The Invisible Man (Queen song)

"The Invisible Man"
Single by Queen
from the album The Miracle
B-side Hijack My Heart
Released 7 August 1989
Format
Recorded 1988
Genre Electronic rock
Length
  • 3:57 (album version)
  • 5:04 (early version with guide vocal)
  • 4:17 (video version)
  • 5:28 (12" extended version)
Label
Writer(s) Roger Taylor
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Breakthru"
(1989)		 "The Invisible Man"
(1989)		 "Scandal"
(1989)

"The Invisible Man" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by drummer Roger Taylor. The song is sung mostly by Freddie Mercury, with vocal contributions from Taylor. Originally released on the album The Miracle, it was released as a single in 1989. Taylor claims that he got the inspiration to create the song while reading a book (possibly the book of the same name), and the bassline instantly came to his imagination. This song marks the only time in any of Queen's songs that all four band members names are mentioned in the lyrics. The first being Freddie Mercury, followed by John Deacon. Brian May's name is then said twice (just before his guitar solo starts), and while saying "Roger Taylor", the first "r" is rolled to emulate the drums at the end of the verse. Freddie Mercury's name is said by drummer Roger Taylor, and the other ones by the lead singer Freddie Mercury.

Music video

In the music video, a video game called "The Invisible Man" plays a large part, as a young boy is playing a game while the band (all dressed in black), who are the "bad guys" in the game, enter the real world and perform the song in his room. As they perform, the boy tries to shoot them with the game controller. From time to time, Mercury appears in various places in the child's room, vanishing before the boy can shoot him with the video controller. After Mercury emerges from the child's closet with his band in tow, John Deacon removes his cowboy hat and throws it to the floor. In perhaps a futile attempt to emulate him, the boy removes his baseball cap, and dons the other. The screen then shows an image of the band in the game once more, Deacon without a hat, and the child walks underneath them.

The video features a then-15-year-old Danniella Westbrook who joined soap opera EastEnders the following year.

Covers

A cover of the song has been done by Scatman John, in which many of the lyrics and instrumentals are replaced with scat singing. Butch Hartman, the creator of the Nickelodeon animated series Danny Phantom, has said the show's theme song was inspired by the bass line of "The Invisible Man".[1]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Dutch Singles Chart[2] 6
German Singles Chart[3] 31
Irish Singles Chart[4] 10
Italian Singles Chart[5] 21
New Zealand Singles Chart[6] 15
Swiss Singles Chart[7] 30
UK Singles Chart[8] 12

References

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