wife's eyes he sees in the grown(or old) woman when he returns(ie his daughter), but he sees his daughters eyes in the woman, ie it his his granddaughter(or grandson) he finds when he returns. Not only does he lose his wife to time, but his daughter(or son) as well. Both are dead, only his grandchild is left, and he has missed most of that life as well.
"Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand in the land that our grandchildren knew" certainly suggests that, but then whose hand is it? and who is the "we" in "our"? - I can only make sense of that if it's the crew. Very intriguing.
This has long been my very favorite Queen song. Astounding strange story, all the guitars, May's vocal, and Deacon's big fat upright bass. Astrophysics ftw.
39 is a wonderful song. Honestly, the whole album is near perfection. But the Prophet's Song has got to be their best. It does everything that Bohemian Rhapsody aims for, but better.
I am sure you wanted to say "that mostly hardcore Queen fans know". Because '39 is actually popular along the fans. Personally I love "Bring back that Leroy Brown", "Lazing on a sunday aftermoon" and especially "Seaside rendezvous" (Roger and Freddie going completely nuts :) )
I did, but that’s a much less catchy title 😉 all of those other songs are great too! “Seaside Rendezvous” cracks me up- you can tell how much fun they were having during the writing/recording process
Seaside Rendezvous and Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon are both so fun! I love when Queen goes all barbershop quartet (for lack of a better word). I feel like some of that same sound is also in Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy and Millionaire Waltz.
Thank you for this great video! I would say the best Queen song, not as well known, is "My Fairy King" from the first album. A completely underrated gem from first to last note. '39 is a wonderful song and I have loved it since I was a young teen. I am now 47 years old.
That song is soooooo beautiful and complex! The harmonies on “nowhere to run, nowhere to hide” and that whole section are some of the most beautiful in all of Queen’s songs in my opinion.
Death On Two Legs, the first song on that album, is one of my favourites. Very dramatic, about how they got screwed by the record label. Although about half of the songs on that album have been my favourite Queen song at least once: Death On Two Legs, Bohemian Rhapsody, the Prophet's Song, and indeed the Days of '39. There's so much unique brilliance on that album.
The Prophets Song is easily the most underrated Queen song, from the same album as well. Came to Brian May in a dream, the lyrics and guitar are just incredible. My favourite song of all time
Yes, 39 is Queen's 39th song, but in 1839, Thomas Henderson was the first to use parallax to measure the distance to Alpha Centauri at 4.2465 light years (today's value). I take the 39 in the song to mean 2039 for the launch and 2139, 100 years later, as the return, a journey possibly to Alpha Centauri. As for another Queen song to look at, The Prophet's Song, another Brian May composition. I rank it above Bohemian Rhapsody.
> Brian May be an astrophysicist, but he's a heck of a songwriter too. That's all it took for me to know you were going to talk about 39. It's one of my favorites. So heart-wrenching.
Nice analysis and with pinpoint accuracy. However, 39 is a Queen song that NOT nobody knows. I'm sure there are many Queen fans just like me who have already heard the song eons ago and I, for one, have been singing it at karaoke bars. ;) 🙂
Thank you! And this is true… but it’s a hidden gem for those who might be casual Queen fans. I wanted to focus on a lesser known song from their catalogue, and this is my personal favorite Queen song. (Also, had no idea it was even an option at karaoke bars… I’ll be on the lookout next time I go to one!)
I'm one of these casual fans that heard '39 for the first time this weekend. I couldn't believe that it was a song by Queen, until i thought i heard Freddie in the backing vocals.
Side one of "A Night At The Opera" may be my favorite vinyl album side of the rock era. It is soooo eclectic, with each song flowing into the next almost perfectly. My only rival to side one of "A Night At The Opera" would be side 2 of "Sheer Heart Attack." It is hard for an old guy like me to explain to people raised on Spotify (or iPods) that we used to put the needle down on a record and listen to the entire side, taking into account the entire side. "39" fit into the cascade of music that segued together on this album. It was great art in every way.
As a die-hard Queen fan who came along after the record era, I try to put myself in the context of how the music was created- they released their albums with the record format in mind. It's a challenge though- I've been spoiled by Spotify (and also iPods). Doesn't change the fact that the music is a masterpiece though!
I agree, but I also like the B side. As a whole, A Night at the Opera is just flawless. Each song is well placed - they move seamlessly from one to the other. I'll have to take another listen to Sheer Heart Attack as it has been awhile. My only regret is that I didn't buy two of each album back in the day. (One of my kids put a scratch in Bicycle Race on my Jazz album 😕 But, hey, at least they know great music 😊)
Dear Brother, just to let you know that i Deeply appreciated your presentation and analysis of the masterpiece of music and poetry! For without your presentation I would have remained totally ignorant of this flight to/from Beauty. Dr. Brian May is a genius and a gentleman. I could but only wish that not unlike me, that the LORD would allow my Brother to live three hundred years so that he might complete the Projects that still remain undone and unsung! Brother Brian, I too well know the hidden angst that continues to reside within your soul. I thank you my fellow doctor and Brother. You “have gone where no man has gone before,” to intentionally ‘borrow’ a line from Star Wars. Again I thank the presenter of this wonderful video, and I thank you Brian!
'39 is a beautiful song. One of my favorite songs of theirs! Personally I think that The Prophet's Song is the best, it's so underrated as a lot of the songs are on A Night at the Opera are as they're overshadowed by Bohemian Rhapsody as legendary as that song is, people often forget these masterpieces as well. ❤ But wow! Never looked into it like that, truly beautiful lyrics and message.
Thank you for the kind words! I'm a huge fan of The Prophet's Song as well... and I'm getting many comments about it, so I may have to do a separate video on that song!
This is one of my favourite Queen songs❤ I never thought it unknown! I love everything about this beautiful song. This song has wonderful lyrics and instrumentation. Another plus is that Brian sings it!!!!
You just opened my heart and mind to the best queen song....and it's written by my beloved friend Brian. Thank-you, from both Brian and I. Dr. Strange!
Spread Your Wings (although a B side) is another a great 'unknown' song - but I do agree, '39 is a great song. (Also check out 'Earth' by 'Smile' - the forerunner to Queen.)
In college when I first got to interact with other musicians, form a band, etc, is when I first got into Queen. I bought a bunch of their albums including this one. But somehow this song didn't stick in my memory. I can't understand why, it is RIGHT up my alley! Amazing stuff, thank you for reintroducing it to me.
Hardly unknown, even if it doesn't get the radio time it deserves. A Night At The Opera is such a great piece of work, Queen really pushed the limits and hit the jackpot.
Not bad! I was gonna note 1975, not 1976 but you corrected it so kudos to you for that, and as a huge Queen fan (listened to every studio album, and just about all the live ones, was also in the top 0.5% of listeners to them on Spotify last year) it was awesome to see one of the lesser known songs getting some recognition! Roger’s falsetto in this song was one of his best in my mind. Someone else already mentioned it, but The Prophet’s Song would be awesome for you to go over and The March Of The Black Queen would be epic too! Keep on rockin’!
Thank you, Konner! For someone, who grew up in the 70's, saved his pocket money to buy his favorite record by his favorite band (= A Night at the Opera by Queen), your in-depth analysis and its detailed facts were extremely interesting. They amazed me, impressed me. You impressed me! Thank you so very much! Bjorn
I have always loved this song, but never really understood what it was about, thank you for explaining this to us. Now that you have explained it and knowing Brian wrote this, it all makes sense now. They were all geniuses in their own way
I've been listening to Queen for most of my life and it took a very long time before my ears became sophisticated enough to realize that Freddie didn't do all the lead vocals for their songs. I am familiar with this one though. There's a fantastic live version on Live Killers album that's probably more responsible for me being a fan of it.
i always thought 39 was about sailing ships that was the reference that stuck out you learn something new every day & yes i owned the album from release !!!!!
I’m the same. The folk style and the use of terms that could easily be talking about a sailing ship sailing to another land, it was much later that I learned this was sci fi (a genre I was steeped in at the time, but just missed it entirely!)
Your point of "best Queen song" ... clearly, persuasively made. Been listening to Queen since mid 70s. Discovered this song 2 years ago. Convinced right then that it's their finest composition. Every listen I'm getting goosebumps and teary eyed.
Weirdly, I always had a strange attraction to 39 and didn’t know why. It stuck out comparatively to other Queen songs and thanks to this explanation it definitely makes more sense now. Thanks for closing he gap… Cheers. Now subscribed…. 😉
QUEEN II is to me the most underrated album of all time, and the songs White Queen and The March of The Black Queen are anthems to me. They’re complex and long songs, I doubt anyone’s ever gonna try to tackle them, but it’d be nice if that happened. Anyway, great job with ‘39. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I always thought of this as a very sweet song, demonstrating Queen's musical versatility. I never bothered to pay much attention to the lyrics and the story it tells. Boy, was I surprised to learn in this video what the song is all about. Thanks for opening my eyes and ears.
Beautiful song analysis! I (55) have spent months listening to Queen albums, I liked 39 a lot, but I never understood neither the lyrics nor - much less - the music until now! Thank you!
Great analysis of the song. You will always have many people having their views on which song is their favourite. Your analysis was great. Look forward to more of this kind.
Except for the over 6 million people that own a copy A Night at The Opera. It was also the B side to Your My Best Friend. That sold a couple of copies also.
Which artist or song should I break down next?
EDIT: I misspoke- A Night at the Opera was released in 1975, not 1976!
You make bold statements, my friend. A song “nobody” knows. That’s a pretty wild redefinition of the word “nobody”. You do realize that MILLIONS bought A Night at the Opera and Live killers? And MILLIONS sang along to 39 on Queen’s concert tours?
There's nothing wrong, being a nobody. I bought the record. I sang along. But did I really know the song? Did I? Did I know all the ins and out, all the facts Konner explained? No, I didn't. I'm just a nobody, who didn't really know the song.
But did you know? If you did, you should be very proud of yourself. You might be that nobody, whom Konner gave credit for knowing the song, saying "the song nobody knew".
@@bjornkinding6998 I dont quite get you. He is not unveiling any new groundbreaking research to the world. He is just regurgitating that which has been known for decades. He’s pretending to bring us new insights while actually just spoon feeding us his warm diarrhea.
Well, as I said, if you know all this, you should be really proud of yourself! And I'm grateful that Konner has forwarded this knowledge to the rest of us, just like someone did decades ago, when you acquired all your knowledge.
How about "The March of the Black Queen" from Queen II? It's also a song that not many people know about and one that is underrated in my opinion.
Really surprised to find more "'39" lovers, as a physicist and a Queen fan this song is just pure beauty. My list of favorite Queen songs starts with '39 followed with Bohemian Rhapsody, so when I saw the thumbnail my reaction was "of course, it is called '39" but honestly didn't expect it to be about '39. Thanks for this.
I did not expect to see you here lol
@@lupen8095 I am a Queen fan since my childhood; this song should have a dedicated video on my future series on relativity
Agreed. Their finest.
Add me to the list! Amateur astronomer, writing a children's SciFi/Fantasy story arc (set of books). One of my favourite books of all time is Poul Anderson's "Tau Zero". Tau (time dilation) = SQRT ( (1 - v2) / c2) - where v = velocity in m/sec and c is speed of light. At Tau zero (light speed), time stops.
@@joannecunliffe8067 thanks for sharing, I didn't know about this, I should check it out
Same album: The Prophet's Song. IMHO, the best song on the album, even better than Bohemian Rhapsody. Different album: Sheer Heart Attack: Bring Back that Leroy Brown. Another fun, silly song, brilliantly written, arranged, performed, and produced.
Both great songs! The Prophet’s Song is another one of my all-time faves
In my opinion, Prophet's Song is THE best Queen song and one of the best rock songs EVER. It's a lyrical and musical masterpiece
Got to agree, as much as I like Bohemian Rhapsody, IMO The Prophets Song blows it away.
My favorite has always been '39.
@@MrWorfy99 I keep getting comments about The Prophet's song... there might be a video dissecting it coming in the near future!
My favourite “lesser-known”
Queen songs :-
Liar, Jesus, Nevermore, The March of The Black Queen, Flick of The Wrist, Lily of The Valley, The Millionaire Waltz, My Melancholy Blues, Mustapha, Jealousy
Good list.
Liar is an awesome song. Perfectly shows the talents of all the band.
Prophet Song, It's Late, Father to Son, the entire Jazz album, Sail Away Sweet Sister, the Game, Innuendo, the Show Must Go On, She Makes Me, Drowse, Teo Torriate, Fight from the Inside, Save Me, etc.
Good List, very good list. A special shout out again to Nevermore. Its very short, not rock but oh so melodic.
Father to Son (mentioned in the comment below) also my favorite song from Queen II. My daughter describes it as Epic.
*A worthy list. But, we will all have our own additions to it. "Doing All Right", "Great King Rat", "Dead On Time", & Brighton Rock" are just a few off the top of my head.*
As a lifelong Queen fan, 39' has always been one of my favourite tracks. I thought this would be a bout Prophet's Song, which is closer in feel to Bohemian Rhapsody. But I've always wondered just what the song was written about. Thank you so much for explaining it to me!!! Now that you have explained the lyrics to me, I'm blown away AGAIN by how good they are. It's like a complete sci-fi novel in a 3 minute song! Just...........WOOOOW. Brian, I've always loved your music, but now it's on a different level!
Yeah, I though it was going to be Prophet's Song too! One of my fave tracks of theirs. Well, they're all good.
Yes.. "prophet's song" is incredibly intricate and beautiful.. and when I first heard "39" I didn't get it, either.. but then again, I also did not "get" the subject of Brian's song "All Dead".. about his childhood CAT... lol.. I've always loved Brian and always will...
The best 2 Queen songs that are lesser known to my mind are both on the severely underrated Queen II album. 'March of the Black Queen' is utter madness musically and kind of a pre-Bohemian Rhapsody in complexity and abstract structure, then there's 'Fairy-fellers master stroke,' which is musically very cool but also lyrically jaw dropping, I have no idea how Freddie Mercury managed to write such a complex song involving every character in a massive painting, whilst including the word 'tatterdemalion' in the lyrics, just awesome!
This is the correct answer
Queen II is probably the favourite album for the "serious" Queen fans. I've seen it called the favourite many times by people online by people who are obviously very familiar with the bands albums
@@John-k6f9k Yeah Queen II is a real can of worms, I discover something new every time I listen to it.
I was gonna say the same thing. Black Queen & Fairy Feller are criminally unknown.
Yes! *absitively* the right answer! these are my two all time favorite Queen tunes. and yep, my 14-yr-old self in 1975 hadda go look up wth 'tatterdemelian' meant, lol
I was hoping so much the video was gonna be about 39. I honestly gave a little shout of joy when you said the name!
Glad your expectations were met! 😂 it’s my personal favorite Queen song so it was easy to talk about
When I first heard the song, I was struck by the similarity to a totally different song I grew up with. In my East German home, there was a band called PUHDYS who had a major hit (in East Germany) called "Alt wie ein Baum". The lyrics deal with the dream of near immortality: I wanna get old as a tree. The music sounds like a scaled-down cover version of 39. So much so that when I first heard the Queen song, I started singing the German lyrics before realising that something was off...
Brian May's most beautiful composition was a power ballad called Sail Away Sweet Sister. He sang lead vocal on most of the song with Freddie singing the bridge.
Oh my god, I love that song so much. I may have to do a video on it at some point.
Yes! Although I would not have classified it as a "power ballad"..
It's an absolute cracker. My favourite song on that album
Queen is one of those bands that amaze you the more you dig into the discography. The most well known songs may be gold but there are diamonds amongst the other ones. Since each member had an input there's so many different kinds of sounds and ideas mixed that it's an entire experience, it's so fun to learn how each song came to be too. Personally my favorite albums are Queen II and Innuendo.
And they experimented with differend trends, when they first started they where "Hard Rock", but later they got into popmusic, country, disco, some electronic work on the album Flash Gordon what is also amazing for a Rock band!
Innuendo is a great album. Sail away sweet sister is another great song.
My personal favorite lesser known Queen song is My Melancholy Blues from News of the World
Another great one, and a potential future video!
Totally agree, a sublime song which really shows the richness of Freddie's voice.
I love My Melancholy Blues as well. Queen helped me to appreciate older music and other styles. Have you ever listened to Ella Fitzgerald's version of I've Got A Crush On You off of the Ella Sings Gershwin album? I think My Melancholy Blues fans would dig it. The whole album is great.
News of the world is perfect. It's natural stop at the end of spread your wings and play it again. And again. And againnnn...
Best Queen song hardly anybody knows? Probably The Millionaire Waltz!
It is a great song. Unfortunately its similarities to Bo Rap probably helped lead to the perception that A Day at the Races is a pale imitation of A Night at the Opera. (It's not; while the structures are similar, Day at the Races is a bit more experimental and weirder)
@@TheGerkuman Strange. I never thought Day At the Races was an attempt to copy Night At the Opera, but I did think it was more mainstream, more of a pop album.
@@scottmcneely1927 yeah, not everyone feels that it is a copy. But there are a lot of similarities, especially in regard to White Man vs Prophet Song, Millionnaire Waltz vs Bo Rap, Tie Your Mother Down vs Death on Two Legs etc.
The order is very different though, and I don't think Somebody To Love has a counterpart. (Or Drowse, now that I think about it)
Yes
Lap of the Gods
Love 39. Although with this song you also have to comment on the absurdly high notes Roger Taylor hits in it! I love watching the videos of them performing this live at the front of the stage. Queen live is always amazing!
Chills and a lump in my throat. All after listening to them for 48 years.
All of them will be in my heart. Always.
Great analysis. Queen is such a musical wonder in so many ways. 4 geniuses together creating magic larger than life!
'39' was an extreme favorite for me, for the time-travel message.
I think part of the reason not that many heard it was because radio omitted it as it was sort of grafted to the end of 'You're My Best Friend' (which played long and well on radio). To include it would have made the piece too long for radio in the day.
May's 12-string lead in with their symphonic vocals and eerie message is absolutely unforgettable.
Thanks for the spotlight!
-- Texas
Aaah, Innuen...
Aaah, 39!
Same
BAHAHAHAHSDHAHS
😀 my first thought, too.
we all know its innuendo
'39 has long been my favourite Queen song
Mine as well!
As an avid Queen fan I'm so happy to see someone discussing something other than BoRhap and Live Aid, there's *so much* to dissect. Not only is '39 the 39th song (excluding B-sides) the planet Mercury is 0,39 astronomical units from the sun, and Interstellar came out 39 years after A Night at the Opera. It also makes sense that Brian would use sounds from the early 1900's, since he's over time taken a lot of inspiration from that era. (See Good Company)
This was the song that sold me on Queen. My brother was away at a school camp and I "borrowed" his copy of Opera. When I heard '39, I was blown away. My brother never got the record back. Brian May is my no.1 musician of all time.
He is also an incredibly nice and humble person, despite being somewhat a polymath and a tad bit of genius in my opinion.
Yes
I always appreciated my siblings who had great taste in music.
@@alannicolle3361 I love Brian for his talent and absolute genius in music.
‘39 was my fathers ringtone on my phone until he passed. He was born in 1939, and worked on the communications system for Skylab when he worked for AT&T…
I always took “write your letters in the sand” to be an allusion to the silicon used in transistors and microchips, used in high tech telecommunications equipment.
Brian May loves using weird scientific imagery and metaphors in his poetry and lyrics and I always thought this was one of those sci-fi metaphors-not literally “writing letters in sand…”
Also, that 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 descending cord progression isn’t a mistake-it’s obviously a reference to the countdown of a rocket launch.
Fans of Queen know about this song - the public at large isn't aware because they either didn't buy the albums or see them in concert, so they only know what's played on the radio. I've always (since 1976 when I got the album) loved this song, but didn't get the astrophysical aspect until later, and love the song even more because of it.
Agreed. I got this album for Christmas in 1976. Best gift ever! 😊
Germany here. I was 16 or 17 yrs old when I bought "A Night At The Opera". I've got to admit that I didn't properly understand the lyrics back then (and obviously never made a serious attempt for a better understanding). To me, "'39" was an elegy about a soldier who left his home and family to fight in WWII and returned another man who wouldn't fit with his loved ones anymore.
This misunderstanding is even more embarrassing since I'm a huge fan of science fiction literature. I'm especially fond of stories about time dilatation and its effects on the fate of individuals.
Thanks for having opened the door to understanding this wonderful song!
It’s hard to grasp- the actual meaning is buried well within the lyrics! Without Brian May’s interviews, I don’t think I would have been able to figure it out. I do love that the ambiguity of the lyrics makes it more open to interpretation- my impression is that this was by design.
And thank you for the kind words! Glad you enjoyed the video!
A lot of people share that misunderstanding. I did at first. A musician friend of mine, who's a big Queen fan, only learnt from me what the song was really about a couple of years ago. I even gave him the astrophysicist clue before I finally had to spell it out for him.
Good to hear I'm not the only one. And it happened to native speakers, too.
@@ralfbodemann1542Yes, it did to this one at the time too!
Queens best song was another track from this album, "The Prophet's Song". Better harmonies than "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Another one of my all-time faves! And enough people are commenting about it that I might have to do a separate video on that one
And especially when Brian's guitar, just before the latter part of the solo, speeds up from low to a high note! Done using a reel-to-reel and the tape sped up!
39 has secretly been one of my favorite Queen tracks for over 40 years. New to your channel. Thank you.
The first six queen albums were perfection musically. So much to choose from for lesser known gems.
Shocked when you revealed the song title - assumed it was going to be something that I was only dimly aware of but turned out to be my favourite Queen song.
YO WHAT ABOUT "all dead, all dead" THOUGH
Another masterpiece!
What about friends will be friends underrated
Me seeing the video title: "it can't possibly be 39, no one gets that song... WHAT?"
I heard this song as a teen, a total sci fi geek and budding songwriter. No one cared about this track, and people thought Star Wars was good science fiction. It spoke to me in a really personal way and is one of my favourite songs of all time, even though it's nowhere near own alt rock music tastes.
Somewhere I read that upon initial presentation of the song to the rest of the band, John Deacon asked Brain May for what sort of bass style he wanted. Supposedly, Brian May jokingly said "upright bass". And this was the FIRST time John Deacon had ever played upright. Okay, just confirmed this on the Wikipedia page. I had to learn the bass part myself for my gigging acoustic trio, but sadly COVID intervened & broke us up before we could ever actually play it out. A real shame. I agree this is a fantastic song. GREAT analysis here by the way, Will subscribe as I am also a songwriter.
I did stumble upon this during my research... hard to believe from hearing it! He totally pulled it off. Sounds like you need to get another band together purely as an excuse to play this song 😂
Queen were on fire in the seventies. Incredible to think that We Will Rock You, Love of My Life, 39, Teo Torriatte were not even singles.
Just an unbelievable stretch of creative brilliance. Very few bands have ever had runs as impressive as Queen in the 70s.
@@SongwriterSanctuary "We Will Rock You" was the B-side of "We Are the Champions"., and "''39" was the B-side of "You're My Best Friend".
Even *Scandal* was a single here in Australia with *My Life Has Been Saved* [eventually released on *Made In Heaven* ] as the B-Side. Queen were on fire throughout the 80s *AND* the 90s too, not just the 70s.
This has always been a favourite. My interpretation of the lyrics is that it is not his wife's eyes he sees in the grown(or old) woman when he returns(ie his daughter), but he sees his daughters eyes in the woman, ie it his his granddaughter(or grandson) he finds when he returns. Not only does he lose his wife to time, but his daughter(or son) as well. Both are dead, only his grandchild is left, and he has missed most of that life as well.
I hadn’t considered that- makes sense given the timeline!
"Write your letters in the sand for the day I take your hand in the land that our grandchildren knew" certainly suggests that, but then whose hand is it? and who is the "we" in "our"? - I can only make sense of that if it's the crew.
Very intriguing.
you have a point here!
I wonder how many hippies thought this song was an acid trip before suddenly realizing that it was a science lesson.
I would argue it's both 😂
This has long been my very favorite Queen song. Astounding strange story, all the guitars, May's vocal, and Deacon's big fat upright bass. Astrophysics ftw.
39 is a wonderful song. Honestly, the whole album is near perfection.
But the Prophet's Song has got to be their best. It does everything that Bohemian Rhapsody aims for, but better.
The March Of The Black Queen.
Yep, was about to say the same! The whole BLACK SIDE of Queen, 2 IMO, is there greatest achievement!
Oh yes, my dear. Yes.
This is Interstellar basically. I have known this ages, I love Queen. They are my family x
Very good point!
I am sure you wanted to say "that mostly hardcore Queen fans know". Because '39 is actually popular along the fans.
Personally I love "Bring back that Leroy Brown", "Lazing on a sunday aftermoon" and especially "Seaside rendezvous" (Roger and Freddie going completely nuts :) )
I did, but that’s a much less catchy title 😉 all of those other songs are great too! “Seaside Rendezvous” cracks me up- you can tell how much fun they were having during the writing/recording process
Seaside Rendezvous and Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon are both so fun! I love when Queen goes all barbershop quartet (for lack of a better word). I feel like some of that same sound is also in Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy and Millionaire Waltz.
I am studying physics and I love this song. I often sing it and then explain the physical meaning behind it. Just awesome to have that song
I loved this song the first time I heard it! Still do! Tore the lyrics apart, a nerd's dream, a scientific love song!!!!
Thank you for this great video! I would say the best Queen song, not as well known, is "My Fairy King" from the first album. A completely underrated gem from first to last note. '39 is a wonderful song and I have loved it since I was a young teen. I am now 47 years old.
That song is soooooo beautiful and complex! The harmonies on “nowhere to run, nowhere to hide” and that whole section are some of the most beautiful in all of Queen’s songs in my opinion.
FINALLY '39 gets the praise it deserves
Brian is a Genius....a masterpiece timeless...Queen the best Band ever...thanks
Death On Two Legs, the first song on that album, is one of my favourites. Very dramatic, about how they got screwed by the record label.
Although about half of the songs on that album have been my favourite Queen song at least once: Death On Two Legs, Bohemian Rhapsody, the Prophet's Song, and indeed the Days of '39. There's so much unique brilliance on that album.
Anytime someone tries to screw me over, Death on Two Legs is the song I think of (and will be singing in my head!) 😊
Yes, terrific song, so satisfying.
Freddie sounds awfully pissed off in *Death On Two Legs* . I love it.
The Prophets Song is easily the most underrated Queen song, from the same album as well. Came to Brian May in a dream, the lyrics and guitar are just incredible. My favourite song of all time
Strangely, the lyrics are very sad, but the melody sounds happy.
The March of The Black Queen is all for me! I love everything about it. 39' is great as well tho. But the Black Queen will always have my heart.
I can listen to "It's Late" and "Drowse" all day long.
39 is awesome, the perfect "hippy vibe" song.
I also love Seaside Rendezvous on that same album
Definitely another hugely underrated Queen song! Lots of sneaky bangers on that album.
‘39 is one of my favorite Queen songs! 😍
In the year of 2039 Dr. Brian May will be 92 years old. I wish him all the best.
Yes, 39 is Queen's 39th song, but in 1839, Thomas Henderson was the first to use parallax to measure the distance to Alpha Centauri at 4.2465 light years (today's value).
I take the 39 in the song to mean 2039 for the launch and 2139, 100 years later, as the return, a journey possibly to Alpha Centauri.
As for another Queen song to look at, The Prophet's Song, another Brian May composition. I rank it above Bohemian Rhapsody.
> Brian May be an astrophysicist, but he's a heck of a songwriter too.
That's all it took for me to know you were going to talk about 39. It's one of my favorites. So heart-wrenching.
Nice analysis and with pinpoint accuracy. However, 39 is a Queen song that NOT nobody knows. I'm sure there are many Queen fans just like me who have already heard the song eons ago and I, for one, have been singing it at karaoke bars. ;) 🙂
Thank you! And this is true… but it’s a hidden gem for those who might be casual Queen fans. I wanted to focus on a lesser known song from their catalogue, and this is my personal favorite Queen song. (Also, had no idea it was even an option at karaoke bars… I’ll be on the lookout next time I go to one!)
It's one of my favourites.
I'm one of these casual fans that heard '39 for the first time this weekend. I couldn't believe that it was a song by Queen, until i thought i heard Freddie in the backing vocals.
I have never found a karaoke bar with this song available. There is a version on UA-cam.
Been wanting to cover it for 25 years.
Side one of "A Night At The Opera" may be my favorite vinyl album side of the rock era. It is soooo eclectic, with each song flowing into the next almost perfectly. My only rival to side one of "A Night At The Opera" would be side 2 of "Sheer Heart Attack." It is hard for an old guy like me to explain to people raised on Spotify (or iPods) that we used to put the needle down on a record and listen to the entire side, taking into account the entire side. "39" fit into the cascade of music that segued together on this album. It was great art in every way.
As a die-hard Queen fan who came along after the record era, I try to put myself in the context of how the music was created- they released their albums with the record format in mind. It's a challenge though- I've been spoiled by Spotify (and also iPods). Doesn't change the fact that the music is a masterpiece though!
I agree, but I also like the B side. As a whole, A Night at the Opera is just flawless. Each song is well placed - they move seamlessly from one to the other. I'll have to take another listen to Sheer Heart Attack as it has been awhile.
My only regret is that I didn't buy two of each album back in the day. (One of my kids put a scratch in Bicycle Race on my Jazz album 😕 But, hey, at least they know great music 😊)
The most underrated Queen song for me is It's Late (also written by Brian) from News Of The World.
I haven't listened to that one in years- I don't even remember how it goes. I'll have to revisit!
a MASTERPIECE
“It’s Late” and “Sleeping on the Sidewalk” off of News of the World - Outstanding!!
Yep, It's Late is one of my favourite Queen songs that most people have never heard of too.
Completely agree, two great, great songs.
I’d forgotten all about Sleeping on the Sidewalk. Such versatility.
"Save Me" from the Queen album The Game is a masterpiece. A highly under rated tune.
Save me is on their greatest hits, which is one of the most selled album of all times...
Dear Brother, just to let you know that i Deeply appreciated your presentation and analysis of the masterpiece of music and poetry! For without your presentation I would have remained totally ignorant of this flight to/from Beauty.
Dr. Brian May is a genius and a gentleman. I could but only wish that not unlike me, that the LORD would allow my Brother to live three hundred years so that he might complete the Projects that still remain undone and unsung!
Brother Brian, I too well know the hidden angst that continues to reside within your soul.
I thank you my fellow doctor and Brother. You “have gone where no man has gone before,” to intentionally ‘borrow’ a line from Star Wars.
Again I thank the presenter of this wonderful video, and I thank you Brian!
This song was basically the story of Interstellar.
Yeah, but shorter and better executed.
Great movie but missed the chance to put this song somewhere, maybe towards the ending.
You Take My Breath Away
The very first Queen song I ever heard! My mom loved this song and used to play it when I was a kid.
This is not about a song true fans wouldn't know. This is about a great song you may never hear on the radio.
'39 is a beautiful song. One of my favorite songs of theirs! Personally I think that The Prophet's Song is the best, it's so underrated as a lot of the songs are on A Night at the Opera are as they're overshadowed by Bohemian Rhapsody as legendary as that song is, people often forget these masterpieces as well. ❤
But wow! Never looked into it like that, truly beautiful lyrics and message.
Thank you for the kind words! I'm a huge fan of The Prophet's Song as well... and I'm getting many comments about it, so I may have to do a separate video on that song!
Brian May also wrote Who Wants to Live Forever. That speaks for itself.
This is one of my favourite Queen songs❤ I never thought it unknown! I love everything about this beautiful song.
This song has wonderful lyrics and instrumentation. Another plus is that Brian sings it!!!!
You just opened my heart and mind to the best queen song....and it's written by my beloved friend Brian. Thank-you, from both Brian and I. Dr. Strange!
My lesser known favourite is the pure gospel song Let me Live. Freddie, Roger & Brian sing a verse each.
Rogers voice at its best too!
Nice video. There are plenty of such songs among their mega hits. One of such is "Lily of the Valley".
Brian May has a great blues song on News of the World called “Sleeping on the Sidewalk.” His talent is boundless.
I wish this was about " The March of the Black Queen". 39 is a very well known song
I completely agree! MotBQ is their best song.
Spread Your Wings (although a B side) is another a great 'unknown' song - but I do agree, '39 is a great song. (Also check out 'Earth' by 'Smile' - the forerunner to Queen.)
Roger Taylor's falsetto harmonies sound like a sci-fi Theramin
In college when I first got to interact with other musicians, form a band, etc, is when I first got into Queen. I bought a bunch of their albums including this one. But somehow this song didn't stick in my memory. I can't understand why, it is RIGHT up my alley! Amazing stuff, thank you for reintroducing it to me.
Hardly unknown, even if it doesn't get the radio time it deserves. A Night At The Opera is such a great piece of work, Queen really pushed the limits and hit the jackpot.
Agreed… it’s a masterpiece. Every track is totally unique, innovative, and brilliant.
Not bad! I was gonna note 1975, not 1976 but you corrected it so kudos to you for that, and as a huge Queen fan (listened to every studio album, and just about all the live ones, was also in the top 0.5% of listeners to them on Spotify last year) it was awesome to see one of the lesser known songs getting some recognition! Roger’s falsetto in this song was one of his best in my mind. Someone else already mentioned it, but The Prophet’s Song would be awesome for you to go over and The March Of The Black Queen would be epic too! Keep on rockin’!
Thank you so much! Already working out a plan for the Prophet’s Song video… that one is on its way!
@@SongwriterSanctuary awesome! Can’t wait for it!
early teenager me and a night at the opera was the first time my mum said she liked an album I’d bought. Impressed beyond liking the songs.
Thank you, Konner!
For someone, who grew up in the 70's, saved his pocket money to buy his favorite record by his favorite band (= A Night at the Opera by Queen), your in-depth analysis and its detailed facts were extremely interesting. They amazed me, impressed me. You impressed me!
Thank you so very much!
Bjorn
Thank you so much!! This made my day- I’m so glad you enjoyed the video!
One of my favourites. Some of my most loved Queen songs were never singles. To know any band you must listen to the albums.
Excellent analysis. Thank you! Liked and subscribed.
I have always loved this song, but never really understood what it was about, thank you for explaining this to us. Now that you have explained it and knowing Brian wrote this, it all makes sense now. They were all geniuses in their own way
I've been listening to Queen for most of my life and it took a very long time before my ears became sophisticated enough to realize that Freddie didn't do all the lead vocals for their songs. I am familiar with this one though. There's a fantastic live version on Live Killers album that's probably more responsible for me being a fan of it.
'39 is one of my favourite Queen songs. Thanks for covering it.
Definitely one of the best songs of Queen...kudos for featuring it
I heard this when I was 14, in 75. I ran right out and bought it. My first album. Sci fi song.
i always thought 39 was about sailing ships that was the reference that stuck out you learn something new every day & yes i owned the album from release !!!!!
I’m the same. The folk style and the use of terms that could easily be talking about a sailing ship sailing to another land, it was much later that I learned this was sci fi (a genre I was steeped in at the time, but just missed it entirely!)
Your point of "best Queen song" ... clearly, persuasively made. Been listening to Queen since mid 70s. Discovered this song 2 years ago. Convinced right then that it's their finest composition. Every listen I'm getting goosebumps and teary eyed.
This has always been my favourite Queen song. Another lesser known but worth the listen song is "In Only Seven Days" from the Jazz album.
Weirdly, I always had a strange attraction to 39 and didn’t know why. It stuck out comparatively to other Queen songs and thanks to this explanation it definitely makes more sense now. Thanks for closing he gap… Cheers. Now subscribed…. 😉
Thanks for the analysis. I have listened to the album hundreds of times, but never really thought about the lyrics.
Cool cat, Melancholy Blues, Bijou.... There are just too many songs that people forget
Thank you for this. My favorite since 1977! I loved his recent concerts and this was always the highlight for me!
QUEEN II is to me the most underrated album of all time, and the songs White Queen and The March of The Black Queen are anthems to me. They’re complex and long songs, I doubt anyone’s ever gonna try to tackle them, but it’d be nice if that happened. Anyway, great job with ‘39. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I always thought of this as a very sweet song, demonstrating Queen's musical versatility. I never bothered to pay much attention to the lyrics and the story it tells. Boy, was I surprised to learn in this video what the song is all about. Thanks for opening my eyes and ears.
Beautiful song analysis! I (55) have spent months listening to Queen albums, I liked 39 a lot, but I never understood neither the lyrics nor - much less - the music until now! Thank you!
Great analysis of the song. You will always have many people having their views on which song is their favourite. Your analysis was great. Look forward to more of this kind.
Brighton Rock is a stone cold crazy opening song from Sheer Heart Attack.
Hauntingly beautiful, I couldn't have described it better myself... Definetly one of thier best songs ever!
Never really paid much attention to 39 but that’s pretty cool how Brian created a story with his knowledge of astrophysics.
Agreed… I love it when artists use their niche interests to create their art!
Except for the over 6 million people that own a copy A Night at The Opera.
It was also the B side to Your My Best Friend. That sold a couple of copies also.
Hearing the chorus walkdown on the piano made me think of Freddie's piano on other Queen songs.
oh yeah, I have always loved 39