Freddie Mercury Once Wrote a Song for John Lennon — Decades Later, It Became One of Queen’s Most Unexpected Hits

Freddie Mercury Once Wrote a Song for John Lennon — Decades Later, It Became One of Queen’s Most Unexpected Hits Freddie MercuryImage via Vincent Louis/Dalle/INSTARimages.com By  Ryan Louis Mantilla Published 1 hour ago

Ryan is a lifestyle and culture journalist born and raised in the Philippines. He primarily covers film, television, music, and all things pop culture. Beyond writing, you can find him buried in thriller novels or off exploring the world on occasion. He deeply romanticizes a slow, peaceful life — even though he’s almost always drowning in deadlines (insert skull emoji here).

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Throughout their long and fruitful career, Queen has written about many themes, from love and heartbreak to loss and fame. Freddie Mercury, in particular, contributed greatly to the band’s extensive discography. Not only was he a celebrated and powerful vocalist, but he also had a remarkable talent for songwriting. He penned hits such as “Killer Queen,” “Love of My Life,” “Somebody to Love,” “We Are the Champions,” “Don't Stop Me Now,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” and Queen’s magnum opus, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” However, perhaps lesser known is that Mercury also wrote a song specifically inspired by his love and admiration for a late Beatle: John Lennon. The song is called “Life Is Real (Song For Lennon),” a 1982 track off the band's tenth studio album Hot Space.

Songs about other artists are nothing new in the music industry. Over the past several decades, we’ve seen musical acts (both old and new) craft tracks inspired by a certain celebrity, whether the song is about love, heartbreak, hatred, or sheer admiration. In Mercury’s case, that song is “Life Is Real (Song for Lennon),” which he wrote as a heartfelt tribute to the Beatle icon. Unlike many other Queen songs, this track is fairly straightforward; you don’t even need to dive deep into the lyrics to realize it’s about Lennon, as the title already gives it away. It’s also no secret that both Lennon and Mercury are iconic figures in the world of music — each a member of an equally legendary band — so for Mercury to write a song about Lennon is nothing short of a remarkable homage between two legends.

Freddie Mercury Wrote “Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)” Out of Love for John Lennon

John LennonImage via Lionsgate

To say The Beatles were an iconic band would be an understatement. They are one of the most influential and groundbreaking acts in the history of music — and, arguably, the biggest. Mercury himself knew this all too well. While everyone at the time had their favorite Beatle, Lennon was the one who resonated most with Mercury. And for a very specific reason. As he admitted in the book Freddie Mercury: A Life in His Own Words: “John Lennon was larger than life, and an absolute genius. Even at a very early stage when they were The Beatles, I always preferred John Lennon’s things.”

Lennon is objectively one of the biggest names in music history — and so is Mercury. Their legacies are somewhat comparable, as both remain iconic figures even decades after their passing; Lennon on December 8, 1980, and Mercury on November 24, 1991. But Mercury refused to be likened or compared to his fellow legend. "To be honest, I would never like to put myself with any kind of parallel with John Lennon at all because he was just the greatest, as far as I was concerned," Freddie said in an interview. "It's not a matter of less talent or more talent, it's just that certain people are capable of doing certain things better than somebody else... I feel I'm not equipped to do certain things that John Lennon did, and I don't think anybody should, because John Lennon was unique and one-off and that's the way it is."

Related The 10 Greatest Queen Songs Ever, Ranked

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Posts 10 By  J.S. Gornael Jul 23, 2025

John Lennon’s Passing Inspired Freddie Mercury To Write “Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)”

“Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)” was never released as a single, which is presumably why only die-hard Queen fans are familiar with it. Despite that, the song performed fairly well for a non-single. Mercury wrote “Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)” as a tribute to the late former Beatle, who was tragically shot and killed in 1980, just as he was preparing to return with new solo music. The world mourned his untimely passing, and Mercury was no exception. But as shocking and sad as the news was, Mercury wanted his tribute to Lennon to be a celebratory one. And though it wasn’t as upbeat as other Queen tracks, “Life Is Real (Song for Lennon)” carries a gentle, uplifting energy. It also serves as a nod to the lyric “love is real” from Lennon’s 1970 soft-rock track, “Love.”

It’s a shame, though, that Mercury and Lennon’s paths never crossed. "The only person I wish I had met was John Lennon," Mercury told MTV in 1984. "He's the one that I did idolize and I just thought he was a very beautiful human being, and I'm sad to say that I didn't get to meet him. He's the only one." Over a decade after Lennon’s death, Mercury also met his demise. But even though their lives were cut tragically short, nothing can diminish their impact, their artistry, or their enduring legacy. Of course, Lennon was never able to witness Mercury’s beautiful tribute, but we’d like to think he was out there smiling down, appreciating the song from afar.

• Freddie Mercury
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