‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’: the song Brian May retired from playing live
The world is a lonely place. That’s a fact that insists upon all of us, regardless of how close we are with family or friends, the majority of our lives is lived internally, and that can make for a lonely existence sometimes. Whether your thoughts are as mundane as deciding what to have for lunch or as dark as processing the loss of a loved one, that’s something we do internally and on our own. If you ever wonder why the work of bands like Queen resonates so deeply with so many people, it’s because it makes the world a little less lonely.
When you listen to a song that you connect with, it brings those internal feelings out of your head and onto the surface. It’s a truly beautiful thing. If you’re feeling lost, sad, or confused, there will be songs that touch upon that subject and stop you from processing those thoughts internally. Instead, you process them along with an artist you love and with other fans who have also connected with the song. It’s a beautiful thing. So, if anyone ever questions the validity of music, remind them that it makes the world less lonely.
It’s even more than that for artists, as well. While artists likely started making music because they experienced the beauty of a shared experience through sound, they will have realised quickly after making music how much of a form of therapy it can be. When people feel down or are struggling with something complex, by pouring those feelings into art, they are able to address and understand them more effectively.
This is what Brian May did in the early 1990s following the passing of Freddie Mercury. During this period, he wasn’t just coping with the loss of his band’s frontman, but also the passing of a dear friend. He struggled to come to terms with the situation and so decided to pour his feelings into his music. The result was his debut solo album, Back To The Light, and the moving song ‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’.
“I don’t think it made it easier at the time, but it was all I could do,” said May when discussing his music. “I am a musician, and at times like that, you turn to your art to put things into. It doesn’t necessarily help you at the time, but it’s what you do […] Your art is your life, if you’re that kind of person, you don’t have a choice about it. The only thing I’m going to do is make music like I always do, but pour into it the experiences I’m going through at the time.”
When Mercury received his Aids diagnosis, his fellow bandmates knew that he was going to die. As his health began to deteriorate, May started to work on the songs contained within his solo record. They were supposed to be for Queen and their album The Miracle, but the band decided the only songs which will appear on that album will be the songs they have written together. As such, once Mercury passed, May went away and started recording these songs. He performed ‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’ at a tribute concert to his bandmate, but eventually had to retire the song live, given his deep connection with it.
“‘Too Much Love Will Kill You’ was actually therapy because I was in a really bad place at the time,” May concluded. “I went up to a little house in the hills outside of LA with a friend of mine, Frank Musker, and we just kind of did therapy. I had this song in my head, but I couldn’t get it out, and he helped me. He went through every line with me.”
