Love of my Life is a ballad by the British rock band Queen from their 1975 album A Night at the Opera, written by Freddie Mercury about Mary Austin, with whom he had a long term relationship in the early 1970’s.

Freddie Mercury wrote it on the piano and guitar first, and Brian May rearranged the song for acoustic 12-string guitar for live performances.

Freddie Mercury began another long-term relationship with hairdresser Jim Hutton. Hutton, who was tested HIV-positive in 1990, lived with Mercury for the last six years of his life.

He nursed him during his illness and was present at his bedside when he died died on November 24th 1991 at age 45 due to complications from AIDS.

Hutton said Mercury died wearing the wedding band that Hutton had given him.

During the voyage of the space shuttle Columbia, Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, asked to play the song. The song was played in the shuttle and Ramon said:

A special good morning to my wife, Rona, the love of my life. Ramon died in the Columbia disaster shortly thereafter, during its return to the atmosphere in 2003.

Love of my life, you’ve hurt me.
You’ve broken my heart,
and now you leave me.

Love of my life, can’t you see?
Bring it back, bring it back.
Don’t take it away from me.
Because you don’t know
What it means to me.

Love of my life, don’t leave me.
You’ve stolen my love,
And now desert me.

Love of my life, can’t you see?
Bring it back, bring it back.
Don’t take it away from me.
Because you don’t know
What it means to me.

You will remember
When this is blown over.
And everything’s all by the way.
When I grow older,
I will be there at your side.
To remind you how, I still love you.
I still love you.

Back, hurry back.
Don’t take it away from me.
Because you don’t know
What it means to me.
Love of my life.
Love of my life