“Was It All Worth It” by Queen

Queen’s “Was It All Worth It” is fundamentally a come-up song, though an unconventional one in that it revolves around the vocalist, Freddie Mercury, questioning whether or not the sacrifices he and his cohorts made along the way were “all worth it”.

And it can be said that to some degree, the lyrics do sport a moralistic leaning, i.e. the singer for instance referring to his “life” as a “godforsaken” one. But for the most part, Freddie doesn’t really take it there. Instead, going back to the notion of sacrifice, what he’s harping on is recounting how Queen threw ‘all their heart and soul’ into their musical pursuits, i.e. going hard and putting it all on the line without looking back. 

In other words, back during the formative years they  “were vicious… hungry [and] brill”, not preoccupied with the prospect of success as much as heeding the call to take up rock as a vocation. And part of their persistent ambition was also founded in a “love” for their fandom.

So ultimately, the singer does conclude that “it was a worthwhile experience” and very much “worth it”. 

It can be gathered that in the process of dedicating their lives, let’s say solely to rock and roll, some other things may have been lost along the way. But at the end of the day, such a modus operandi proved so important to the likes of Queen, on top of the fact that they did proceed to become one of the greatest bands in history. So it’s like now looking back, Mercury and co. don’t have any regrets.

Who wrote “Was It All Worth It”?

This track was written by the following quartet that made up Queen during the band’s heyday:

• Brian May (guitarist)
• John Deacon (bassist)
• Roger Taylor (drummer)
• Freddie Mercury (singer)

The above being said, it is actually the late Mercury who is recognized as the primary author, with his bandmates making relatively minor adjustments to this composition.

When did Queen release “Was It All Worth It”?

“Was It All Worth It” is from a Queen album titled “The Miracle”, an effort backed by Parlophone Records and Capitol, which officially saw the light of day on 22 May 1989. This was the next-to-last studio album Queen dropped prior to the passing of Freddie Mercury. (And for the record, the very-last would be 1991’s “Innuendo”.)

This song was not issued as a single but was afforded its own music video, as directed by Simon Lupton, over 30 years after the fact, i.e. in celebration of the release of The Miracle Collector’s Edition, a boxed set that came out in late 2022.

Deacon’s Favorite

This track, which is the last on the standard playlist of “The Miracle”, is reportedly John Deacon’s favorite on the LP. Furthermore, this track is also noted as being popular amongst fans.

“The Miracle” Album

“The Miracle” is a studio album by Queen. This project was officially released on May 22 of 1989 as their 13th studio album. The album’s CD version comprises 13 tracks, with a combined runtime of 51 minutes and 42 seconds. 

It shares the same name with the song, “The Miracle,” a song listed as its 3rd track and released as the 5th and final single. According to the band’s drummer Roger Taylor, the album was renamed “The Miracle” only a few weeks to its official release. It was originally named after its 5th track, “The Invisible Men,” which was released as single No. 3.

Queen started recording “The Miracle” in January of 1988 and completed it a year later (January of 1989). They recorded in the following recording studios located in their home city, London:

• Mountain Studios
• Olympic Studios
• Townhouse Studios

During recording and production of the album, the band was faced with challenges emanating from the ailing health conditions of lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie had been diagnosed with HIV in 1987. His battle with the condition prevented the band from embarking on a tour to support the album as had been the tradition with previous albums.

Queen shares the album’s recording credits with renowned English-Swiss musician cum record producer, David Richards.

Parlophone Records, a German –British record label alongside their American counterpart, Capitol Records, took charge of the release of the album simultaneously in their various countries. “The Miracle,” however, marked the end of the relationship between Queen and both record labels.

Success

“The Miracle” was undoubtedly a commercial success. It has even been regarded by many as Queen’s most successful project to be released in the 1980s. It won the hearts of many music critics as well as music publications and ranked atop a number of prominent album charts globally.

“The Miracle” was No. 1 in their home country of UK as well as in the following places:

• Australia
• Finland
• The Netherlands
• Switzerland
• Germany

It peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 in the US, No. 3 in Italy, No. 2 in New Zealand, No. 4 in Spain and No. 6 in Sweden.

The album has been certified platinum in the UK, Germany, Poland, Switzerland and Spain among others. It has received gold certifications in the following countries:

• Finland
• France
• Australia
• New Zealand
• Austria