Examining lyrics: No 2, Bohemian Rhapsody

(EMI/Queen Productions Ltd)

Further to my last posting on this subject, I thought I would turn my attention to Queen's biggest UK Hit single, considering it is now thirty years since it was released.

Bohemian Rhapsody
(Freddie Mercury)
Queen Music Ltd..

"Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Mama, ooo
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"

So the guy is in trouble for committing a murder, fair enough!

"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, ooo - (anyway the wind blows)
I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all"

And he is facing justice, one presumes.

"I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango"

So what on Earth is this all about?

"Thunderbolt and lightning - very very frightening me
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo Figaro - magnifico"

Reference to Gallileo being on trial for 'heresy' perhaps?

"But I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me
He's 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 (never)
Never let you go - let me go
Never let me go - ooo
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"

Is this about a temporal or spiritual trial? I presume so far it is about a guy put on trial for murder and facing the death penalty! So why the Galileos and fandangos?

"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

Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters - nothing really matters to me"

Bit of a contradiction there, he is showing a desire to fight for his case, and then 'Nothing really matters', strange!

A lot of people find the lyrics contradictory, but on face value it seems to be a song about someone being on trial for murder and eventually accepting the consequences. That said, there was an air of camp fun about the song, and whilst I suppose Mercury had written some deeper meaning to the song, consiously or subconsiously, one should accept it as it is, unless there is evidence to the contary.