Is this the real life-
Is this just fantasy-
Caught in a landslide-
No escape from reality-
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see-
Im just a poor boy,i need no sympathy-
Because Im easy come,easy go,
A little high,little low,
Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me,
To me
Mama,just killed a man,
Put a gun against his head,
Pulled my trigger,now hes dead,
Mama,life had just begun,
But now Ive gone and thrown it all away-
Mama ooo,
Didnt mean to make you cry-
If Im not back again this time tomorrow-
Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters-
Too late,my time has come,
Sends shivers down my spine-
Bodys aching all the time,
Goodbye everybody-Ive got to go-
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth-
Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows)
I dont want to die,
I sometimes wish Id never been born at all-
I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango-
Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-
Galileo,galileo,
Galileo galileo
Galileo figaro-magnifico-
But Im just a poor boy and nobody loves me-
Hes just a poor boy from a poor family-
Spare him his life from this monstrosity-
Easy come easy go-,will you let me go-
Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let him go
Bismillah! we will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go-let me go
Will not let you go let me go
No,no,no,no,no,no,no-
Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go-
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye-
So you think you can love me and leave me to die-
Oh baby-cant do this to me baby-
Just gotta get out-just gotta get right outta here-
Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me,
Any way the wind blows....
Composer and lead vocalist Freddie Mercury for "Bohemian Rhapsody" has chosen to never disclose the true meaning of the song, and has asked all those involved in it's production to remain silent as well. But through a thorough analysis of the songs six sections; introduction, ballad, guitar solo, opera, hard rock, and outro; and details from the life of the composer, some things about this epic tribute to the musical community can be said.
Mercury's background, especially concerning his sexuality, have taken an obvious impact on "Bohemian Rhapsody." The very title links the idea of bohemianism; the artistic ideal of free love and the idea of a life lived on the margins of society, which can be directly connnected to Mercury's homosexuality. The song in and of itself is almost a cry for understanding, a plea to belong.
The introduction of the song includes faint voices coupled with simple piano which adds to the effect it pursues to place on the listener, and that is the questions Mercury himself has about life and his place in it. Is this the real life/Is this just fantasy/Caught in a landslide/No escape from reality. The feelings and emotions conveyed through these lyrics and the very dream-like and melodic nature of the music itself bring about the ideas of acceptance, and whether or not one can really belong in this world. These ideas link back to Mercury's homosexuality, and perhaps even further the idea of loneliness that comes with such a disquieting trait.
Beginning with a more serious tone provided by a heavy bass, we enter the ballad section of the song. At this point the listener hears what seems like almost the confession of a guilty conscience, and one can assume that at this point Mercury and his mother are working to come to terms with his sexuality. By repeating his supposed lack of care about the situation, the hero in fact emphasizes his interest in the situation at hand, which, from the lyrics and serious tone of the song provided by Mercury's lone voice and faint music, is in fact a serious occurence. Mama just killed a man/Put a gun against his head/Pulled my trigger now he's dead Mercury specifically sings "my trigger" because he takes the blame on himself. He feels the pain of his mother and brings his sexuality and himself as the only reason. He goes on to say Didn't mean to make you cry, and then states that he is leaving. At this point in the song's plot we can assume that the hero is leaving home from utter shame of himself and what he is. Too late,my time has come/Sends shivers down my spine/Bodys aching all the time This part of the ballad can be linked to the feelings of puberty and any normal sexual blossoming, yet in the case of homosexuality, it only adds to the fear and hatred that the hero feels for his body. The section ends with very fatalistic lyrics as Mercury sings that he "doesn't want to die," but "sometimes i wish i'd never been born at all."
The guitar solo follows the same structure as the ballad, in that in starts very soft but moves quickly to fast-paced, almost nervous sound, as if the music in itself is anxious to hear what occurs next. Then, all of a sudden, the solo breaks off and is replaced by the simple piano beat once more. This symbolizes the hero's confused mind finally coming to rest and absolution, and moving from the hectic experiences with his mother to the dream-like state where we first heard the piano.
The opera section follows, and the most noticeable part is the mentioning of various names in a repeated fashion, breaking the rhythm of the song and giving the listener the feeling of a struggle. The most prominent name shouted by the feuding symphonies is "Bismillah," which derives itself from the Islamic Qur'an and is part of a phrase which concerns itself with God and obeying his wishes. This brings in the idea of religion and therefore some sort of evil. Mercury at this point, from the evidence provided, is fighting with himself over the morality of his being. We will not let him go/Let him go, these lyrics are sung by what can be assumed to be both sides of morality, or in fact angels and demons as they feud over the wretched soul that is Mercury. "We will not let him go" is sung by a much more masculine and lower choir while "Let him go" is sung by a feminine and almost angelic choir, which coincides well with the idea of the hero's soul being in constant chaos. The section ends with Beezlebub has a devil set aside for me. Beezlebub is another name for Satan himself, and Mercury at this point is outwardly recognizing the immorallity of his sexual preferences, but how he sings this particular lyric does not convey a sense of sadness, but more of defiance.
This feeling of defiance is greatly stressed in the proximal hard rock section, where it seems the the hero has finally come to terms with himself and may even be considered proud through the very sound of Mercury's voice as he no longer whispers or sings melodically, but shouts and screams in a victorious fashion. The music too becomes heavier and a sense of rebellion is imposed on the listener. So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye/So you think you can love me and leave me to die/Oh baby-cant do this to me baby. These lyrics refer back to the earlier ballad section, and to the mother of the hero. Instead of holding fast to his prior stance of self-loathing, the hero takes a stronger stance and fights his own mother, whom he realizes was the only real source of his pain through her utter spite of his sexuality. Just gotta get out/Just gotta get right out of here ends the hard rock section, and adds to the sense of the hero's leaving of his prior self and situation as her pursues a better like of self-acceptance. It should be noted that Mercury was never recorded to ever feud with his mother over the subject of his homosexuality, but "mama" can be linked to his ex-wife Mary, which would add greater meaning to the lyrics, especially the final two lines of this section in referrance to his marriage.
The song ends just as it began in a quiet and dream-like outro, but instead of a feeling of building up towards a climax, the listener feels a quiet dying down and resolution to everything that has happened. Mercury repeats, Nothing really matters/nothing really matters to me, yet at this point it is not so much a question or cover-up, but a acceptance of a way of life. It is sung in a quiet yet content tone which leaves the listener with a feeling of closure. The line in itself is bohemianistic, and coincides with the idea of homosexuality and how to live with it. Throughout the whole song we hear the story of a blossoming outcast and his confrontation with just what makes him different, yet we also take a closer look at the troubled life of Freddie Mercury, and just what makes this song and it's lyrics so meaningful to the masses
