You're My Best Friend

"You're My Best Friend" is a song penned by John Deacon and performed by British rock band Queen. It was originally included on the A Night at the Opera album in 1975, and later released as a single, with Brian May's '39 as its B-side. The song also appeared on the Greatest Hits (1981) album. Deacon wrote the song for his wife, Veronica, to whom he remains married to this day. In this song, he plays a Wurlitzer electric piano in addition to bass guitar. The characteristic 'bark' of the Wurlitzer's bass notes plays a prominent role in the song. During live performances, the band used a grand piano rather than an electric, and it would be played by Freddie Mercury, while Deacon played the bass guitar. For the music video, it shows the band in a huge ballroom surrounded by over one thousand candles, including a huge chandelier hung above them on the ceiling. The video was filmed in the summer of 1976. (May later mentioned that the video was shot in the middle of a very unpleasant heatwave and the ballroom in which they were filming did not have air conditioning.) Also, Deacon is seen playing a grand piano, even though he plays a regular electric on the recording. The band answered Tom Browne on 24 December 1977 in a live BBC Radio One interview, regarding Deacon's control of the piano for the recording. John Deacon: "Well, Freddie didn’t like the electric piano, so I took it home and I started to learn on the electric piano and basically that’s the song that came out you know when I was learning to play piano. It was written on that instrument and it sounds best on that. You know, often on the instrument that you wrote the song on." Freddie Mercury: I refused to play the damn thing (the Wurlitzer). It’s tiny and horrible and I don’t like them. Why play those things when you’ve got a lovely superb grand piano? No, I think, basically what he [John] is trying to say is it was the desired effect.

You're My Best Friend Lyrics Queen From The Album A Night at the Opera (1975) Queen [Intro] [Verse 1] Ooh, you make me live Whatever this world can give to me It's you, you're all I see Ooh, you make me live now, honey Ooh, you make me live [Chorus] Oh, you're the best friend that I ever had I've been with you such a long time You're my sunshine And I want you to know That my feelings are true I really love you (Ooh) Oh, you're my best friend [Verse 2] Ooh, you make me live Ooh, I've been wandering 'round ('round) But still come back to you (Ooh, still come back to you) In rain or shine, you've stood by me girl (girl) I'm happy at home (I'm happy, happy at home) You're my best friend [Verse 3] Ooh, you make me live Whenever this world is cruel to me I got you to help me forgive Ooh, you make me live now, honey Ooh, you make me live [Chorus] Oh, you're the first one When things turn out bad You know I'll never be lonely You're my only one And I love the things I really love the things that you do Oh, you're my best friend (Oh) [Bridge] Ooh, you make me live (Live, live, live) I'm happy at home You're my best friend Oh, you're my best friend [Outro] Ooh, you make me live, ooh Ooh, you're my best friend Produced By Roy Thomas Baker Written By John Deacon Copyright © This Compilation, Universal International Music B.V. & Queen Productions Ltd. Phonographic Copyright ℗Universal International Music B.V. & Queen Productions Ltd. Celesta John Deacon Electric Piano John Deacon Equipment Supervisor John Harris Bass Guitar John Deacon Background Vocals Brian May, Roger Taylor & Freddie Mercury Engineer Mike Stone & Gary Lyons Drums Roger Taylor Electric Guitar Brian May Lead Vocals Freddie Mercury Release Date November 21, 1975