Passion ft. Queen

Bringing out my inner Sphinx, here’s a riddle at the gateway:

What is the one word that describes my undying habit to make poor jokes as well as a fruit?

-10 if you say rotten.

+100 if you say passion.

Speaking of passionfruit, I’ve only ever seen it used as a lipgloss fragrance and as for my passion for poor jokes, feel free to use this riddle as proof.

Hehe.

Passion, isn’t one single emotion. It is a unique trait which brings out every possible emotion in its presence. I like to compare passion to Thanos’ gauntlet from Avengers’ infinity war and endgame.

Just like the gauntlet required all six ‘infinity stones’ representing each principle element in order to function, passion requires a whole array of emotions in order to show itself. Emotions like love, happiness, sadness, stubbornness, anger, honesty and the list goes on. And just like a snap with the gauntlet can be used to make or break the world, a streak of passion is something that can either bring immense joy or unfathomable heartbreak.

In this post, Imma talk about three categories of passion but this time, instead of going into the world of fiction, Imma bring one of the most timeless bands of the world that was built on the stones of passion to rock and roll them passionate hearts.

Here’s presenting Her Majesty…. QUEEN!

So, 2021 marks the Golden Jubilee of Queen and this is a tribute to the band’s immense passion in music and entertainment and to their legendary legacy. In this post, Imma bring out all the types of passion using Queen songs in a way relive their divine journey. Without further ado, let’s get the show on the road:)

Number one: The Lovers’ Passion.

There is no love without passion. While love is a timeless entity and the fact stands that there is enough love in the world for everybody, there’s got to be a catalyst in the form of passion as this is what helps love to sustain through the tough times.

A prime example of the endurance of love, at a time when loving isn’t easy, is seen in the song ‘It’s a Hard Life’ from ‘The Works’ album, 1984.

‘It’s a hard life
To be true lovers together
To love and live forever in each others hearts
It’s a long hard fight
To learn to care for each other
To trust in one another right from the start
When you’re in love’

These lyrics from the chorus of the song, show that life isn’t always kind to those in love but if one is passionate enough to love and is willing to fight for love, there’s always hope for a better tomorrow.

‘Yes it’s a hard life
In a world that’s filled with sorrow
There are people searching for love in every way
It’s a long hard fight
But I’ll always live for tomorrow
I’ll look back at myself and say I did it for love
Yes I did it for love.’

That’s got to be a good victory when you can proudly say that you fought for love just as this one Tumblr quote goes….’I’m not a fighter. I am a lover and I will fight for what I love.’

Props to Tumblr on that one. Besides, this song featured Freddie Mercury, Queen’s lead singer in his iconic ‘Giant Prawn’ outfit(as seen on the album cover). Never behind on the fashion game. Hehe.

Now, let’s get to the extremes of passion. Sometimes, when one fights for love, they fight too hard and their passion leads to heartbreak which can be very brutal. This is seen in the song ‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’ from Queen’s final studio album ‘Made in Heaven’. This is officially my favourite Queen song:)

‘I’m just the pieces of the man I used to be
Too many bitter tears are raining down on me
I’m far away from home
And I’ve been facing this alone for much too long’

The opening lyrics of the song bring so much painful imagery of how a one-sided battle for love leaves one irreparably scarred. Honestly, the feel I get from this is like being strange in the middle of a desert with no oasis in sight and all that you’ve encountered earlier was a mirage. Hands down, one of the saddest songs with so much heart into it.

‘Too much love will kill you
Just as sure as none at all
It’ll drain the power that’s in you
Make you plead and scream and crawl
And the pain will make you crazy
You’re the victim of your crime
Too much love will kill you every time.’

I like how these lines from the chorus compare too much passion in love to a state of no love at all. I also like the comparison of a one-sided lover to an innocent criminal where the only crime was loving too much.

Like I said, passion can be a catalyst for both light and dark. The consolation for a hurt passion in love is the fact that one has to hope and believe that there is love for everyone and there will be light at the end of the tunnel.

Number Two: Passion of Youth.

Youth is like a wild hare, as Shakespeare said in ‘The Merchant of Venice’. It is a time when one is not only capable but also highly passionate about conquering life and achieving those glorious dreams.

The passion of the youth to achieve their goals brings about a rebellious tendency where the young don’t want to be hindered in their quest for greatness and want to have a great time achieving it. While a lot of parents and elders may argue that such an attitude is dangerous, especially when it’s done for the laughs, all Imma say is that if you ain’ having fun fulfilling your passion, no matter how dangerous, what’s even the point?

News Flash: The above line was written by an eighteen year old who believes she is a Queen.

Hehe.

This urge to break all barriers and stride into the world and feel what it’s like being alive is shown in the hit ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ from the 1979 album, ‘Jazz’.

‘Tonight I’m gonna have myself a real good time
I feel alive
And the world I’ll turn it inside out, yeah
I’m floating around in ecstasy
So, don’t stop me now….
Don’t stop me….
‘Cause I’m having a good time, having a good time!’

The opening lines of the song sum up the necessity of having a good time, no matter what. The feelings of being alive and the whole inner drive to turn the world inside out really sums up the determination every young person out there. And while I understand that the current pandemic makes it hard to feel very zingy, it’s time to rock the lockdowns and bring your house down!

The consequence of that maybe your family kicking you out once it’s safe to be outside but it’s still fun, innit.

Hehe.

‘I’m a shooting star leaping through the sky
Like a tiger defying the laws of gravity
I’m a racing car passing by like Lady Godiva
I’m gonna go, go, go
There’s no stopping me.’

That pretty much sums up every metaphor associated with being young.

The passion of youth brings with it another aspect. When we are young, we want everything the world has to offer, right from excitement, adventure, romance and fame and often, we want all these things without a wait and all at once.

The song ‘I Want it All’ from the 1989 album, ‘The Miracle.’

‘Adventure seeker on an empty street
Just an alley creeper, light on his feet
A young fighter screaming, with no time for doubt
With the pain and anger can’t see a way out
It ain’t much I’m asking, I heard him say
Gotta find me a future move out of my way
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now
I want it all, I want it all, I want it all, and I want it now.’

I’m going to let the opening lyrics of the song speak for themselves.

Number three: Revolutionary Passion

Changing the world in which we live is a bold step and cannot be done without passion. This type of passion is of the selfless kind where one is willing to sacrifice one’s well-being for the goodwill of the future and the others around them. This passion can be seen in all the revolutionary causes, be it a fight for freedom or a fight for equality or simply speaking up to save the delicate balance between nature and mankind by reminding people of the miracles created when both elements work with each other.

The first song which has established itself as an anthem for freedom fighters for generations is ‘I Want To Break Free’ from the 1984 album, ‘The Works’. This song has been used to fuel the fight against oppression world over and has challenged so many stereotypes ever since it first came out. Besides, its video is one of the most unique music videos made, featuring a drag scene which, though controversial when it came out, became an iconic symbol, inspiring and entertaining people even today. I mean, all the outfits are so on point. Fashion goals right there.

‘I want to break free
I want to break free
I want to break free from your lies
You’re so self satisfied I don’t need you
I’ve got to break free
God knows, God knows I want to break free.

I’ve fallen in love
I’ve fallen in love for the first time
And this time I know it’s for real
I’ve fallen in love, yeah
God knows, God knows I’ve fallen in love.’

I also like how the lyrics bring in the aspect of love into the anthem which clearly shows how love is always a necessity and something everyone should strive to spread.

Another song which is a beautiful reminder of all the great things achieved by nature and mankind alike is ‘The Miracle’ from the 1989 album of the same name.

‘Every drop of rain that falls in Sahara desert says it all
It’s a miracle
All god’s creations great and small
The Golden Gate and the Taj Mahal
That’s a miracle
Test tube babies being born
Mothers, fathers dead and gone
It’s a miracle.’

I like how this song uses the world’s miracles to strive for the final miracle i.e. a peaceful place to live in by ending all evils such as war.

‘It’s a miracle
The one thing we’re all waiting for is peace on Earth
An end to war
It’s a miracle we need
The Miracle.’

These songs are especially relevant today when people are standing up against crimes such as racism, gender bias, xenophobia and all kinds of oppression and are aiming at creating a better world for the future generations.

However, with this post, all I can say that Queen was truly a miracle that graced the world.