"Scandal", written by Brian May, but credited to Queen, is about the unwanted attention May and lead singer Freddie Mercury received from the press in the late 1980s, involving May's divorce from his first wife, Chrissie Mullen, and his relationship with actress Anita Dobson and growing media speculation about Mercury's health.

However, changes in his appearance, particularly his weight loss and rather gaunt look, helped fuel speculation that he was seriously ill.[2] May recorded the keyboards and guitars in one take.

[2] The video for the song featured the band performing on a stage designed to look like a newspaper - it was filmed at Pinewood Studios on 27 September 1989.

The original version of the song "My Life Has Been Saved" was featured on the B-Side of the single, before May, Taylor, Deacon and Richards reworked the track for their fifteenth and final studio album Made in Heaven.

The 1995 version replaced the original guitar intro with keyboards played by bassist John Deacon.