Side two Hot Space

1 side two

1.1 put out fire
1.2 life real (song lennon)
1.3 calling girls
1.4 las palabras de amor (the words of love)
1.5 cool cat
1.6 under pressure

side two
put out fire

put out fire anti-firearm song written may, lead vocals mercury, may singing lead vocals in falsetto @ end of each verse. may recorded guitar solo under influence of alcohol (after many unsuccessful attempts). lyrics first verse hint john lennon s murder mark chapman, lines such as;

called him hero (lennon), in land of free (the west/america), wouldn t shake hand boy (uncertain, lennon did sign chapman s record), disappointed me , (chapman apparently disappointed lennon s rejection of god and/or latest music), got hand gun, , blew him away . lennon s death recent , raw many people including fans such queen, (the beatles big influence on queen) , mercury penned song life real (song lennon) following after no coincidence.

though never released single, put out fire , album s traditional queen song, later appeared on queen rocks compilation in 1997. new video produced accompanying video compilation, featuring live performance of song intercut footage of fire , explosions.

life real (song lennon)

mercury wrote life real tribute john lennon, murder in 1980 had prompted band perform song imagine on tour. lennon s songs, life real features sparse piano-based arrangement , melancholy tone. 1 of few mercury songs lyrics written before music ( killer queen being another). title may reference lyric love real , lennon s 1970 song love , or line nothing real , beatles strawberry fields forever . begins 3 bell-like piano notes, meant recall opening bells in lennon s (just like) starting on , , beautiful boy (darling boy) . also, first 2 words, guilt stains... virtually identical interval-wise (though in different key) lennon s first 2 notes in song, mother .

calling girls

the first queen song written roger taylor released single (albeit in selected countries, including , australia, not uk), calling girls failed create of impact on charts peaked @ #60 in , #33 in canada, despite music video based on george lucas film thx 1138. taylor composed calling girls on guitar, , played feedback noises during song s break. queen never performed song in europe, , live recording japan in 1982 commercially available on queen on fire - live @ bowl dvd, calling girls accompanies photo gallery. single released in july 1982.

las palabras de amor (the words of love)

may s lyrics las palabras de amor inspired queen s close relationship ibero-american fans, , have been interpreted allegory falklands war. (actually, album released during war, , must have been recorded long before war started). top 20 hit in uk, las palabras de amor marked band s fourth appearance on top of pops (the first, second , third being 7 seas of rhye , killer queen , old-fashioned lover boy ). mimed performance may seen playing grand piano though on recording there synths (played may). may sang lead vocals harmonised line night , evermore .

cool cat

cool cat , written mercury , deacon, featured david bowie on backing vocals , few lines of spoken word rhythm during middle eight. according mercury in 1982 television interview, bowie unhappy results , requested them removed days before parent album slated released. exception of electric piano (which played mercury), instruments played deacon, including drums, guitars, , synths. on album version, mercury sings entire song in falsetto. alternate take bowie s vocals still intact available on various bootleg recordings , surfaces 1982 vinyl hot space test pressing us. deacon can heard using popping technique throughout track.

under pressure

a famous duet bowie, under pressure result of impromptu jam session in band s studio in montreux. when released in 1981, under pressure reached #1 in uk singles chart. although credited entire band , bowie, mercury primary director of track, , bowie being main lyricists (each writing lines sang). part of chord progression based on rough demo of unreleased song feel . songwriting credited 5 participants.