Somebody to Love

"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by singer Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, from which it was also released as the lead single. Like "Bohemian Rhapsody", the major hit from Queen's previous album A Night At The Opera, "Somebody to Love" has a complex melody and deep layering of vocal tracks, this time based on a gospel choir arrangement. It was the first single off the album A Day at the Races. It is a rock ballad on which band members Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor multitracked their voices to create the impression of a 100-voice gospel choir. The lyrics, especially combined with the gospel influence, create a song about faith, desperation and soul-searching; the singer questions both the lack of love he's experiencing and the role of God in helping to provide this disparately needed in his life. He's passionately pondering what the use of it all is without having somebody to love in his life. Staying true to Queen's guitar-driven style, it was also filled with intricate harmonies and a notable guitar solo by Brian May, and it went to number 2 on the UK charts and number 13 on the U.S. singles chart. A promotional video was made combining a staged recording session at Sarm East Studios (where the A Day at the Races album was recorded) and film footage of the band's performance at Hyde Park that September. The song was included on their first Greatest Hits, released in 1981. At the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert held at Wembley Stadium, the song was performed by George Michael, and this was later rereleased in 1993 as the lead track of an EP called Five Live which went to #1 in the UK. This version is also available on Greatest Hits III, released in 1999. Roger Taylor spoke briefly on the song during a 31/01/1977 interview with Circus Magazine. Taylor: "'Somebody To Love' is Aretha Franklin-influenced. Freddie's very much into that. We tried to keep the track in a loose, gospel-type feel. I think it's the loosest track we've ever done." This was also one of few tracks where John Deacon sang backing vocals when performed live. His voice was clearly heard on bootlegs from the band's performance at Earls Court in June, 1977 and at the Houston Summit in December, 1977. From 1977 to 1978, it was played about every show. For the Jazz and Live Killer tours, it was only played sometimes. In The Game Tour, it was only played early in the tour. It was also played for South America Bites The Dust, Live at the Bowl and Queen Rock Montreal. Later in The Works Tour, a shortened version was played as a medley preceding "Killer Queen". When performed live, Mercury would often alter the melodies of the song, but would generally hit the sustained A♭4 notes throughout the song. The A♭4 at the peak of the building line "can anybody find me" on the studio version was not part of Mercury's original melody, but the other band members felt that it worked better than his: Mercury reverted to his original melody for this line when live. At the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert held at Wembley Stadium, the song was performed by George Michael, and this was later rereleased in 1993 as the lead track of an EP called Five Live which went to #1 in the UK. This version is also available on Greatest Hits III, released in 1999. * George Michael performed the song with Queen's surviving members at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992 * G4 sang this on 27 November during The X Factor 2004. * Anne Hathaway sang this song in her role as Ella in the movie Ella Enchanted * Elliott Yamin, who placed third in season five of American Idol, sang this song on Week 8 of live performances * Brittany Murphy sings this song in the movie Happy Feet as her penguin character Gloria. * Ben Mills sang this on 2 December during Barry Manilow and contestant's choice week of The X Factor 2006. * Rhydian Roberts sang it on 1 December during Best of British week of The X Factor 2007. * The cast of Glee covered it in the episode "The Rhodes Not Taken" (2009); it hit #26 on the UK Singles Chart. * Joe McElderry sang this on 14 November during Queen week of The X Factor 2009. * In the film Late Last Night, Steven Weber's character sings the song during a drug-infused dreamy scene. * Todrick Hall performed this song on the ninth season of American Idol during the top 16.

[Intro] Can anybody find me Somebody to love? [Verse 1] Ooh, each morning I get up I die a little Can barely stand on my feet Take a look at yourself in the mirror and cry Take a look in the mirror and cry Lord, what you're doing to me? (Yeah, yeah) I have spent all my years in believin' you But I just can't get no relief, Lord [Chorus] Somebody (Somebody) Ooh, somebody (Somebody) Can anybody find me Somebody to love? Yeah [Verse 2] I work hard (He works hard) every day of my life I work 'till I ache my bones At the end (At the end of the day) I take home My hard-earned pay all on my own (Goes home, goes home on his own) I get down (Down) on my knees (Knees) and I start to pray (Praise the Lord) 'Till the tears run down from my eyes, Lord [Chorus] Somebody (Somebody) Ooh, somebody (Please) Can anybody find me Somebody to love? Oh [Bridge] (He works hard) everyday (Everyday) I try and I try and I try But everybody wants to put me down They say I'm going crazy They say I got a lot of water in my brain I got no common sense (He's got) I got nobody left to believe No, no, no, no [Guitar solo] [Chorus] (Ooh, ooh, ooh, Lord) Ooh, somebody Ooh (Somebody) Anybody find me Somebody to love Can anybody find me Someone to love? [Verse 3] Got no feel, I got no rhythm I just keep losing my beat (You just keep losing and losing) I'm okay, I'm alright (He's alright, he's alright) I ain't gonna face no defeat (Yeah, yeah) I just gotta get out of this prison cell (One day) Someday I'm gonna be free, Lord [Outro] Find me somebody to love Find me somebody to love Find me somebody to love Find me somebody to love Find me somebody to love (Find me, find me) Find me somebody to love (Find me) Find me somebody to love Find me somebody to love-ove-ove (Ooh, find me, find me) Find me somebody to love (Somebody to love) Find me somebody to love Somebody (Somebody) Somebody (Somebody) Somebody (Find me) (Somebody find me somebody to love) Can anybody find me Somebody to love? (Find me somebody to love) Ooh (Find me somebody to love) Find me somebody (Find me somebody to love) Somebody, somebody, somebody to love (Find me somebody to love) Find me, find me Find me, find me, find me (Find me somebody to love) Ooh, somebody to love (Find me somebody to love) Ooh, find me, find me Find me somebody to love (Find me somebody to love) Anybody, anywhere, anybody Find me somebody to love, love Find me, find me, find me, find me