The Foo Fighters song that references Queen
Queen etched their name into the annals of music history and profoundly influenced successive generations of musicians. Foo Fighters, in particular, have consistently conveyed their admiration for the iconic rock band.
In 1978, Queen unleashed the bold hard rock anthem ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’, a creation of Brian May. Although May is acknowledged as the song’s writer, Freddie Mercury played a pivotal role as its primary muse and driving creative force. The mere fact that Mercury delivered the track with such enthusiasm speaks volumes about his artistic prowess.
As May recalled to Mojo: “On the face of it, it’s a heterosexual song because it’s called ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’, but I was totally aware of Freddie’s proclivities and the fact he was going to sing it. Plus, some of the inspiration for the song came from stuff that I saw in Freddie’s life as well as my own. So it’s actually not so much of a heterosexual song as you might think. It’s a sort of pansexual song. There are so many ways you can take it.”
On the track, Mercury proclaims, “Get on your bikes and ride!” This reference hails from ‘Bicycle Race’, which ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ was released as a double A-side single. In Foo Fighters’ high-energy rock anthem ‘FFL’, Dave Grohl echoes these lively words as a homage to the late singer. Interestingly, this song diverges from the typical Foo Fighters sound, leaning more towards Grohl’s metal roots and featuring passionate vocals delivered over energetic guitar riffs.
Grohl isn’t the only band member who expressed deep admiration for the rock group; Taylor Hawkins was also a well-known super fan who considered the band one of the greatest in history. Their music played a significant role in inspiring his decision to pursue drumming. Hawkins also developed a close friendship with May and Roger Taylor, and both were profoundly saddened by his passing in 2022.
Following his death, Taylor and May participated in a tribute concert at Wembley Stadium in London to honour the drummer. During the event, they delivered a mini-set of Queen’s iconic songs, featuring special guests like Rufus Taylor and Justin Hawkins, the lead singer of The Darkness.
Wrapping up the set, May delighted the audience with an acoustic rendition of the 1975 classic ‘Love Of My Life’. Before diving into the performance, May shared some heartfelt words with the crowd: “Exactly 30 years ago, we said goodbye to Freddie in a style similar to this,” he said. “So I know that Freddie would be very happy to use this song to honour Taylor Hawkins. But here’s the deal: I don’t sing this song. We all sing this song together.”
