The Invisible Man (song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 98 Degrees song, see Invisible Man (song).

"The Invisible Man"
Queen The Invisible Man.png
Artwork for UK release
Single by Queen
from the album The Miracle
B-side
  • "Hijack My Heart"
  • "The Invisible Man" (Album Version) (On the 12" and CD single versions, the extended version of "The Invisible Man" is on the A Side, while the album version is the second B Side)[1]
Released7 August 1989
Recorded1988
GenreElectro-funk[2]
Length
  • 3:57 (album version)
  • 5:04 (early version with guide vocal)
  • 4:17 (video version)
  • 5:28 (12" extended version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Queen
(Roger Taylor)
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Breakthru"
(1989) 		"The Invisible Man"
(1989) 		"Scandal"
(1989)
Music video
"The Invisible Man" on YouTube

"The Invisible Man" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by drummer Roger Taylor but credited to Queen. 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, and the bassline instantly came to his imagination. The song title was inspired by the H. G. Wells novel of the same name.[3]

This song marks the only time in any of Queen's songs that all four band members' names are mentioned in the lyrics. Mercury's name is announced by Taylor, and the other three by 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, with a "Game Over" message appearing.

A then-15-year-old Danniella Westbrook, who joined soap opera EastEnders the following year, appears in the video as the boy's sister.

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".[4]

Track Listings[]

7" Single

A Side. "The Invisible Man" (Album Version) - 3:57

B Side. "Hijack My Heart" - 4:11[5]

12"/CD Single

A Side. "The Invisible Man" (Extended Version) - 5:28

2/B1. "Hijack My Heart" - 4:11

3/B2. "The Invisible Man" (Album Version) - 3:57

Personnel[]

Charts[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Queen UK Singles Discography 1984-1991". www.ultimatequeen.co.uk.
  2. ^ August 2016, Malcolm Dome29. "Queen albums ranked from worst to best". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  3. ^ Purvis, Georg (2007). Queen: Complete Works. Reynolds & Hearn. p. 182.
  4. ^ "Interview with Butch Hartman, March 30th 2006". Archived from the original on 2 January 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  5. ^ "Queen "The Miracle" album and song lyrics". www.ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2020.
  6. ^ "Queen – The Invisible Man" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  7. ^ http://www.fireballmedia.ie, Jaclyn Ward - Fireball Media Ltd. -. "The Irish Charts - All there is to know". www.irishcharts.ie. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  8. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 40, 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Queen – The Invisible Man" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Queen – The Invisible Man". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Queen – The Invisible Man". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  12. ^ "Queen: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Queen – The Invisible Man". GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1989". Ultratop. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1989". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 16 August 2021.

External links[]


Stub icon

This 1980s rock song–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .

  • v
  • t
Retrieved from ""