What is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ actually about?
When we look back at the history of rock music, we see a range of different bands, each of which has contributed to it in their own unique way. Many of these artists fall under the radar, and their impact is important but unrecognised by new generations. Then, there are some artists who were so significant and represented such a cultural milestone that it’s impossible for them to be overlooked. One of these bands is Queen.
They are often most noted for their frontman, Freddie Mercury. Mercury passed away long before his time and had a great deal of his career ahead of him, so he is left as a “What could have been”. In the footage we have of him, though, he is undoubtedly one of the best frontmen in the world.
He owns every inch of a stage and lets the crowd feel at home as they nestle into the palm of his hand, a talent that very few musicians have been able to emulate. People constantly compare other artists to Freddie Mercury because of how unrelenting he was in his presence and how influential he was to many.
Because of Mercury’s colossal impact, much of what Queen managed to achieve is often overlooked. They weren’t just a rock band; they were incredibly talented and innovative musicians who constantly pushed the boundaries of what rock could accomplish. They weren’t happy with just regular song structure but persistently looked for new angles with their songs.
One of the best examples of this is ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, which is considered by many to be a classic and is frequently argued to be one of the best songs ever written. It’s easy to see why. The melody that Mercury and Brian May create in the intro and the guitar solo represents how masterful they were at injecting emotion into their music. Equally, the chaotic operatic section of the song is a great reflection of the band’s innovation.
Most people agree that this song is a masterpiece, but people struggle to decide on what the meaning of the track is. The lyrics in the opening are relatively straightforward, as Mercury sings to his mother, confessing to just killing somebody. However, after that, the lyrics are difficult to connect, and it’s difficult to infer any proper meaning.
Some of the most prominent lyrics feature in the Qu’ran, such as “Bismillah” and “Scaramouch”, which mean “In the name of Allah”, and “A stock character that appears as a boastful coward”. It’s not unusual for Mercury to use these lyrics, given they’re Arabic words that also have roots in Zoroastrianism. Mercury’s parents were involved in that religion prior to them being forced out of Zanzibar to move to England.
When Brian May was asked about the song’s meaning, he said he believes Mercury’s childhood and upbringing play a big part. It’s hard to get any typical meaning out of it, but it feels like it’s a personal song to Mercury, which he has also drenched in metaphor, an abstract confession of some kind.
“Freddie was a very complex person,” said May, “Flippant and funny on the surface, but he concealed insecurities and problems in squaring up his life with his childhood. He never explained the lyrics, but I think he put a lot of himself into that song.”
