Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May has confessed he pulled up the band's frontman Freddie Mercury over a metaphor in one of their most famous songs. The 78-year-old musician and astrophysicist made the admission during an appearance on the Sci Fri podcast. The presenter raised the subject of their song Don't Stop Me Now, which featured on their 1978 album Jazz and reached numer 9 in the UK charts when it was released as a single in January 1979. Describing it as one of her favourites she pointed out it "uses space as a metaphor for pleasure".

Reflecting on the track Brian responded: "I remember berating Freddie for saying that he was travelling at the speed of light. I go: 'Freddie, you cannot travel at the speed of light. I'm sorry'. And he said,: I don't f****** care' - sorry for my French, but you can't really quote Freddie without using those words," he quipped adding: "But you know, it's all about fun and joy."

Although it contains one of his most famous guitar solos he previously revealed that almost didn't happen as Freddie Mercury was insisting the track was a "piano song".

“Freddie saw it very much as a piano song, a la Elton John, really. Powerhouse piano, powerhouse vocal, and that’s it. So I played lots of rhythm guitar on it, and Freddie still said, ‘No, no, no, no – it’s a piano song!’ That was a bit disappointing," he admitted.

He added: "But he did [then] say, ‘Well, it does need a solo. I need you to take over the vocal.’"

Brian said once he was given the go ahead he could "sort of hear the solo in my head before I actually picked up the guitar to do it".

Describing it as "a kind of little diversion"and a "counter melody" he told Total Guitar "I sometimes feel a bit apologetic about it."

However he condceded he is happy with the finished product as he feels it enhances the energy on a song that is already high energy.

The track has proven to be hugely enduring and in 2021 it was voted Britons' 'most motivational track' in a study of 2,000 adults.