Queen Mark Their First And Last Appearance On SNL With, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”

Saturday Night Live, 1982

To add to their already impressive résumé, British rockers Queen set the bar impossibly high when they appeared on Lorne Michaels’ iconic Saturday Night Live in 1982. It was their only performance on the hit variety show, and their final performance in America – and in true Queen fashion, they went out with a bang! The band performed two sets that evening; one consisting of ‘Under Pressure’, and another consisting of a rowdy rendition of ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’.

It seems like no matter what the audience – 90,000 people at Wembley in the UK or an episode of Saturday Night Live, Queen treated it like any other Queen performance and gave the audience a night to remember.

Freddie Mercury was at the best he’s ever been, despite losing his voice that morning; ever the consummate performer, he took the stage with a level of professionalism and energy that modern entertainers could and should take lessons from!

If this had to be the final performance that Queen would ever give with Freddie Mercury in the United States, then we’re so very, very glad that it was immortalized on one of the most iconic shows in American history!

+ Crazy Little Thing Called Love lyrics +

This thing called love, I just can’t handle it
This thing called love, I must get round to it
I ain’t ready
Crazy little thing called love

This thing (this thing)
Called love (called love)
It cries (like a baby)
In a cradle all night
It swings (woo woo)
It jives (woo woo)
It shakes all over like a jelly fish
I kinda like it
Crazy little thing called love

There goes my baby
She knows how to rock ‘n’ roll
She drives me crazy
She gives me hot and cold fever
Then she leaves me in a cool cool sweat

I gotta be cool, relax, get hip
And get on my track’s
Take a back seat, hitch-hike
And take a long ride on my motorbike
Until I’m ready
Crazy little thing called love

I gotta be cool, relax, get hip
And get on my track’s
Take a back seat (ah hum), hitch-hike (ah hum)
And take a long ride on my motorbike
Until I’m ready (ready Freddie)
Crazy little thing called love

This thing called love, I just can’t handle it
This thing called love, I must get round to it
I ain’t ready
Ooh ooh ooh ooh

Crazy little thing called love
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah
Crazy little thing called love, yeah, yeah