"Nevermore" is a song by British rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 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...

. Composed by lead vocalist 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...

, it is the eighth track on their second studio album Queen II

Queen II

Queen II is the second album by British rock group Queen, released in March 1974. It was recorded at Trident Studios, London in August 1973 with co-producers Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone....

, recorded on August 1973 at Trident Studios

Trident Studios

Trident Studios was a British recording facility, originally located at 17 St. Anne's Court in London's Soho district. It was constructed in 1967 by Norman Sheffield a drummer of former 1960's group The Hunters and his Brother Barry....

, London.

The song is a short piano ballad

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

 about feelings after a heartbreak.

The previous track "The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke

The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke

The Fairy Fellers' Master-Stroke is a Richard Dadd painting. It was commissioned by George Henry Hayden, who was head steward at Bethlem Royal Hospital at the time. He was impressed by Dadd's artistic efforts and asked for a fairy painting of his own...

" ends with a three-part vocal harmony from Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor which flows into Mercury playing the piano on "Nevermore".
"Nevermore" is led by Mercury's piano, and his lead and backing vocals were also solely done by himself. Mercury also added some contemporary piano "ring" effects as well. These effects were widely suspected to be synthesizers; however, they were created by someone plucking the piano strings while Mercury played the notes. The song contains sudden tempo changes which appear a couple times within the song. Some fans consider this song to be a precursor to their future song "Love of My Life" from the album 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...

.

The song was never played live by the band.

Cover versions

• Jorge R. Siancas Carillo
• Concrete Blonde
  Concrete Blonde
  Concrete Blonde is an alternative rock band based in the United States. They were initially active from 1982 to 1995, and again from 2001 to 2004, and once again in 2010.-Biography:...
  
  
• Johnette Napolitano
  Johnette Napolitano
  Johnette Napolitano is an American singer, songwriter and bassist best known as the lead vocalist/songwriter and bassist for the alternative rock group Concrete Blonde.- Solo career :...
  
  
• Akiko Yano
  Akiko Yano
  is a Japanese pop and jazz musician and singer. She was born as Akiko Suzuki in Tokyo and raised in Aomori, Aomori, and later began her singing career in the mid-1970s...
  
  has performed the song live on a few occasions

External links

• Lyrics