Yesterday I talked about the two MacLeods from the Highlander series, but since I’ve already brought up this franchise, it would feel incomplete not to mention the film’s music.
True fans know, but many people never even stop to think about what music played in Highlander or who performed it. And yet, the soundtrack definitely played a big role in the film’s popularity, since it was created by none other than the mega-popular band Queen. In fact, based on songs written for a couple of films (including Highlander), they released the album A Kind of Magic.
It included the following tracks featured in Highlander:
- A Kind of Magic
- One Year of Love
- Who Wants to Live Forever
- Gimme the Prize
- Princes of the Universe
All of these songs were written specifically for the movie, which is clearly reflected in their lyrics. Among them, two tracks gained the most widespread popularity.
The role of the other three is also important in the film, so first briefly about them:
- “A Kind of Magic” is built on the main character’s phrase, and the text contains many references to plot events
- “One Year of Love” is essentially the main love theme, the longing due to an immortal’s love for a mortal
- “Gimme the Prize” is the main theme of the film’s primary villain
As for the other two, I’m sure almost everyone knows them, even if they don’t suspect their origin
“Who Wants to Live Forever” (“who wants to live forever”) — one of my most favorite songs of the band in general. It essentially became the main theme of the entire first film, and later appeared in the sequels as well. The song was written by Brian May. And there is a difference between the movie version and the album version. In the film, the entire song is performed by the group’s lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, while on the album, the first verse and several other lines are performed by Brian May himself.
A similar fate awaited the song “Princes of the Universe.” And fans of the TV series “Highlander” know it even more than the first one. Although it was also originally written for the film and played in it, later it became the main theme of the series, where it always accompanied the opening credits.
This song is entirely authored by Freddie Mercury. And in the official music video for it, not only are scenes from the film used, but the lead actor who played Connor MacLeod – Christopher Lambert – also participates.
So, that’s the continuation of the story of the “Highlander” cinematic universe.
