The Invisible Man (song)
Encyclopedia
"The Invisible Man" is a song by English
rock band
Queen
, written by drummer Roger Taylor. The song is sung mostly by Freddie Mercury
, but Taylor sings on parts of the song. Originally released on the album The Miracle, it was released as a single in 1989. Taylor claims that he got the inspiration to create the song while reading a book (possibly the book of the same name
), and the bassline instantly came to his head. This song marks the only time in any of Queen's songs that all four band members names are mentioned in the lyrics. The first being Freddie Mercury, followed by John Deacon. Brian May's name is then mentioned twice (just before his guitar solo starts), and lastly Mercury sings "RRRoger Taylor", rolling the "r" to emulate the drums at the end of the verse.
In the music video
, a video game called "The Invisible Man" plays a large part, as a small child is playing a game while the band (all dressed in black), who are the "bad guys" in the game, enter the real world and perform the song in his room, while the boy is trying to shoot them with the game controller. From time to time, Mercury appears in various places in the child's room, vanishing before the boy can shoot him with the video controller. After Mercury emerges from the child's closet with his band in tow, John Deacon removes his cowboy hat and throws it to the floor. In perhaps a futile attempt to emulate him, the boy removes his baseball cap, and dons the other. The screen then shows an image of the band in the game once more, Deacon without a hat, and the child walks underneath them.
A cover of the song has been done by Scatman John
, in which many of the lyrics and instrumentals are replaced with scat singing
.
Butch Hartman
, the creator of Danny Phantom
has said the show's theme song was inspired by the bass line of The Invisible Man.
The video features a then-15-year-old Danniella Westbrook
who joined soap opera
EastEnders
the following year .
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
, written by drummer Roger Taylor. The song is sung mostly by Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
, but Taylor sings on parts of the song. Originally released on the album The Miracle, it was released as a single in 1989. Taylor claims that he got the inspiration to create the song while reading a book (possibly the book of the same name
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
), and the bassline instantly came to his head. This song marks the only time in any of Queen's songs that all four band members names are mentioned in the lyrics. The first being Freddie Mercury, followed by John Deacon. Brian May's name is then mentioned twice (just before his guitar solo starts), and lastly Mercury sings "RRRoger Taylor", rolling the "r" to emulate the drums at the end of the verse.
In the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
, a video game called "The Invisible Man" plays a large part, as a small child is playing a game while the band (all dressed in black), who are the "bad guys" in the game, enter the real world and perform the song in his room, while the boy is trying to shoot them with the game controller. From time to time, Mercury appears in various places in the child's room, vanishing before the boy can shoot him with the video controller. After Mercury emerges from the child's closet with his band in tow, John Deacon removes his cowboy hat and throws it to the floor. In perhaps a futile attempt to emulate him, the boy removes his baseball cap, and dons the other. The screen then shows an image of the band in the game once more, Deacon without a hat, and the child walks underneath them.
A cover of the song has been done by Scatman John
Scatman John
John Paul Larkin , better known by his stage name Scatman John, was an American musician who created a fusion of scat singing and dance music, best known for his 1995 hit "Scatman "....
, in which many of the lyrics and instrumentals are replaced with scat singing
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. Scat singing gives singers the ability to sing improvised melodies and rhythms, to create the equivalent of an instrumental solo using their voice.- Structure and syllable choice...
.
Butch Hartman
Butch Hartman
Elmer Earl "Butch" Hartman IV is an American animator, executive producer, animation director, storyboard artist, voice actor, occasional singer, producer, and creator of the animated series The Fairly OddParents, Danny Phantom and T.U.F.F. Puppy.-Childhood:Hartman was born in Highland Park,...
, the creator of Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom
Danny Phantom is an American animated television series created by Butch Hartman for Nickelodeon, produced by Billionfold Studios. The show was about a teenage half-ghost boy, who frequently saves his town and the world from ghost attacks, while attempting to keep his ghost half a secret...
has said the show's theme song was inspired by the bass line of The Invisible Man.
The video features a then-15-year-old Danniella Westbrook
Danniella Westbrook
Danniella Westbrook is an English actress and television presenter. She is known for being the original actress to play Samantha Mitchell in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders from 1990–93, 1995–96, 1999–2000 and 2009–10. Away from EastEnders she has presented various shows, and was also a...
who joined soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
the following year .
Chart performance
| Chart (1989) | Peak position |
Total weeks |
|---|---|---|
| Dutch Singles Chart | 6 | 12 |
| German Singles Chart | 31 | 12 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 10 | 3 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 21 | ? |
| New Zealand Singles Chart | 15 | 9 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 30 | 1 |
| UK Singles Chart | 12 | 6 |