Queen's “We Are the Champions” completes the lyric “I've taken my bows and my curtain...” with “calls.”
Freddie Mercury wrote the song, which presents victory through the language of performance: bows, applause and a final curtain call. That theatrical imagery helps explain why the song became closely linked with sporting celebrations, even though it was not written specifically for a particular competition.
Queen released the track in 1977 as a double A-side single with “We Will Rock You.” Both songs appeared on the album News of the World and were recorded during a period when the band was simplifying its sound for a direct, arena-sized impact.
The song is often confused with “We Will Rock You” because the two are frequently played together at stadiums. They are separate Queen songs, and “We Are the Champions” is the one centered on triumph and the singer's victory claim.