A Song for Freddie Mercury

This Royal Jester of an age,
This Prince of but one vision,
Has leapt his last and left the stage
Of Glam-Rock and derision;

Has to his doom now gone, headlong,
To where the last song fades,
To meet the maker of all song,
As casualty of Aids.

Come take your turn and cast your stone
Of Homo - innuendo,
This was a man of men alone
Who had to sing and then go.

This was a man as you or I,
Who sang, "I want it all,"
But as a man yet had to die
As hammer has to fall! 

This was a man of many arts
Beyond all common lot,
Ashes to ashes, the dust departs
But will not be forgot.

Under pressure to so perform
With voice of pain and passion,
To run the race, weather the storm,
Mercurial in fashion.

We will not let the music stop;
The miracle is staying,
At home, at work, in pub, in shop,
His song's forever playing.

For so much pleasure has he brought
To men of many nations,
Across the seas his songs are sought
On radio Ga Ga stations!

A voice that cried to many tongues,
A voice of joy yet tragic,
A voice yet shared by many lungs,
A common kind of magic!

And so the voice it stays alive
And cries, "I want to break free!"
And so it does as we survive
And sing on for Freddie.

Few are they who stay their while,
Be stupid or be clever,
Upon the earth with frown or smile,
Who want to live forever.

But in the songs that Freddie sung,
His soul now never ends,
For down the ages it be rung
That all friends will be friends!

So raise your voice and make it mean
Another voice is ringing,
"The Queen is dead, long live the Queen,
And long live love of singing!    

                                                   
S.R.Langley