Of all the iconic Queen tracks, perhaps ‘We Are The Champions’ is the one that has reached beyond the realms of music and into the very cultural fabric of society. Naturally, given the title of the song, it has been used frequently at sporting events to celebrate the winning team.
‘We Are The Champions’ arrived on Queen’s sixth studio album, News of the World, and is considered one of the most instantly recognisable rock anthems, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart. In fact, in 2011, a group of scientists deemed it the catchiest song in the history of popular music.
Freddie Mercury, who wrote the song himself, said: “I was thinking about football when I wrote it. I wanted a participation song, something that the fans could latch on to. Of course, I’ve given it more theatrical subtlety than an ordinary football chant.”
He added: “I suppose it could also be construed as my version of ‘I Did It My Way.’ We have made it, and it certainly wasn’t easy. ‘No bed of roses’, as the song says. And it’s still not easy.”
The track, which has also occasionally been viewed as a pro-gay rights song, was released as a double A-side single in 1977 alongside another stadium anthem, ‘We Will Rock You’. The two songs blend seamlessly into one another, and as such, radio DJs of yore often played them back to back without interruption.
When Donald Trump used the song during his campaign to be nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, Brian May responded by saying: “I can confirm that permission to use the track was neither sought nor given. We are taking advice on what steps we can take to ensure this use does not continue. Regardless of our views on Mr. Trump’s platform, it has always been against our policy to allow Queen music to be used as a political campaigning tool. Our music embodies our own dreams and beliefs, but it is for all who care to listen and enjoy.”
Ultimately, the story of ‘We Are The Champions’ is one that documents Freddie Mercury’s desire to transcend the very realms and limits of music and turn his art into something for people, becoming an actual folk song in the sense that it no longer belongs to Mercury and Queen. Rather, it now belongs to the people they wrote for. They are the real champions.
