YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND

This is one of the best examples of clever-meets-catchy: the song combines unusual details (off the twelve chords, seven are non-diatonic and there are a couple of rare ones) with repetitiveness ("oh you make me live" is one nine times), enhanced by a marvellous production and some outstanding performance in all instruments and voices.

Best Friend was John's first hit, and remains a favourite of many. It's part of Deacy's old tradition of addressing his lyrics in second person ("don't you misfire", You And I, Who Needs You, If You Can't Beat Them, Need Your Loving Tonight).

General Information:

Music & Lyrics by: John Deacon
Arranged by: John Deacon
Written: 1975
Length: 2:50
Released on: 21st November 1975

Produced by: Queen & Roy Thomas Baker
Mixed by: Roy Thomas Baker
Engineered by: Mike Stone & Gary Lyons

Recorded: August - November 1975
 Recorded at: Monmouth and/or London

Keys: C, Am
Metre: 4/4
Form: Cyclic

Acoustic Drums: Roger Taylor
Electric Basses: John Deacon
Electric Guitars: Brian May
Percussion: Uncredited
Electric Piano: John Deacon

Lead Vocals: Freddie Mercury
Backing Vocals: Queen

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Form:

A
A'
A'
A'
A'
A'
A'
A'/2
B
C
B'
C'
D
E
A
A'/2
A"
E'
D'
B"
A
A'
A'
A'
A'
A'/2
B
C
B'
C'
D
E
A
A'/2
A"
E'
D'
F
A
A"'
A"'
A'
A""
A""'
A"""

As in other songs of his (e.g. Another One Bites the Dust), there's a recurring theme appearing many many times, yet the track doesn't sound at all monotone. There are some nice Deacon-esque details such as melodic variants (in the verses), foreshadowing I Want to Break Free.

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Harmony:

A Phrase:
C
C
I
I
A' Phrase:
Dm/C
C
ii
I
A" Phrase:
C
E-13/G#
Am
C7/Bb
I
V-vi
vi
V-IV
A"' Phrase:
Fm
C
iv
I
A"" Phrase:
Dm/C
C
G
ii
I
V
A""' Phrase:
C
G
C
G
I
V
I
V
A""" Phrase:
C
G
C
I
V
I
B Phrase:
C
G
Am
I
V
vi
B' Phrase:
C
G
Am
I
V
vi
B" Phrase:
C
G
I
V
C Phrase:
D
F
G
V-V
IV
V
C' Phrase:
D
F
V-V
IV
D Phrase:
G
E/G#
Am
V
V-vi
vi
D' Phrase:
G
E/G#
Am
D
V
V-vi
vi
V-V
E Phrase:
G
F
Fm
V
IV
iv
E' Phrase:
F
Fm
IV
iv
F Phrase:
G
V
"V"

Omitting alterations and passing chords, we've got eight functions: I, ii, II, III, iv, IV, V and vi, the same as in You And I. John would use a V-V > IV > iv chain of chords two years later in Spread Your Wings.

The Am > D > F > G progression appears in U2's One (verse), and the very ear-pleasing C > E > Am shows up in ABBA's One of Us and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Gethsemane (from Jesus Christ Superstar).

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Arrangement:

John often had two of everything: two almost identical Fender P-Basses, two consoles for mixing his sound on stage, etc. And this track was recorded with that pattern as well: two percussion ensembles (drums and handclaps), two piano's (main and overdubs), two lead vocal tracks (they cross paths at the beginning of the middle-eight) and two basses (one doing the principal part, the other being restricted to some occasional ornaments, as in Love of My Life).

Section
Instruments
Vocals
Intro

Two Piano's

Drums (at the end only)
1st Chorus
Add bass & handclaps
Tutti-solo alternations
1st Verse
No changes

Lead

Harmonies only appear near the end ("oh")
1st Middle-Eight
No changes

Two overlapping lead parts

Antiphonal choir
2nd Chorus
Add multi-tracked guitars
Same as 1st
2nd Verse
No changes
Same as 1st
2nd Middle-Eight
Harmonised guitar solo
Ad-libbing lead only
Break (from "happy at home" until before "oh you make me live")
Full ensemble

Lead

Antiphonal choir
Outro
Full ensemble

Harmonised lead

Antiphonal choir

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Chromatic Progressions:

There are two very interesting bits in the harmony, the first being a six-bar chain of chords with an interesting chromatic inner line:

Right-Hand Chords:
C
C+
C6
C7
F
Fm
G
E
Am
D
Bass:
C
G#
A
Bb
F
F
G
G#
A
D
Piano Inner Line:
G
G#
A
Bb
A
G#
G
G#
A
Vocal Inner Line:
C
B
A
Bb
A
G#
G
G#
A
D

The second one is the last "happy at home":

Syllable:
"Ha"
"ppy"
"at"
"home"
Sustained Vox:
G5
G5
G5
G5
Piano Chord:
C5
C5
C5
C5
Voice 1:
F
E
Eb
D
Voice 2:
B
Bb
A
G
Bass:
D
Eb
E
G
A
C
D
A
Possible Implied Chords:
C9-11-M7/D
C9-11M7/Eb
C7-9-11/E
C7-9-11/G
Cm6-9/A
Cm6-9
C/D
C9/A
G7-11/D
G7-11/Eb
Gm6-11/E
Gm6-11
G9-11-13/A
G9-11-13/C
Gsus4/D
Gsus4/A
Dm6-11
Eb+M7-13
Ehalfdim
Gm6-11
Ahalfdim
Cm6-9
Gsus4/D
Am7-add10

John may have been influenced by Barbershop Quartets for these chromatic chords (and the strong use of minor sevenths). Deacy would employ jazzy chords in his future compositions too (e.g. Spread Your Wings, In Only Seven Days).

Another possible inspiration could've been The Beatles and their fabulous Paperback Writer, which John cited in a mid-70's magazine as his favourite song:

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Live Versions:

On stage, You're My Best Friend received a rather different arrangement:

- Shorter form (after the first cycle they went straight to the solo).

- Guitar playing throughout.

- Acoustic grand piano (played by Freddie) with some different bits here and there.

- Two-part harmonies by Roger and Brian (much less prominent than in the studio version).

- The last "happy at home" isn't harmonised and is done over C > G.

- Loads of melodic alterations.

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