61 Quotes by Brian May
Brian May, born on July 19, 1947, is an English musician, songwriter, and astrophysicist who gained worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the legendary rock band Queen. May's distinctive guitar playing style, characterized by soaring solos and intricate harmonies, has made him one of the most influential guitarists in rock music.
His contributions to Queen's sound, songwriting, and musical arrangements have helped create iconic hits such as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," and "Don't Stop Me Now." May's talent extends beyond music; he holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics and has contributed to scientific research and publications.
His love for astronomy and dedication to scientific education have made him a respected figure in the field of astrophysics. May's versatility as a musician, his intellectual curiosity, and his commitment to both art and science have earned him widespread admiration and cemented his status as a true rock legend.
Brian May Quotes
Each gig should be unique. You're always treading that line between keeping yourself fresh and giving people something they want to hear
When I'm gone, people will no doubt remember me for Queen, but I would much rather be remembered for attempting to change the way we treat our fellow creatures.
The biggest emotion in creation is the bridge to optimism. (Meaning)
There is no way that you can ever really repeat something. I have this great belief that the magic of the moment can never be recaptured.
I think music is about our internal life. It’s part of the way people touch each other. That’s very precious to me. And astronomy is, in a sense, the very opposite thing. Instead of looking inwards, you are looking out, to things beyond our grasp.
I have to build my own boat this time. It's a big sea out there, and I have a pretty small boat. I have a lot of belief in it.
It's wonderful for me to see what 'We Will Rock You' has done. 'We Will Rock You' and 'We Are the Champions' have kind of transcended the normal framework of where music is listened to and appreciated - they've become part of public life, which I feel wonderful about.
The guitar has a kind of grit and excitement possessed by nothing else.
Queen songs tend to be about very personal things: personal dreams and personal ambitions.
I despise the Lottery. There's less chance of you becoming a millionaire than there is of getting hit on the head by a passing asteroid.
The guitar was my weapon, my shield to hide behind.
Astronomy's much more fun when you're not an astronomer
There are a lot of things in Queen albums that you don't expect; that's why we threw them in
I was an incurable romantic then, same as I am now. I was always pining away after somebody
There are times when I flick through magazines and think I'm in danger of becoming a prisoner of my own hair.
I go through major crises every few months, but then I have great peaks of belief and creativity. I'm a weird kind of animal
There are times when I've been feeling something and played a solo that I've never been able to repeat.
Queen songs are not about the life of a rock star - they tend to be about the lives of normal people, which is why I think the songs connect so much. We're very lucky that they seemingly connect with every generation.
I'm not a person for sitting on beaches. What would I do?
I tend to be not a person who does everything right all the time.
Everybody thought I was a bit of an eccentric for wanting to be out there looking at the stars, but I still do
I'm into paradoxes. I wanted to make an album about them, but the group told me I was a pretentious fart. They were right.
I had this big thing about guitar harmonies. I wanted to be the first to put proper three-part harmonies onto a record. That was an achievement.
You got blood on your face, you big disgrace, waving your banner all over the place.
There's nothing I'm embarrassed about
I'm the nice guy who sits there signing everything that's put in front of me.
The Wedding March has a bit of a death march in it.
I just want to be able to play as fast as my brain goes, and my brain doesn't go all that fast.
Sanctions always hurt the poor, the weak, the children.
On the first few albums the songs would grow into strange shapes.
Every time I listen to Jeff Beck my whole view of guitar changes radically. He's way, way out, doing things you never expect.
A good video can make all the difference
We've done an arrangement with an orchestra, but I think the best stuff tends to come when it's just the four of us.
I'm hopeless at playing scales. Try and be instinctive first and analytic afterwords, although it's good to study the theory of music.
I'm a much better musician than astronomer. I think the world got the right choice.
Doing Made In Heaven was like assembling a jigsaw puzzle, but I wouldn't have put my seal of approval on it if I hadn't thought it was up to standard.
I think a lot of people would be better off in America, where at least you would find some radio station somewhere that would play you.
I'm pretty basic as far as technique is concerned. I don't use many gadgets, and I like the sound my guitar makes, anyway.
From the beginning of Queen there was such momentum that I never had any time to do anything else. My energy was 95% focused on the band
Sometimes if the guitar is the last thing to go on, it's very fresh.
The first nine albums there was never a Synthesiser, never any Orchestra. There was never any other player except us on the albums.
My mum says I wanted to be a surgeon, but I don't remember that. I think from the time I knew what was happening, I wanted to be a guitar player.
Queen had its time and place, and at the moment I'm not concentrating on that era.
If I go to places where other people are playing, I often get up and play myself. I just enjoy the sound and feel of playing.
For a time I didn't want to answer any questions about Queen. I'd like to be viewed as something alive and relevant, not some fossil.
At the moment the Queen stuff does sell really well, but there's no guarantee it'll go on forever
We do play to our audience. It's very important. You can't create music in a vacuum.
People have been rumouring that Queen are going to split up for the last eight years at least. I've got some great cuttings at home from people saying 'One thing is certain, Queen will no longer exist in a year's time.' And that was in 1973.
To my mind Keep Yourself Alive was never really satisfactory. Never had that magic that it should have had.
A Queen track has those big, thick, block harmonies.
Amazing uke playing to be relished.
You want to go in the steam bath to get your vocals sounding well, but you don't want your fingers to get soft.
In print, people can do anything to you. Everything you do is picked apart. People love it; they're waiting for you to make a mistake.
My children hate me being such a big star. It's very hard for them to have a father who is always in the public eye.
I've always lived in that guitar world. I have noticed kids being more into the real essence of guitar music now.
Mantovani was a great influence on me.
What we were trying to do differently was this sort of layered sound.
When we were touring heavily in America, we based ourselves there for a couple of years, but now we're all back here and it seems to be the place.
My big hobby is photography. I collect stereo photographs from the 19th century.
Einstein got most of the things right about black holes. I'm not an expert, I must admit
We wouldn't have put it out with the name Queen on it if we didn't think it was musically up to scratch.
― Brian May Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
