Mercury himself never performed the song live, as he died in November 1991 from AIDS at the age of 45, and his final performance with Queen was at the end of The Magic Tour, at Knebworth Park on 9 August 1986. The song is sung mainly by Mercury, with May singing on the choruses and middle eight.
The song was first played live on 20 April 1992, three years after its release, during The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, performed by the three remaining members of Queen, with Roger Daltrey singing lead vocals and Tony Iommi playing rhythm guitar.
The title stems from a catchphrase of Anita Dobson, later Brian May's second wife: "I want it all and I want it now!".
"I Want It All" is notably heavy and features themes relating to rebellion and social upheaval.
The single version of the song was available as a playable track in the 2009 music video game Guitar Hero: Van Halen.