Spread Your Wings

"Spread Your Wings" is a ballad by the rock band Queen, from their 1977 album News of the World.^[1] Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as the A side of the single Spread Your Wings/Sheer Heart Attack in 1978. It features Freddie Mercury on the piano and vocals, Brian May on the electric guitar, Roger Taylor on the drums, and John Deacon on the bass guitar. A live version of the song appears in the band's 1979 album Live Killers.^[1] The song peaked at number 34 in the UK.

The song is in 4/4 meter, and starts with a simple piano motif in D. It is written in D Major, then modulating up to D's relative minor, B minor in the bridge, coming down to D in the chorus.

The lyrics of the song describe a troubled young man named Sammy who works at The Emerald Bar, sweeping the floor.^[2] The narrator (Freddie Mercury) of the song encourages Sammy to pursue his dreams, telling him to "spread your wings and fly away".^[2]

"Spread Your Wings" was not released as a single in North America. It was, however, featured as a B-side to Queen's 1980 hit, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (#1 U.S.).

Personnel

Freddie Mercury - lead vocals, piano
Brian May - electric guitar
Roger Taylor - drums
John Deacon - bass guitar, acoustic guitar

Charts


Chart (1978)	Peak position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[3]	20
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[4]	26
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[5]	34

Cover versions

This song was covered by German power metal band Blind Guardian on their 1992 album Somewhere Far Beyond. The same recording reappeared on their 1996 album The Forgotten Tales.

References

1 2 Your Wings News of the World: Spread Your Wings (Track 5) Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 11 July 2011
1 2 Spread Your Wings Allmusic. Retrieved 11 July 2011
↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Queen search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Queen – Spread Your Wings" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 18 June 2013.
↑ "February 1978/ Archive Chart: 25 February 1978" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 October 2013.

External links

Queen singles discography

Queen	"Keep Yourself Alive" "Liar"

Queen II	"Seven Seas of Rhye"

Sheer Heart Attack	"Killer Queen"/"Flick of the Wrist" "Now I'm Here" "Lily of the Valley" "Stone Cold Crazy"

A Night at the Opera	"Bohemian Rhapsody" "You're My Best Friend" "Love of My Life"

A Day at the Races	"Somebody to Love" "Tie Your Mother Down" "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" "Long Away" "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy"

News of the World	"We Are the Champions"/"We Will Rock You" "Spread Your Wings" "It's Late"

Jazz	"Bicycle Race"/"Fat Bottomed Girls" "Don't Stop Me Now" "Jealousy" "Mustapha"

Live Killers	"Love of My Life" (Live) "We Will Rock You" (Live)

The Game	"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" "Save Me" "Play the Game" "Another One Bites the Dust" "Need Your Loving Tonight"

Flash Gordon	"Flash"

Hot Space	"Under Pressure" (with David Bowie) "Body Language" "Las Palabras de Amor" "Calling All Girls" "Staying Power" "Back Chat"

The Works	"Radio Ga Ga" "I Want to Break Free" "It's a Hard Life" "Hammer to Fall"

A Kind of Magic	"One Vision" "A Kind of Magic" "Princes of the Universe" "Friends Will Be Friends" "Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" "Who Wants to Live Forever" "One Year of Love"

The Miracle	"I Want It All" "Breakthru" "The Invisible Man" "Scandal" "The Miracle"

Innuendo	"Innuendo" "I'm Going Slightly Mad" "Headlong" "I Can't Live with You" "The Show Must Go On" "These Are the Days of Our Lives"

Made in Heaven	"Heaven for Everyone" "A Winter's Tale" "I Was Born to Love You" "Too Much Love Will Kill You" "Let Me Live" "You Don't Fool Me"

Queen Rocks	"No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)"/"Tie Your Mother Down"

Greatest Hits III	"Under Pressure (Rah Mix)"

Non-album singles	"Thank God It's Christmas" "Another One Bites the Dust (Small Soldiers Remix)" "We Will Rock You" (with Five) "We Are the Champions" (with Robbie Williams) "Flash (Vanguard Mix)" "Another One Bites the Dust (The Miami Project Remixes)" "Bohemian Rhapsody" (with The Muppets)

Other songs	"See What a Fool I've Been" "Death on Two Legs" "Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon" "I'm in Love with My Car" "'39" "Sweet Lady" "Seaside Rendezvous" "The Prophet's Song" "Good Company" "Sheer Heart Attack" "Is This the World We Created...?" "Ride the Wild Wind" "Delilah" "Made In Heaven" "Mother Love" "Let Me in Your Heart Again" "Love Kills" "There Must Be More To Life Than This"

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