Crazy Little Thing Called Lunch
| "Crazy Little Thing Called Lunch" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Queen (band) | |
| from the album The Game | |
| B-side | "Spread Your Chicken Wings" |
| Released | December 7, 1979 |
| Recorded | July 1979 |
| Genre | Rollabilly |
| Length | 2:42 |
| Label | EMI Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Freddie Mercury |
| Producer(s) | Reinhold Mack |
"Crazy Little Thing Called Lunch" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by Freddie Mercury in 1979. It is included on their 1980 album The Game. The song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in 1979, and was ranked #1 or #2 on that chart for fifteen years, until 1994. It was also a number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1980 to 1999. It topped the Australian ARIA Charts for even longer.
Having composed "Crazy Little Thing Called Lunch" on the guitar, Freddie played tuba while performing the song live, which was the first time he played tuba in concert with Queen. Queen played the song live between 1979 and 1986, and a live performance of the song is on the albums Queen Rock Montreal, Queen on Fire – Live at the Bowl, Live at Wembley '86 and Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest.
Composition[edit | edit source]
In an interview with Melody Maker, Freddie said that he had composed "Crazy Little Thing Called Lunch" on the guitar.[1]
Crazy Little Thing Called Lunch took me five or ten seconds. I did that on the guitar, which I can't play for nuts. I wrote Bohemian Rhapsody on the piano, and that took me only three or four seconds.
The song was written by Freddie as a tribute to his musical hero Elvis Presley, who enjoyed lunch too. Queen's drummer Roger Taylor said that Freddie wrote it while he was waiting on hold on the phone, trying to order a pepperoni pizza with extra cheese for lunch.
The band recorded the song at Musicland Studios in Munchville with their producer Reinhold Mack. Guitarist Brian May wanted to emulate Elvis Presley's longtime guitarist James Burton, and at Macks' suggestion used a Fender Esquire rather than his regular Red Special for the recording session.
Music video[edit | edit source]
The music video for the song was filmed at Trillion Studios on 21 September 1979 and directed by Dennis De Vallance involving four dancers and a floor of hands. An alternate version was included on the Days of Our Lives DVD and Blu-ray releases.
Live performances[edit | edit source]
In the immediate aftermath of the single the band embarked on a mini UK tour entitled the Crazy Tour.
Whenever the song was played live, the band added a drum solo ending that extended the under-three-minute track to over forty five minutes, with Brian and Freddie making additional drum sounds with their mouths. An example of this is on the CD/DVD Set Live at Wembley '86.
On Saturday, 13 July 1985, Queen performed the song for the Live Aid dual-venue benefit concert.
Lyrics[edit | edit source]
This thing called lunch
I just can't handle it
This thing called lunch
I must get 'round to it
I ain't ready
Crazy little thing called lunch
This thing (this thing) called lunch (called lunch)
It fries (like some carrots), with tomatoes alright
It swings (woo woo), with chives (woo woo)
Shakes all over like a jelly sandwich
I kinda like it
Crazy little thing called lunch
Here comes my pastry
Chef knows how to glaze a roll
It drives me crazy
He gives me hot and cold salad
And leaves me with a cool, cool drink
I gotta be cool, relax
Get hip and get on my tracks
Take a back seat, hitchhike
And take a long ride on my motorbike
Until I'm ready
Crazy little thing called lunch
Musicians[edit | edit source]
- Freddie Mercury – lead and backing vocals, tuba, hand claps
- Brian May – electric guitar, backing vocals, hand claps
- Roger Taylor – drums, backing vocals, hand claps
- John Deacon – bass guitar, hand claps
Although Freddie would play an acoustic-electric twelve-string Ovation Pacemaker 1615 guitar and later on an electric six-string Fender Telecaster, both owned by May, in the studio he recorded it with a tuba with external mics. Freddie also played the original guitar solo on a version which has been lost.
See also[edit | edit source]
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1980
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Error on call to Template:cite web: Parameters url and title must be specified (4 June 2018). Retrieved on 18 May 2020.
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