"Long Away" is a single by the band Queen

Queen (band)

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...

; it is the third track on the first side of the 1976

1976 in music

-January–February:*January 5 – Former Beatles road manager Mal Evans is shot dead by Los Angeles police after refusing to drop what police only later determine is an air rifle....

 album A Day at the Races

A Day at the Races (album)

A Day at the Races is the fifth album by British rock group Queen, released in December 1976. A Day at the Races was the band's first completely self-produced album, and the first not to feature producer Roy Thomas Baker. Recorded at Sarm East, The Manor and Wessex Studios in England, A Day at the...

. Brian May

Brian May

Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...

 wrote the song and sings the lead vocals. It is one of the few songs where May uses a guitar other than his Red Special

Red Special

The Red Special is an electric guitar owned by Queen guitarist Brian May and custom-built by May and his father. The Red Special is also sometimes named in reviews as the Fireplace or the Old Lady, both nicknames used by May when referring to the guitar. A guitar that would define May's signature...

, for the rhythm guitar parts he used an electric Burns twelve string guitar

Twelve string guitar

The twelve-string guitar is an acoustic or electric guitar with 12 strings in 6 courses, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six-string guitar...

 (although he used the Red Special for the second guitar solo in the middle section of the track) Originally Brian May wanted to use a Rickenbacker guitar (as he admired John Lennon

John Lennon

John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...

), but he didn't get along well with the Rickenbacker's thin neck.
The song has a sad tone, describing that "for every star in heaven / there's a sad soul here today", and an overall sense of melancholic nostalgia lies over the song. It is similar in feel to the song '39 from A Night at the Opera

A Night at the Opera (Queen album)

A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1975. Co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, A Night at the Opera was, at the time of its release, the most expensive album ever recorded...

, although without the folk influence. Roger Taylor

Roger Meddows-Taylor

Roger Meddows Taylor , known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of...

 sings the highest parts of the song. Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury

Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...

only did the backing vocals.

Personnel

• Brian May: Vocals and guitars.
• Roger Taylor: Drums and backing vocals.
• John Deacon: Bass guitar.
• Freddie Mercury: Backing vocals.