'39

"'39" is a song on the Queen album A Night at the Opera. It is a skiffle (folk) song written and sung by guitarist Brian May. It is a science-fiction song about a man who goes space-travelling for a hundred years but comes back one year older thanks to special relativity.

However the lyrics, at some stages of the song, imply volunteers setting sail for battle in World War II. Brian based the song around a story by Herman Hesse called "The River".

It was released as the B-side to You're My Best Friend. Bassist John Deacon plays an upright bass.