Credits

• Written by: Queen
• Produced by: Queen and Mack
• Musicians:

Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, sampler

Brian May - guitars, synthesizer, sampler

John Deacon - bass guitar

Roger Taylor - drums, electronic drums

• Length: 5:08

Discography

Albums:

	A Kind Of Magic, 1986
	Live Magic, 1986
	Greatest Hits II, 1991
	Classic Queen, 1992
	Live At Wembley '86, 1992

Singles:

	One Vision (single), 1985
	A Kind Of Magic, 1988 3" CD Single

Alternate Versions:

• Classic Queen (4:38) No outro/Hybrid Edit - US Hollywood HR-61311-2
• 7" Edit - Greatest Hits II: Parlophone CDP 79 7971 2
• Blurred Vision B-Side - EMI 12 Queen 6
• Karaoke Instrumental - Japan Toshiba EMI TOLW - 3249.50
• 12" Extended - AKOM: US 1991 Hollywood HR-61152-2
• 1998 eYe Instrumental Edit “30 - Electronic Arts DDE05501 101S
• 1998 eYe Instrumental Edit 2:24 - Electronic Arts DDE05501 101S
• Intro Edit: 34” - Total Guitar CD Magazine
• US Promo 3:46 Edit - Capitol 7PRO-9546/9547

Queen Talks

"Freddie was on the phone, and he wanted to go back into the studio and do some more recording. So, in the end, we went back into the studio, and we actually recorded another single. It was his idea, really, that we could go in and actually write a song together. In fact, I was late getting to the recording sessions because I was on holiday at the time, but it's credited as a Queen composition, but to be honest, I would say it was mainly Roger, Brian, and Freddie that did most of the writing for it."

John Deacon - 1985, Greatest Video Hits 2 DVD

"The original words were actually about Martin Luther King, Jr., and now I haven't got a clue what it's about! Somebody said it was about Bob Geldof, but I don't think it is."

Do you know the meaning of the original set of lyrics?

"No, not anymore! Well, they changed my words!"

Who did?

"That rotter Freddie!"

Roger Taylor - 1986

When answering accusations that the single was a cash-in on Live Aid..

"I was absolutely devastated when I saw that in the press. It was a terrible mistake, and I was really annoyed about it. Some public relations person got hold of the wrong end of the stick. I went absolutely bananas when I saw that."

Roger Taylor - 1986

When answering accusations that the single was a cash-in on Live Aid..

"We do a lot of stuff for charities, but 'One Vision' was a way of getting back to what we're doing. And if we didn't run ourselves as a business, we wouldn't be around for the next Live Aid. We're not in the full-time business of charity at all. We're in the business of making music, which is a good enough end in itself."

Brian May - 1986

"There's a lot of influences on here: the drum solo on here is just an opportunity to do strange, psychedelic things."

Brian May - 2003, Greatest Video Hits 2 DVD commentary

"It was basically my lyric with the others putting in the odd line. It was a good collaboration of that song."

Roger Taylor - 2003, Greatest Video Hits 2 DVD commentary

"We made a very rare decision to have documentary cameras in there while we were recording, but the documentary cameras actually ruined the whole thing, because I think everyone was so conscious of them being there – everyone sort of played to the cameras. And when I watch any pieces of that now, I think it's totally false."

Brian May - 2003, Greatest Video Hits 2 DVD commentary

Additional Information

• The band allowed cameras to film them writing and recording the song at Musicland Studios in September 1985, which was then edited into a promotional video and a twenty minute documentary, later released on Magic Years.
• The opening distorted voices say: "God works in mysterious ways" (said by Freddie) and "Mysterious ways" (said by Brian).

Covers

Cover Versions

Chords & Tabs

• chords

Lyrics