Brian May started writing the song in Tenerife, while he was working for his Ph.D. as an astronomer. He composed the riff on a Spanish guitar, and woke up early one morning and played it while singing “tie your mother down,” a line he considered a joke. Vocalist Freddie Mercury encouraged him to keep the line saying, “it reminds me of something that happened once, darling”. Thus emerged this rocking tune about wanting some privacy with your lover, even if it means taking some aggressive measures…