"Don't Stop Me Now" Song Analysis

Don’t Stop Me Now

Queen is one of the most famous, talented, and important classic rock bands. Everyone knows there music, and they definitely made an impact on rock history with their great songs. Queen is known for having one of the most recognizable guitarists in rock and roll, Brian May, and possibly the best vocalist in the history of music. This vocalist is Freddy Mercury, of course. Freddy is known for his operatic voice and amazing range of vocals. The singing in all of Queen’s tracks struck awe in everybody who listened to them and were always flawless. Unfortunately, this legendary, amazingly skillful singer died young many years ago from aids, which may have been a result of his homosexual lifestyle. However, the great talent Queen is not the only mark of the band, as they are known to be unbelievable songwriters as well. Their writing genius can be shown through many hit songs such as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "I Want It All", and "Killer Queen". Another great song that exemplifies the writing ability of this band is "Don’t Stop me Now". This song simply expresses the happiness of having a good time. Despite this simple idea, Freddy Mercury’s use of metaphor, simile, and hyperbole is very powerful and evident in the song.

When you listen to the lyrics of "Don’t Stop Me Now" you get the urge to jump into the song and sing along and never stop having a good time. These lyrics are filled with metaphors, similes, and hyperboles, and the use of these poetic devices is the strength behind the ability of the lyrics to express such great happiness and good feelings. In every verse of the song, Freddy Mercury uses metaphors to compare himself to something exciting in fun. For example, he compares himself to a shooting star and a rocket ship using metaphors to express his energy and excitement. Freddy also uses many metaphors like this including such lines as "I’m a shooting star leaping through the skies," "I’m a rocket ship on my way to mars," "I’m a racing car passing by," and "I am a satellite I’m out of control." All of these lines express the singer’s energy and excitement. After using metaphors to express his energy, Mercury then continues to strengthen his point using similes to compare his metaphors to even more exciting and energetic ideas. Some examples of this can be found in the middle of the verses, in such lines as "I’m a shooting star leaping through the skies/like a tiger defying the laws of gravity" and "...ready to reload/like an atom bomb/about to oh oh oh oh oh explode." These lines take already exciting metaphors and add even more energy to them by comparing them to more fun and explosive ideas. Lastly, Freddy Mercury uses many hyperboles in "Don’t Stop Me Now" to express as much excitement, energy, and happiness as he can. These extreme exaggerations are perfect to use in this song because they help the writer to express the unexpressible. The point of the lyrics are to show that the singer is having an amazing time so unimaginably fun that he never wants to stop. The extreme exaggeration in hyperboles help to express unimaginable feelings. Some examples of hyperbole in this song are "...defying the laws of gravity," "I’m burning through the skies yeah/two hundred degrees that’s why they call me Mister Fahrenheit," and "I’m traveling at the speed of light." These are hyperboles because none of these are possible, and they are all extremely exaggerated. You cannot defy the laws of gravity, no matter how high you jump or fly or how fast you move. You cannot be two hundred degrees because that is far too hot for the body to survive, and you cannot travel at the speed of light because it is not physically possible. However, the ideas of defying the laws of gravity, reaching extreme temperatures, and traveling at the speed of light are all very fun and exciting ideas, which contribute to the energy and mood of the song.

"Don’t Stop Me Now" is a very fun, energetic song. While the music contributes a lot to this mood and energy, the song could never have the same effect without these wonderful lyrics. There are many lines that contribute to the idea and energy of the song, including the opening line: "Tonight I’m gonna have myself a real good time." The chorus also adds to this: "Don’t Stop Me now, I’m having such a good time/I’m having a ball." However, it would be impossible to express such an extreme amount of happiness, fun, and energy without the use of these metaphors, similes, and hyperboles, and Freddy Mercury’s mastery of these devices allows him to create an unbelievable atmosphere of fun, energy, and happiness for the listener. "Don’t Stop Me Now" is an amazing song, and this is largely because of its amazing lyrics and atmosphere. All in all, the use of metaphors, similes, and hyperboles is extremely beneficial to the success of this great song.