I Want It All

"I Want It All" is a song on the album The Miracle and was written by guitarist Brian May (who briefly takes over lead vocals), but credited to all four members of the band. It is one of the band's most well-known and popular songs. The song itself is a hard rock anthem, and lyrically features themes relating to rebellion and social upheaval, although May claims that it is about having ambitions and fighting for one's own goals. On the Greatest Hits II DVD, Brian May commented that the song was inspired by his 2nd wife, Anita Dobson's favourite motto, "I Want it All, and I Want It Now!" The idea of having intro, verses, choruses and solos over the same chord progression was reused on their next album with another May song, "The Show Must Go On", which was made in 1990. Mercury and May share the lead vocals. Mercury played keyboards, May played acoustic and electric guitars and Taylor used double-kick bass drum for the first time. In reviewing The Miracle for Allmusic, Greg Prato suggested that the song, like title track "The Miracle", "reflect(s) on [...] the state of the world in the late '80s," summarising the song stylistically as "heavy rock." Melville-based newspaper Newsday mentioned "I Want It All" as one of "The best" of the album, describing it as "colored by May's rocking guitar rolls and Mercury's rough-boys vocals." In reviewing the album, The Dallas Morning News described "I Want It All" in some depth, explaining how it "starts off with a Bowiesque guitar part, picks up a heavy cargo of steel, quickly lays down the hard line implied by the title, then takes flight along Mr. May's greased fretboard." Brian May spoke of the song in an 1989 interview promoting the album. "'I Want It All' reestablishes our old image in a way. It's nice to come back with something strong. Something that reminds people we're a live group. I don't think we're a singles band, really. Just before we put the single out I started listening to what's on the radio, and the kind of stuff that becomes a hit these days bears no resemblance to what we do. People only remember the hits, but I suppose we have done okay."" As part of the commentary on Queen's Greatest Video Hits 2 DVD, May expanded further: "We were heading into the period where we decided to share the credit for all the songs, and John has said that [the song] was pretty much a finished song when we went into the studios – that's true, it was just this riff that I was obsessed with for months. The actual title was a favorite phrase of Anita's, a very ambitious girl: 'I want it all, and I want it now '... We were never able to perform this song live. It would have become something of the staple core of the Queen show, I'm sure, very participatory. It was designed for the audience to sing along to, very anthemic." "Interesting, I wrote myself a bit in the middle. I can't remember quite why that was, it's a very sort of Pete Townshend thing to do, isn't it? But it made a nice little kind of duet in the middle, a bit of sparring between me and Freddie, and I know he enjoyed that."

[Intro: Queen] I want it all (Hey, yeah), I want it all I want it all, and I want it now [Verse 1: Freddie Mercury] Adventure seeker on an empty street Just an alley creeper light on his feet A young fighter screaming With no time for doubt With the pain and anger Can't see a way out [Pre-Chorus: Freddie Mercury] "It ain't much I'm asking" I heard him say "Got to find me a future Move out of my way" [Chorus: Queen] I want it all, I want it all I want it all, and I want it now I want it all, I want it all I want it all, and I want it now [Verse 2: Freddie Mercury] Listen, all you people, come gather 'round I gotta get me a game plan Gotta shake you to the ground Just give me what I know is mine People, do you hear me? Just give me the sign [Pre-Chorus: Freddie Mercury] It ain't much I'm asking If you want the truth Here's to the future For the dreams of youth [Chorus: Queen] I want it all, I want it all (Give it all, I want it all) I want it all, and I want it now (Hey) I want it all, I want it all (Yes, I want it all, hey) I want it all, and I want it now [Bridge: Brian May (and Freddie Mercury)] I'm a man with a one-track mind So much to do in one lifetime (People, do you hear me?) Not a man for compromise And where's and why's and living lies So I'm living it all (Yes, I'm living it all) And I'm giving it all (And I'm giving it all, ooh, yeah) (Yeah, yeah, yeah) (I want it all) [Guitar Solo] [Pre-Chorus: Freddie Mercury] It ain't much I'm asking If you want the truth Here's to the future Hear the cry of youth (Hear the cry, hear the cry of youth) [Chorus: Queen] I want it all, I want it all I want it all, and I want it now I want it all, I want it all (Hey, yeah, yeah) I want it all, and I want it now (Ooh, ooh) I want it now [Outro: Freddie Mercury] I want it, I want it! Oooh, huh!