A shimmering pop-rock beacon of hope from Queen's 1984 album The Works, "Keep Passing the Open Windows" is Freddie Mercury's lyrical lifeline, inspired by John Irving's 1981 novel The Hotel New Hampshire and its film adaptation—originally slated for the soundtrack before scheduling conflicts intervened. With Mercury's soaring vocals over Brian May's intricate guitars and a buoyant synth pulse, the song confronts the abyss of loneliness, failure, and suicidal temptation head-on, only to rise with anthemic choruses urging "just believe" and the titular mantra: a subtle nod to resisting the "open windows" of despair. Penned amid Queen's post-Hot Space reinvention, it weaves raw vulnerability ("wake up screaming in the middle of the night") with defiant optimism ("love is all you need"), echoing Beatles wisdom while affirming self-reliance in a world of sorrow. A deep cut that resonated during the Works Tour, where audiences chanted along, it stands as Queen's compassionate call to surround yourself in fantasy, forget the sadness, and keep passing those windows—because this is the only life, and tomorrow's sunny feeling is just a belief away.
The Works -
Keep Passing The Open Windows
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Lyric line
Interpretation & Notes
Intro — Affirmation of life 0:00–0:20
1
This is the only life for me (Yeah)
Embraces the present life fully, rejecting despair.
2
Surround myself around my own fantasy
Advocates creating personal joy through imagination.
3
You just gotta be strong
Urges inner strength as key to endurance.
4
And believe in yourself
Emphasizes self-belief for overcoming adversity.
5
Forget all the sadness
Encourages letting go of past pain.
6
'Cause love is all you need
Echoes Beatles' wisdom, positing love as life's essence.
7
Love is all you need
Repeats for affirmation.
Verse 1 — Loneliness and failure 0:20–0:50
8
Do you know what it is like
Invites empathy for profound isolation.
9
To be alone in this world
Describes existential solitude.
10
When you're down and out on your luck
Captures rock-bottom misfortune.
11
And you're a failure?
Confronts self-perceived worthlessness.
12
Wake up screaming in the middle of the night
Depicts night terrors from despair.
13
You think it's all been a waste of time
Reflects regret and futility.
14
It's been a bad year
Summarizes prolonged hardship.
15
You start believing
Shifts to fleeting hope.
16
Everything's gonna be alright
Grasps at optimism.
17
Next minute you're down
Highlights emotional volatility.
18
And you're flat on your back
Depicts sudden relapse.
Pre-Chorus — Renewed hope 0:50–1:10
19
A brand new day's beginning
Offers dawn as a symbol of fresh starts.
20
Get that sunny feeling
Encourages embracing positivity.
21
And you're on your way
Signals momentum toward recovery.
22
Just believe
Calls for faith in oneself.
Chorus — Resilience mantra 1:10–1:40
23
Just keep passing the open windows
Metaphor for resisting suicide, from John Irving's novel.
24
Just keep passing the open windows
Repeats for hypnotic reinforcement of endurance.
Verse 2 — Isolation and despair 1:40–2:10
25
Do you know how it feels
Renews the empathetic question.
26
When you don't have a friend
Describes friendless alienation.
Keep Passing the Open Windows — Tech Specs
Album
The Works (1984)
Released
19 February 1984 (album track)
Recorded
1983–1984, Record Plant Studios (Los Angeles) & Musicland Studios (Munich)
Genre
Rock / Pop rock
Length
5:21
Producer(s)
Queen & Reinhold Mack
Composer
Freddie Mercury (credited to Queen)
Band Line-up
Freddie Mercury – lead & backing vocals, piano
Brian May – guitars, backing vocals
Roger Taylor – drums, percussion, backing vocals
John Deacon – bass guitar, rhythm guitar
Brian May – guitars, backing vocals
Roger Taylor – drums, percussion, backing vocals
John Deacon – bass guitar, rhythm guitar
Technical Personnel
Reinhold Mack – producer, engineer
Notable Features
Originally written by Freddie Mercury in 1977 for the abandoned soundtrack of the film Hotel New Hampshire.
Title references the novel’s recurring phrase symbolizing resilience and the will to live.
Lyrically uplifting, encouraging perseverance through hard times.
Driven by piano and layered with energetic guitar riffs and powerful harmonies.
Though not released as a single, it remains a hidden gem in Queen’s 1980s catalogue.
Title references the novel’s recurring phrase symbolizing resilience and the will to live.
Lyrically uplifting, encouraging perseverance through hard times.
Driven by piano and layered with energetic guitar riffs and powerful harmonies.
Though not released as a single, it remains a hidden gem in Queen’s 1980s catalogue.