--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For a time I didn't want to answer any…" description: "\"For a time I didn't want to answer any questions about Queen. I'd like to be viewed as something alive and relevant, not some fossil.\" — Brian May" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fc/brian-may-8348_alive_for-a-time-i-didn-t-want-to-answer-any-q_1221693.jpg" --- # For a time I didn't want to answer any questions about… ![“For a time I didn't want to answer any questions about Queen. I'd like to be viewed as something alive and relevant, not some fossil.” quote by Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fc/brian-may-8348_alive_for-a-time-i-didn-t-want-to-answer-any-q_1221693.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fc/brian-may-8348_alive_for-a-time-i-didn-t-want-to-answer-any-q_1221693.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fc/brian-may-8348_alive_for-a-time-i-didn-t-want-to-answer-any-q_1221693.jpg) > “For a time I didn't want to answer any questions about Queen. I'd like to be viewed as something alive and relevant, not some fossil.” [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Desires relevance and vitality, rejecting being seen as outdated or inert. **In simple terms:** Wants to be seen as alive, not a fossil. Key Takeaway Seek growth, avoid stagnation. Themes relevance identity age Mood determined hopeful Type personal motivational When to use this quote - career reinvention - public speaking - new projects - media appearances Key Concepts personal evolution cultural impact Questions to Reflect On - What defines relevance for you? - How can you stay vital in a changing world? A Different Perspective Fear of becoming irrelevant can limit risk‑taking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Answers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/answers/) [Didn Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/didn-want/) [Fossils](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fossils/) [Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queen/) [Queen Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queen-like-2453282/) [Queens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/queens/) [Questions Queen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/questions-queen-3743698/) [Relevant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relevant/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Answer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-answer-267731/) ## Related quotes > [Find a man that treats you like a QUEEN not like a HOE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/find-a-man-that-treats-you-like-a-queen-not-like-a-hoe/) [Sonya Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [“But you are my queen. No one but you. And I like seeing you wear it. Because as long as you do, I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soman-chainani/but-you-are-my-queen-no-one-but-you-and-i-like-seeing-you-wear-it/) [Soman Chainani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soman-chainani/) > [I guess a drag queen's like an oil painting: You gotta stand back from it to get the full effect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-fierstein/i-guess-a-drag-queen-s-like-an-oil-painting-you-gotta-stand-back-from/) [Harvey Fierstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-fierstein/) > [I have nothing to complain about.. except maybe people wondering if a queen like me can be butch-it-up enough to play a convincing straight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupert-everett/i-have-nothing-to-complain-about-except-maybe-people-wondering-if-a/) [Rupert Everett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupert-everett/) > [At the moment the Queen stuff does sell really well, but there's no guarantee it'll go on forever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/at-the-moment-the-queen-stuff-does-sell-really-well-but-there-s-no/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [There are a lot of things in Queen albums that you don't expect; that's why we threw them in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/there-are-a-lot-of-things-in-queen-albums-that-you-don-t-expect-that/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [I spent 20 years of my life building up Queen, and now I'm spending years of my life trying to get away from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/i-spent-20-years-of-my-life-building-up-queen-and-now-i-m-spending/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [We wouldn't have put it out with the name Queen on it if we didn't think it was musically up to scratch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/we-wouldn-t-have-put-it-out-with-the-name-queen-on-it-if-we-didn-t/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [When I'm gone, people will no doubt remember me for Queen, but I would much rather be remembered for attempting to change the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/when-i-m-gone-people-will-no-doubt-remember-me-for-queen-but-i-would/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [“Q What makes a question “beautiful”? A beautiful question reframes an issue and forces you to look at it in a different way. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/q-what-makes-a-question-beautiful-a-beautiful-question-reframes-an/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I do not want to know things, I want to understand things. I want to answer every question ever posed me. I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzi-lee/i-do-not-want-to-know-things-i-want-to-understand-things-i-want-to/) [Mackenzi Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzi-lee/) > [If you want the answer to anything, go sit in Nature for awhile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/if-you-want-the-answer-to-anything-go-sit-in-nature-for-awhile/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [“To be with you. To be with you, Oliver. With or without my bathing suit. To be with you on my bed. In your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/to-be-with-you-to-be-with-you-oliver-with-or-without-my-bathing-suit/) [André Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“Be sure you want the answer before you ask the question.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-mcbride/be-sure-you-want-the-answer-before-you-ask-the-question/) [Carolyn McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-mcbride/) > [I ask my friend -what is your story?- because I want to give the answer of mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ask-my-friend-what-is-your-story-because-i-want-to-give-the-answer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Brian May > [I go through major crises every few months, but then I have great peaks of belief and creativity. I'm a weird kind of animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/i-go-through-major-crises-every-few-months-but-then-i-have-great/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [Mantovani was a great influence on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/mantovani-was-a-great-influence-on-me/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [Not for a million - years. I mean, I like the INXS boys, but I found the process very degrading, really. Reality television has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/not-for-a-million-years-i-mean-i-like-the-inxs-boys-but-i-found-the/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [Everybody thought I was a bit of an eccentric for wanting to be out there looking at the stars, but I still do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/everybody-thought-i-was-a-bit-of-an-eccentric-for-wanting-to-be-out/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [There are a lot of things in Queen albums that you don't expect; that's why we threw them in](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/there-are-a-lot-of-things-in-queen-albums-that-you-don-t-expect-that/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [I spent 20 years of my life building up Queen, and now I'm spending years of my life trying to get away from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/i-spent-20-years-of-my-life-building-up-queen-and-now-i-m-spending/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [You want to go in the steam bath to get your vocals sounding well, but you don't want your fingers to get soft.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/you-want-to-go-in-the-steam-bath-to-get-your-vocals-sounding-well-but/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [To my mind Keep Yourself Alive was never really satisfactory. Never had that magic that it should have had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/to-my-mind-keep-yourself-alive-was-never-really-satisfactory-never/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [The potential audience seems to be dwindling in the states. I was kind of embarrassed for the band because of the size of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/the-potential-audience-seems-to-be-dwindling-in-the-states-i-was-kind/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [I'm into paradoxes. I wanted to make an album about them, but the group told me I was a pretentious fart. They were right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/i-m-into-paradoxes-i-wanted-to-make-an-album-about-them-but-the-group/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [The Wedding March has a bit of a death march in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/the-wedding-march-has-a-bit-of-a-death-march-in-it/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [Every time I listen to Jeff Beck my whole view of guitar changes radically. He's way, way out, doing things you never expect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/every-time-i-listen-to-jeff-beck-my-whole-view-of-guitar-changes/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [When I'm gone, people will no doubt remember me for Queen, but I would much rather be remembered for attempting to change the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/when-i-m-gone-people-will-no-doubt-remember-me-for-queen-but-i-would/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [There are times when I've been feeling something and played a solo that I've never been able to repeat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/there-are-times-when-i-ve-been-feeling-something-and-played-a-solo/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) > [We wouldn't have put it out with the name Queen on it if we didn't think it was musically up to scratch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-may/we-wouldn-t-have-put-it-out-with-the-name-queen-on-it-if-we-didn-t/) [Brian May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) [Explore all 81 Brian May quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-may/) ## More Alive quotes > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/) [Adam Ant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-ant/) > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [We must master our egoism, and through this mastery, step outside ourselves and educate ourselves in giving. Fasting requires that we rediscover all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tariq-ramadan/we-must-master-our-egoism-and-through-this-mastery-step-outside/) [Tariq Ramadan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tariq-ramadan/) > [I can't say that there are 'things' that make me come alive. There are thoughts that make me come alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/i-can-t-say-that-there-are-things-that-make-me-come-alive-there-are/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [We're like the wicked witch. We promise gingerbread, then eat the little brats alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/we-re-like-the-wicked-witch-we-promise-gingerbread-then-eat-the/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [If Jovan Belcher didn't possess a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-costas/if-jovan-belcher-didn-t-possess-a-gun-he-and-kasandra-perkins-would/) [Bob Costas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-costas/) > [Peace is an ongoing process. It begins with the first step and it does not end. We, all of us alive today, are the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-krieger/peace-is-an-ongoing-process-it-begins-with-the-first-step-and-it-does/) [David Krieger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-krieger/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [The pain of love is the pain of being alive. It is a perpetual wound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/the-pain-of-love-is-the-pain-of-being-alive-it-is-a-perpetual-wound/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [If Melanchthon were alive today, he might not weep because of controversies that surround the Lord's Supper, but he might well sorrow because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erwin-w-lutzer/if-melanchthon-were-alive-today-he-might-not-weep-because-of/) [Erwin W. Lutzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erwin-w-lutzer/) > [If you’re alive, don’t move, if you’re dead, don’t worry about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/if-you-re-alive-don-t-move-if-you-re-dead-don-t-worry-about-it/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [Here Greek and Roman find themselves alive along these crowded shelves; and Shakespeare treads again his stage, and Chaucer paints anew his age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-greenleaf-whittier/here-greek-and-roman-find-themselves-alive-along-these-crowded/) [John Greenleaf Whittier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-greenleaf-whittier/) > [You're alive!" Fezzik cried. The man in black sat immobile, like a ventriloquist's dummy, just his mouth moving. "That is perhaps the most childishly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-goldman/you-re-alive-fezzik-cried-the-man-in-black-sat-immobile-like-a/) [William Goldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-goldman/) [Browse all 7,282 Alive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For a time I didn't want to answer any questions about Queen. 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