Even Queen’s Brian May Wishes This Debut Track Had Turned Out Differently
Before the world knew Queen for epic hits like Bohemian Rhapsody or Killer Queen, the band took their first tentative steps into the music scene with a track that even guitarist Brian May now regards with mixed feelings: Keep Yourself Alive.
Released in 1973 as part of Queen’s self-titled debut album, Keep Yourself Alive marked the band’s first single. Today, it’s a cherished song among die-hard fans, but back then, it was far from the perfect launch Queen had hoped for. Reflecting on the track decades later, May admitted, “I wasn’t very sure that I was a songwriter… The lyrics are meant to be slightly ironic, but I learned very early on through this song it’s very difficult to be ironic in a song because people take it at face value.”
The band faced technical and creative challenges while recording the track. Despite multiple takes, including one at De Lane Lea Studios that May felt “had that certain sort of magic,” finding the right mix proved elusive. In total, the song went through at least seven or eight different mixes as producers and engineers tried to create a version suitable for radio. Even then, radio stations rejected the single five times, dampening its initial impact.
Eventually, Queen released a mix handled by engineer Mike Stone, which satisfied them enough to move forward. Yet May remains candid about the song’s shortcomings: “To my mind, Keep Yourself Alive was never really satisfactory. It never had that magic that it should have had.”
Despite the rocky start, Queen quickly found their footing. By 1974, tracks like Seven Seas of Rhye—from their second album, Queen II—became the band’s first UK Top 10 hit, while Killer Queen catapulted them onto the international stage. Those early struggles, including a debut single that didn’t meet expectations, became a crucial part of their growth.
Keep Yourself Alive may not have been the flawless classic Queen hoped for, but it represents the band’s perseverance, experimentation, and willingness to take risks. It’s a reminder that even legends have imperfect beginnings—and that early missteps can be the stepping stones to iconic success.
