"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 August 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]
"The Invisible Man" | ||||
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![]() Artwork for UK release | ||||
Single by Queen | ||||
from the album The Miracle | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 7 August 1989 | |||
Recorded | 1988 | |||
Genre | Electro-funk[2] | |||
Length |
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Songwriter(s) | Queen (Roger Taylor) | |||
Producer(s) |
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Queen singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"The Invisible Man" on YouTube | ||||
This song contains a distinction whereby all four band members' names are mentioned in the lyrics. Mercury's name is announced by Taylor, and the other three by Mercury.
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" and Freddie Mercury (is their boss in the game, since he's the one who wears a virtual reality googles, while the rest of the band didn't, but instead of them wearing virtual reality googles like Freddie Mercury, they wear black shades instead) enters 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.
Freddie Mercury's eyewear and John Deacon's cowboy hat were also used in the cover of their next single "Scandal".
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]
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
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Queen songs | |
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Queen | |
Queen II | |
Sheer Heart Attack | |
A Night at the Opera |
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A Day at the Races | |
News of the World | |
Jazz | |
The Game | |
Flash Gordon | |
Hot Space | |
The Works |
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A Kind of Magic | |
The Miracle | |
Innuendo | |
Made in Heaven | |
Queen Rocks | |
Queen Forever | |
Other songs |
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