Queen—one of the greatest rock bands of all time. With Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, and the legendary Freddie Mercury, the band not only gave us timeless hits but also showcased a rare quality: all four members were songwriters

In a recent interview with Classic Rock, guitarist Brian May fondly recalled what it was like to work alongside Freddie Mercury, especially when it came to songwriting.

May admitted there was huge competition among the band members when it came to writing songs. He said
“There was huge songwriting competition in Queen, no doubt about it. It was a major factor in pushing us onwards. We were very conscious that we had to reach inside ourselves to keep up.”

When reflecting on Freddie Mercury’s songwriting genius, Brian shared some fascinating insights.
“Occasionally Freddie would write fast, but a lot of the time he’d go home and scheme and scheme, and come back with stuff written all over a pad of his dad’s notepaper. He’d spend time developing ideas. But there are exceptions, where he’d get the song in one bite. And often they’re the ones that connect.”

Freddie, known for his brilliant ideas, often developed his songs on the piano. But sometimes, inspiration struck when he was far from any instrument.
One beautiful example? The song ‘A Winter’s Tale.’ Brian May revealed that Freddie wrote this track while simply sitting by Lake Geneva, gazing at the mountains.

He said “Freddie mainly used the piano for songwriting, but there were times when he’d get inspiration when he wasn’t around his instrument. It could be any experience; a skate on the pond. One of the last songs he wrote, A Winter’s Tale, was written purely sat looking out on the mountains from the other side of Lake Geneva.”

Reflecting on how Freddie might have felt, Brian May detailed, “He could obviously hear it all in his head, although he didn’t have any musical instruments with him. I remember him coming into the studio and saying: ‘I’ve got this idea… just give me a few minutes.’ Then he brought it to life. That’s a beautiful track, actually.”

Freddie’s gift for songwriting—and the fierce creative drive of Queen—left us with songs that will last forever. And as Brian May reminds us, behind those timeless tracks were stories, competition, and moments of pure inspiration.”

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