# Long Away > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Long_Away > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Long_Away.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Away > Source revision: 1330339400 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use British English|date=July 2014}} {{More citations needed|date=November 2016}} {{short description|1976 song by Queen}} {{Infobox song | name = Long Away | cover = Long Away audio cover.jpg | alt = | caption = | type = single | artist = [Queen](/source/Queen_(band)) | album = [A Day at the Races](/source/A_Day_at_the_Races_(album)) | B-side = "[You and I](/source/A_Day_at_the_Races_(album))" | released = 7 June 1977 | recorded = 1976 | studio = | venue = | genre = [Rock](/source/Rock_music) | length = 3:33 | label = [Elektra](/source/Elektra_Records) | writer = [Brian May](/source/Brian_May) | producer = Queen | prev_title = [Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy](/source/Good_Old-Fashioned_Lover_Boy) | prev_year = 1977 | next_title = [We Are the Champions](/source/We_Are_the_Champions)" / "[We Will Rock You](/source/We_Will_Rock_You) | next_year = 1977 }} "'''Long Away'''" is a song by the British rock band [Queen](/source/Queen_(band)); it is the third track on their 1976 album ''[A Day at the Races](/source/A_Day_at_the_Races_(album))''. [Brian May](/source/Brian_May) wrote the song and sings the lead vocals. It was released as the third single from the album in North America and New Zealand only. ==Recording== It is one of the few songs where May uses a guitar other than his [Red Special](/source/Red_Special). For the rhythm guitar parts, he used an electric Burns [twelve string guitar](/source/twelve_string_guitar) (although he used the Red Special for the second guitar solo in the middle section of the track). Originally, May wanted to use a Rickenbacker guitar (as he admired [John Lennon](/source/John_Lennon)), but he didn't get along well with the Rickenbacker's thin neck. [Roger Taylor](/source/Roger_Taylor_(Queen_drummer)) sings the highest parts of the song. ==Meaning== The song has a sad tone, describing that "for every star in heaven / there's a sad soul here today," and an overall sense of melancholic nostalgia lies over the song. It is similar in feel to the song ['39](/source/'39_(Queen_song)) from ''[A Night at the Opera](/source/A_Night_at_the_Opera_(Queen_album))'', although without the folk influence. ==Reception== ''The Washington Post'' described it as "an affectionate recreation of the mid-'60s Beatles/Byrds sound," and one of the best songs on the album.{{cite web|url=http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Queen_-_02-07-1977_-_A_Day_at_the_Races_-_Washington_Post|title=Queen Interviews - Queen - 02-07-1977 - A Day at the Races - Washington Post - Queen Archives: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Interviews, Articles, Reviews|website=www.queenarchives.com|access-date=17 June 2018|archive-date=17 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617220008/http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Queen_-_02-07-1977_-_A_Day_at_the_Races_-_Washington_Post|url-status=live}} Wesley Strick of ''Circus'' magazine, in a mixed review of the album, named the album's best song and also noted the influence of the [Beatles](/source/Beatles) and [the Byrds](/source/the_Byrds). He observed that Long Away was "haunting" and "never smart-ass or strickly for laughs, "Long Away" - unlike most of Races - feels real."{{cite web|url=http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Queen_-_XX-XX-1977_-_A_Day_at_the_Races_-_Circus|title=Queen Interviews - Queen - XX-XX-1977 - A Day at the Races - Circus - Queen Archives: Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon, Interviews, Articles, Reviews|website=www.queenarchives.com|access-date=17 June 2018|archive-date=17 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617220056/http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Queen_-_XX-XX-1977_-_A_Day_at_the_Races_-_Circus|url-status=live}} ''[Cash Box](/source/Cash_Box)'' said that "this gentle tune is built from endless layers of strummed guitars, showcasing the versatile Freddie Mercury's sweetest voice and the group's distinctive high register harmonies."{{cite news|title=CashBox Singles Reviews|date=June 18, 1977|page=20|newspaper=Cash Box|accessdate=2021-12-26|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/70s/1977/CB-1977-06-18.pdf}} ==Other album appearances== The song also appears on two Queen compilation albums: ''[Deep Cuts, Volume 1 (1973–1976)](/source/Deep_Cuts%2C_Volume_1_(1973%E2%80%931976))''{{cite web|title=Deep Cuts Volume 1 (1973-1976) (Remastered Edition)|url=http://www.queenonlinestore.com/Queen/CD/Deep-Cuts-Volume-1-1973-1976-Remastered-Edition/2FZY0YNP1NO|access-date=9 November 2020|website=Queen|archive-date=15 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115105016/https://www.queenonlinestore.com/Queen/CD/Deep-Cuts-Volume-1-1973-1976-Remastered-Edition/2FZY0YNP1NO|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|title=Queen - Deep Cuts Volume 1 (1973-1976)|url=https://www.discogs.com/Queen-Deep-Cuts-Volume-1-1973-1976/master/325778|access-date=9 November 2020|website=[Discogs](/source/Discogs)|archive-date=29 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929111707/https://www.discogs.com/Queen-Deep-Cuts-Volume-1-1973-1976/master/325778|url-status=live}} (2011) and ''[Queen Forever](/source/Queen_Forever)''{{Cite web|title=Queen - Queen Forever|url=https://www.discogs.com/Queen-Queen-Forever/release/6263872|access-date=2020-11-22|website=Discogs|date=7 November 2014|language=en|archive-date=5 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201105200712/https://www.discogs.com/Queen-Queen-Forever/release/6263872|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|date=September 19, 2014|first=Jeff|last=Giles|title=Queen Unearth Previously Unreleased Tracks for New 'Queen Forever' Compilation|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-forever-album/|access-date=2020-11-22|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|language=en|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129131758/https://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-forever-album/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Queen announce Queen Forever album PLUS unreleased Freddie Mercury songs!|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/queen-announce-queen-forever-album-plus-unreleased-freddie-mercury-songs-__5885/|access-date=2020-11-22|website=www.officialcharts.com|language=en|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127175036/https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/queen-announce-queen-forever-album-plus-unreleased-freddie-mercury-songs-__5885/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Queen "Forever" album and song lyrics|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/forever.htm|access-date=2020-11-22|website=www.ultimatequeen.co.uk|archive-date=29 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129121350/http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/forever.htm|url-status=live}} (2014). ==Band comments on the song== {{Quote|"Long Away" is a twelve-string thing written by Brian... very interesting harmonies. |Freddie Mercury, 1977}} {{Quote|If I'm honest, I think I would like to be remembered for a few of the songs, none of which were really hits, but some of which had a lot of emotion in them: White Queen and Let Us Cling Together and Long Away off the A Day At The Races album. And We Will Rock You.{{Cite web|date=2004-07-07|title=Long Away|url=http://sebastian.queenconcerts.com/long-away.htm|access-date=2020-11-22|website=Bechstein Debauhchery|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040707173516/http://sebastian.queenconcerts.com/long-away.htm|archive-date=7 July 2004}}|Brian May, 1982}} ==Personnel== '''Queen''' *[Brian May](/source/Brian_May) – lead and backing vocals, guitars *[Freddie Mercury](/source/Freddie_Mercury) – backing vocals *[Roger Taylor](/source/Roger_Taylor_(Queen_drummer)) – drums, percussion, backing vocals, co-lead vocals (phrase "Look for a day") *[John Deacon](/source/John_Deacon) – bass guitar ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/day-races/#lyrics Lyrics at Queen official website] {{Queen singles}} {{authority control}} Category:Queen (band) songs Category:1976 songs Category:1977 singles Category:Songs written by Brian May Category:EMI Records singles Category:Elektra Records singles Category:Hollywood Records singles --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Long Away](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Away) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Away?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.