Queen – Now I’m Here (Live in Rio 1985)

This song, written by Queen guitarist Brian May, is about the hard, fast, good and bad times of extensive touring, which the band did during their first few years. As the band have been quick to note, their success did not come overnight – success in America particularly was laid by many years of touring there in the 1970s, and battling against the common “east coast” style rock of the Eagles and Steely Dan which was very much the sound of American Rock radio around that time.

The song was a live favourite, performed at virtually every concert from late 1974 to 1986.

The song draws on May’s fond experiences of the band’s US tour earlier in 1974. Mott the Hoople, whom Queen was supporting, are referenced in the line: Down in the city, just Hoople and me.

“Now I’m Here” was a fixture of Queen’s setlists, being performed on every concert tour from 1974 until the band’s final tour in 1986. It was first performed on the Sheer Heart Attack Tour in Manchester on 30 October 1974.

On the Sheer Heart Attack Tour, Mercury would be seen singing the line “Now I’m here” on one side of the stage amidst the darkness and dry ice, and a few bars later, at “Now I’m there,” he would “appear” on the other side of the stage, an illusion created by an identically dressed stagehand.

“Now I’m Here” – Single by Queen from the album Sheer Heart Attack
B-side “Lily of the Valley”
Released 17 January 1975
Songwriter Brian May
Producers Roy Thomas Baker, Queen
Charted No. 11 UK; No.25 West Germany; No.29 Belgium

Queen
Freddie Mercury – lead and backing vocals, Hammond organ
Brian May – guitars, piano, backing vocals
Roger Taylor – drums, percussion, backing vocals
John Deacon – bass