Song Information
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Title: Somebody to Love
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Artist: Queen
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Writer: Freddie Mercury
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Album: A Day at the Races
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Release Date: November 12, 1976
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Label: EMI (UK), Elektra (US)
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Genre: Gospel Rock / Progressive Rock
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Length: 4:56
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Producer: Queen & Roy Thomas Baker
“Somebody to Love” was written by Freddie Mercury as a heartfelt follow-up to the band’s 1975 mega-hit Bohemian Rhapsody. Drawing inspiration from gospel music and Aretha Franklin’s soul-stirring style, the song showcases Queen’s incredible vocal harmonies—layered by Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor to sound like a full choir.
Song Meaning & Themes
“Somebody to Love” expresses the raw vulnerability of a person—likely Freddie himself—longing for companionship in a world that feels increasingly isolating. The lyrics follow a spiritual structure: asking God why love remains elusive, despite trying hard to be a good person. It’s both a personal plea and a broader commentary on how even success and talent don’t shield one from loneliness.
The song begins with Mercury’s solo piano and voice, quietly pleading for answers. As the verses build, harmonies swell like a gospel choir, evoking a church-like call-and-response. The narrator wakes up daily, works hard, faces rejection, and then returns to prayer—only to repeat the cycle. The climax of the song erupts in a wall of harmonized frustration, before landing on a hopeful yet unresolved note: still searching, still praying for “somebody to love.”
Unlike Queen’s more extravagant anthems, this track is deeply human, balancing grandeur with emotional honesty. It’s a confession in 4 minutes and 56 seconds.
Deeper Explanation: What Is Freddie Really Asking For?
On the surface, Somebody to Love might seem like a straightforward love song—but it’s far more layered. Freddie Mercury wasn’t just singing about romantic affection. What he truly craved was connection—an anchor amidst the chaos of fame, identity, and inner conflict.
In the mid-1970s, Mercury was dealing with rising stardom, emerging questions about his sexuality, and a growing sense of isolation despite being surrounded by crowds. While flamboyant on stage, he was notoriously private off it. “Somebody to Love” became his vulnerable cry behind the curtain—a cry for unconditional love, spiritual comfort, and understanding.
The use of gospel and religious imagery is no coincidence. Freddie wasn’t a religious man in the traditional sense, but the song reflects his search for something greater than himself—whether that be a person, a higher power, or inner peace. Lines like “Can anybody find me…” resonate universally, especially for those who feel unseen despite giving their all to the world.
So when Freddie asks for “somebody to love,” he’s not just hoping for a date—he’s asking to be truly seen, heard, and held. That’s what makes the song timeless.
Watch the Official Video
Lyrics
Can anybody find me
Somebody to love?
Ooh, each morning I get up I die a little
Can barely stand on my feet
Take a look at yourself in the mirror and cry
Take a look in the mirror and cry
Lord, what you’re doing to me? (Yeah, yeah)
I have spent all my years in believing you
But I just can’t get no relief, Lord
Somebody (Somebody)
Ooh, somebody (Somebody)
Can anybody find me
Somebody to love?
Yeah
I work hard (He works hard) every day of my life
I work ’til I ache my bones
At the end (At the end of the day) I take home (takes home)
My hard-earned pay all on my own
(Goes home, goes home on his own)
I go down (down) on my knees (knees)
And I start to pray (praise the Lord)
‘Til the tears run down from my eyes
Lord, somebody (somebody), somebody (please)
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
(he works hard) everyday (everyday)
I try, and I try, and I try
But everybody wants to put me down
They say I’m going crazy
They say I got a lot of water in my brain
I got no common sense (he’s got)
I got nobody left to believe in
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh, Lord
Somebody (somebody), somebody (somebody)
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
(Can anybody find me someone to love)
Got no feel, I got no rhythm
I just keep losing my beat (you just keep losing and losing)
I’m OK, I’m alright (he’s alright, he’s alright)
I ain’t gonna face no defeat (Yeah, yeah)
I just gotta get out of this prison cell
One day (someday) I’m gonna be free, Lord!
(Find me somebody to love)
(Find me somebody to love)
(Find me somebody to love)
(Find me somebody to love)
Find me, find me
(Find me somebody to love)
Find
(Find me somebody to love)
(Find me somebody to love, love, love)
Find me, find me
(Find me somebody to love)
Somebody to love
(Find me somebody to love)
(Somebody, somebody, somebody, somebody)
(Somebody find me, somebody find me somebody to love)
Can anybody find me somebody to love?
(Find me somebody to love)
(Find me somebody to love)
Find me, somebody, somebody
(Find me somebody to love)
Somebody, somebody to love
(Find me somebody to love)
Find me, find me, find me, find me, find me
(Find me somebody to love)
Ooh, somebody to love
(Find me somebody to love)
Find me, find me, find me somebody to love
(Find me somebody to love)
Anybody, anywhere, anybody, find me somebody to love
Love, love, love, love
Find me, find me, find me, yeah