Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody Meaning
Song Released: 1975
Covered By: Panic! At The Disco (2016), Pentatonix (2017)
Bohemian Rhapsody Lyrics
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go
Little high, little low
Any way...
-
"Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango"
Scaramouch= Lawyer or judge (in this case)
Will you do the Fandango= Basically asking for mercy, or a mistrial.
so I think it means: "Judge, Are you too afraid of this poor man to give him a fair chance?
...... I think. It makes sense in my head. -
Just one line for me. "Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango".
Scaramouche is a character in comedia dell'arte and became the clown that Punch kills, by literally knocking his block off, in Punch and Judy. The name is used generally for puppets with extendable necks.
Fandango suggests the phrase "dancing the hemp fandango".
Putting these together shows the line to mean that the man is about to have his neck stretched, that is, to be hanged. -
I think the beginning
*Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy? *
is the narrator talking about him being on a drug addiction and he is high then it flashes forward to
*Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality*
he is in truble and he is scared but then it flashes back agen to
*Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy (Poor boy)
I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go
Little high, little low
Any way the wind blows
Doesn't really matter to me, to me*
he's high and care free but then it continues to
*Mama just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life has just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away*
he had killed someone most-likely because of the drugs and now he's calling his mom or perhaps talking to her in person telling here
*Mama, ooh
Didn't mean to make you cry*
shes crying and he apologizes
*If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters*
he tells her that if he doesn't come back tomorrow its because he's bean caught
*Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time*
hes bean hiding out and now he feals guilty and is sick of it and dusnt want to keap it up
*Goodbye, everybody
I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth*
hes going to give him self up and face the judge but he's scared
*Mama, oooooooh (Anyway the wind blows)
I don't want to die
Sometimes wish I'd never been born at all*
hes thinks hell be sentenced with death
*I see a little silhouetto of a man*
hes trying to escape from prison and someone sees him
*Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango*
the gardes are all trying to cach him and ones yelling at them a kind of hurry! hurry! stop dancing around (fandango is a dance)
*Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening me*
its thundering and he's scared
*(Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro
Magnifico-o-o-o-o *
he was caught and is referring to the judge (Magnifico is a high ranking person)
*I'm just a poor boy nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity*
he and his family (and perhaps a lier) are begging for him to be speared from death
*Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?*
he explained he's not violent he's Easy come, easy go
and once agin begs for his life
*Bismillah! No, we will not let you go *
they refuses to let him go (Bismillah is kind of a may god have sympathy on you)
*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) (Never, never, never, never)
Let me go, o, o, o, o
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Oh mama mia, mama mia) Mama Mia, let me go*
they fight back and forth he losses
*Beelzebub has the devil put aside for me, for me, for me!*
(beelzebub is like satin) he beleaves the devil has pute aside a spot in hell for him
*So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye
So you think you can love me and leave me to die*
hes bitter cause every one has left him and he is condemned to die
*Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here*
hes in a panic just thinking that he needs to escape the prison cell they are holding him in as he wates for his exicution
*Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me
Any way the wind blows*
the slowing down of the tempo an the sad finality of his voice suggests that these are his last thoughts before his death -
Firstly I would like to address all the people who are telling people that Freddie and Brian may have publicly stated that it is random meaningless nonsense are the people genius' will joke about.
I do not know what this song means, no one does... but one thing I would bet my life on is it is not random nonsense!
During the Renaissance period many intellectual artists such as Da vinci and Michelangelo use to have great fun hiding messages in their work... and still today people are seeing messages that previously had been cleverly hidden. But they would never admit to them or tell anyone what they were, those who could read between the lines were in on the joke and those who couldn't loved the art for its beautiful face value without pondering the point of it all!
Freddie Mercury did not paint but he was truly an artist of the highest caliber and Bohemian Rhapsody is his Mona Lisa.
Starting with the title, which I think is also one of the most brilliantly named songs of all time "Bohemianism refers to the practice of an unconventional lifestyle (being Gay), often in the company of like-minded people, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits, with few permanent ties. Bohemians can be wanderers, adventurers, or vagabonds. Mercury was aware he was different, not only because he was gay... There are many many gay men... but he was aware he had an unparalleled talent (which I believe is why he is so confident when performing)
Rhapsody, a work of epic poetry, affirming the romantic ideals of rock music.
now for my understanding of the lyrics.. Believing Mercury was deeper than simply saying things as he sees it, I do not believe this song is about an unknown man on death row.. He was much to flamboyant and vain to write his best song about a stranger... I am convinced it was about himself. (after all many scholars are recently beginning to agree that the Mona Lisa is in fact a self-portrait" it is a woman but they all believe Da vinci was gay.
Anyway I feel the song is about him coming to terms with his sexuality, at the time it was written it was probably the most powerful personal experience he ever had to cope with, AIDS came much later.
Anyway here it goes..
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
He is asking himself questions, quite like a diary entry, he has realized first and foremost on a personal level that he is gay, he is scared and is confused, he is in shock! Given the era he was living it was much more of a stigma.
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality
He can't change what is happening and must live with it.
Open your eyes
Look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy
I need no sympathy
Still speaking to himself he is telling himself to look at the bigger picture! it is not the end of the world and he will be fine, look up to the skies I think suggests that him being gay is insignificant.. There is a whole universe out there and he is beautiful and is part of it.
He should not fear himself.
Things could be worse!
Because I'm easy come, easy go
Little high, little low
Any way the wind blows
Doesn't really matter to me, to me
He is a good man, he has his highs and lows like everyone else but does not deserve to suffer with the stigma attached to being gay. Anyway the wind blows refers to his sexuality.. It doesn't matter that a man prefers other men over women. He is coming to terms with it.
Now that he is confident in his own sexuality he can tell others... He starts with his mother!
But she isn't as understanding as he would've hoped!
Mama just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
mama life has just begun
He is no longer the boy his mother once new, he has come to terms with his new self, he has put old, scared Freddie behind him and is ready to move on.
The man he killed was his former self, and can now start fresh
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooh
Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters
She is rejecting him and he feels he has made a mistake in telling her and is angry with himself and sad because he feels he has let her down.
Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time
Goodbye, everybody
I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, oooooooh (Anyway the wind blows)
I don't want to die
Sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
Being rejected he knows he still has to live and must be himself, so he puts his family behind him.
As hard as it may be he must be honest with himself and face the truth.
I think I don't wanna die is part of him dying inside, his loved once have rejected him and killed an important part of him. He finds this difficult to life with and ponders like anyone would it be better if he was never born.
maybe he would spare everyone pain.
I see a little silhouetta of a man
Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening me
(Galileo) Galileo (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro
Magnifico-o-o-o-o
I'm just a poor boy nobody loves me
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
I have referenced two freddies, old and new!
I feel this is him arguing with himself and questioning his decisions... He is paranoid and stressed and trying to cope with who he is and who he should be.
a scarmouch is a coward and fandango is a dance...
So he is calling himself a coward for considering living a false life, and telling him self to dance...
(walk the line) no matter how hard it is.
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) (Never, never, never, never)
Let me go, o, o, o, o
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Oh mama mia, mama mia) Mama Mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me!
Bismillah means "In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate".
In Christianity being gay is an abomination which means, its punishable by going to hell...
Will you let me go? Bismillah No!
means
will you let me go? In the name of god No!
As I said I think easy come, easy go means he is just like everyone else, he has his ups and downs and does not think he deserves to go to hell.
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,
Means he has a demon waiting to torture him for his sins! (Being Gay)
Then he breaks out in anger to man & god for feeling forsaken
to man "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye"
The way homosexuals were often treated.
to god "So you think you can love me and leave me to die"
The die part is the death of his soul in hell, not actually dying.
Oh baby, can't do this to me baby,
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right out of here.
is freddie abandoning his faith.
He is now who he wants to be and is satisfied he no longer cares what anyone else thinks.
Nothing really matters,
anyone can see,
nothing really to me
Any way the wind blows.
His sexuality doesn't matter
he is who he is! -
i watched an interview with peter freestone (freddies personal assistant for 10+years) in which he stated that at the time he wrote the song he was going through turmoil in his life. he was dating mary austin who he loved dearly,he was having sex with men,and wondering if he was gay or just bisexual,and if so,should he come out of the closet,giving up mary,and his old life,basically killing the old peron and starting a new life. listen again.
-
This is my version of what Bohemian Rhapsody means.
Please be honest but polite
"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"
- He's pondering if what has occurred is true.
"Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality"
-What has happen is solid and he can't turn back and it is getting worst.
"Open your eyes, Look up to the skies and see,"
-He's looking to the heavens.
"I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go, Little high, little low"
-He's taking petty on himself and and believes he doesn't deserve anything because he feels he is to blam.
"Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me"
-He feels he has no future and doesn't care anymore about live.
"Mama, just killed a man, Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead"
-He's being metaphorical I believe he gave his partner AIDS or HIV. He had bronchopneumonia which was a complication of AIDS/HIV. He believes he killed a man because the disease does kill and there is no cure or turning back.
"Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away"
-He's life was grand and he was young but because he cheated on his partner he got AIDS/HIV and put his death closer and he has no future.
"Mama, ooh, Didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters"
-He's not sure when he will die because with AIDS/HIV death is unpredictable.
"Too late, my time has come"
-It's to late to go back and change things, his end is closer than it was.
"Sends shivers down my spine, body's aching all the time"
-These are symptoms of AIDS/HIV.
"Goodbye, ev'rybody, I've got to go"
-He's saying bye to everyone because he knows his time is near.
"Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth"
-He's dying and he knows it's his fault for cheating on his partner.
"Mama, ooh, I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all"
-Clearly you know he doesn't want to die but because his live ended so badly he wishes it never began.
"I see a little silhouetto of a man"
-This part maybe far fetch but I believe what he means by "silhouetto of a man" I think its his impurities and wrongdoing.
"Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango"
-Scaramouche is also the same as Scaramuccia which means sly, adroit, supple, and conceited. Fandango is a lively folk dance.
"Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very fright'ning me"
-He's comparing AIDS/HIV to thunderbolts and lighting.
"(Galileo.) Galileo. (Galileo.) Galileo, Galileo figaro"
-Galileo was known as "father of modern physics," the "father of science," and "the Father of Modern Science."
"Magnifico. I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me"
-He pities himself.
"He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity"
-He petty form a petty family that he may have been raised with different morals which should be a "reason" for him cheating and getting bronchopneumonia.
"Easy come, easy go, will you let me go. You don't seem to care about me; I'm 'easy come, easy go".
-He wants to live and I believe he's sayin why does he have to die if do one cares.
"Bismillah! No, we will not let you go"
-Bismillah is God and do he can not go from the disease.
"(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.) Ah
No, no, no, no, no, no, no."
-It's ersonification to and aids which is and agument between him and the aids.
"(Oh mama mia, mama mia.) Mama mia, let me go"
-once again he wants free,
"Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me"
-Beelzebub means demon put in his life for me so he believes his devilish actions of cheating is the cause of his disease.
"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, can't do this to me, baby
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here!"
-Jim Hutton ,his partner, was goin to leave him when he wrote that bit.
"Nothing really matters, Anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me"
-Nothing matters him because his live was near end.
"Any way the wind blows..."
-Meaning he doesn't care what happened.
Please keep in mind that these are my personal believes of what this song means!! -
It's fairly obvious to me that Freddie, being the narrator, has just killed his old, straight self. If you want to look, there's a straight line to this moment, through all of the first few albums. Liar, from the first album is a hurt and angry song from a man tired of facing the world as a fraud. The March of the Black Queen is about as mad a song as he ever wrote but hidden in there is the story of someone who has come face to face with his other self and who has realized the power of that self. The Lily of the Valley is Freddie realizing that something has to change and that Mary (the Lily of the Valley) has to be told.
Freddie always claimed that his songs meant nothing but I think that was simply a way of avoiding explaining them, partially because great artists find it hard to explain their own work, but mostly because the best of them were intensely personal and meant more to Faroukh than Freddie cared to admit. -
The song has never been fully explained by the remaining members of the band nor Mercury himself during his living years. When he (mercury) had been asked of the songs meaning he had responded that it was just a song of lost relationships and not of murder or execution as many think. At the time he had wrote the song, he was going through and ending a relationship of almost 8 years with Mary (Mama) Austin or "Mama" as he often used to call her (and is referenced a few times in the song). The song was wrote at a pivotal point in his life as he was ending a heterosexual relationship for an affair with a homosexual male. I'm not going to go too in depth or explain this line for line as this information exists and music should be interpereted by it's listeners and not always seen for its face value. What does any song really mean? Most artists and songwriters would be satisfied to know that their music could ivoke such thought, emotion and enjoyment many years after it's creation. I for one believe that Mercury was a troubled man, always questiong his feelings and wondering who he was or who he should be. Song and storytelling, as it is for many artist is simply just an outlet to express the internal "tug of war" that we all feel on a day to day basis. I suggest to quit looking for the meaning in songs and enjoy them for the emmotion and feelings that it creates in your own mind.
-
I'd just like to say that Scaramouche is a book. The main charecter is also called Scaramouch, and he is a master fencer. In movies and stories, when people want to sword fight, they say let's dance.
So: Scaramouche, will you do the fandango could mean Scaramouche, will you dance, or fight. This could be the singer’s family saying that he should fight instead of saying “nothing really matters” -
It's about the need for us to be apathetic in order to keep our sanity during hard times.
-
This song is actually, I think, about his drug use. He says is this the real life? is this just fantasy? that is him not knowing whats actually happening because he's high. And when he says Mama, life has just begun But now I've gone and thrown it all away he's confessing and is sad that he is throwing his life away to drugs. And now he feels bad when he says"didn't mean to make you cry,if I'm not back again this time tomorrow, carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters" and he doesn't want her to feel bad because its his fault. And now its to late andhe says good bye because he stopped doing drugs but the withdrawl is killing him and his body is aching all the time. And now he has to go and face the truth that the drugs where too much. The galileo part is referring to the astronomy guy that invented that telescope and all he see's is the silluetto of a man because his vision is blurred. He wants to not do drugs and in a sense is begging to be let go from their hold but they won't let him go and now he has a little spot in hell because the drugs where against god and he did bad things. He says " So you think you can love me and leave me to die" so obviously the "love" is the drugs making him feel good and then eventually slowly killing him. He just has to egt out of their hold but he cant. And now nothing matters because he screwed everything up and nobody cares about him so neither does he. That's what I think of bohemian rhapsody and I wasn't even alive when it came out I was born like 15- 20 years later people... Seriously.
-
Freddy Mercury was born in Sansibar, an islamic country.
Maybe he had an experience in childhood:
Somebody shot a guy "Pulled my trigger, now he's dead"
then realizes that, in effect, he has killed himself "But now I've gone and thrown it all away".
He doesn't want to commit suicide "I don't want to die".
He is terrified of having to die "Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening me".
But, the sharia court sentences him to death "Bismillah! No, we will not let you go".
He will be stoned "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye". This sentence is abiguous, relating to both Freddies experience of the past and lovesickness now.
The experience of the murderer came to Freddies mind, when he was lovesick. He felt as terrible as the murderer.
"So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby" -
Well all I can say is that to who says it's about murder is right but not killing someone else he's his writing a letter to is mother telling her that he's is going to kill himself in a third person view (momma I just killed a man......)and the rest of the lyrics is talking about his trouble life and how he thinks there nothing he can do but kill himself to bake things better? but he know that killing himself god won't let him go to heaven and that the devil will take him to hell
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