Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen (1 Viewer)

[JJ-51]

Hey all

i have heard of a few people in my area that have previously done this song as one of their related texts and i was wondering if any body had some helpful notes on it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here are the lyrics

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
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go
A little high, little low
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me

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

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

I see a little silhouetto of a man
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango
Thunderbolt and lightning - very very frightening me
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo, Gallileo,
Gallileo Figaro - magnifico

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

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

Anyway the wind blows...

 

[Kimber]

hey, i don't know how useful this could be, but pm me or email me if you would like more


Bohemian Rhapsody, is an epic song describing the complex thoughts of the shock one experiences, and the process undertaken, after the involvement in a heinous act, such as, described in the song taking the life of another human being: “just killed a man/ Put a gun against his head/ pulled my trigger, now he's dead”. This can be interpreted as a metaphor, symbolising a life changing event, (such as the realisation one has aids) the shock that would be experienced, and the varied complicated sometimes incoherent thoughts that would directly follow the incident.

The message I have deducted from this song, is the acceptance of a course of events, and the rationalisation and realisation of the undisputable fact that one cannot change past events, and must now acknowledge and make the most of them.

At the opening of the song, there is an almost surreal feeling when the words “Is this the real life?/ Is this just fantasy?” are uttered, more than sung, or even said. These words indicate the shock that is experienced upon first realisation of the enormity of the events that have just occurred. This is the first stage of the journey, the first of many concentric circles.

The line “I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy” is sung in a melodramatic and sensationalised manner. This is ironic; he feels very fragile and is obviously looking for sympathy and guidance. So this statement is juxtaposed a few lines later, when he looks for sympathy from his mother. “Mama, just killed a man… Carry on; carry on, as if nothing really matters”. This stanza also indicates the second stage of the journey, the help that is looked for (from his mother) and the state of mind that is adopted (an irrational nearly heroic stance, “nothing really matters”.)

 

[Mary Jane]

Ok, I believe that he has made a deal with the devil..beezlebub is a demon (ok think like a buffy-addict) and he wants to renig on the deal....(let me go)...he is scared as he has already pictured the hell he has waiting for him...Just read it again with that conext and hear it...it makes sense and you can probably get a lot of material from it...death, worry, regret and fear...if that aint a journey I'd like to know what is

 

[Pete Bog]

he wrote the song when he found out he had AIDs. "nothing really matters..." ect. kinda sad ORT, but a good one

 

[Ellie_Belly]

http://community.boredofstudies.org/467/music/100650/bohemian-rhapsody.html?highlight=bohemian+rhapsody+ellie

If it helps, I made a thread about how awesome the song is. At one point a few months ago I was absolutely infatuated with it. lol.

 

[Captain Obvious 1]

hey, i don't know how useful this could be, but pm me or email me if you would like more


Bohemian Rhapsody, is an epic song describing the complex thoughts of the shock one experiences, and the process undertaken, after the involvement in a heinous act, such as, described in the song taking the life of another human being: “just killed a man/ Put a gun against his head/ pulled my trigger, now he's dead”. This can be interpreted as a metaphor, symbolising a life changing event, (such as the realisation one has aids) the shock that would be experienced, and the varied complicated sometimes incoherent thoughts that would directly follow the incident.

The message I have deducted from this song, is the acceptance of a course of events, and the rationalisation and realisation of the undisputable fact that one cannot change past events, and must now acknowledge and make the most of them.

At the opening of the song, there is an almost surreal feeling when the words “Is this the real life?/ Is this just fantasy?” are uttered, more than sung, or even said. These words indicate the shock that is experienced upon first realisation of the enormity of the events that have just occurred. This is the first stage of the journey, the first of many concentric circles.

The line “I’m just a poor boy, I need no sympathy” is sung in a melodramatic and sensationalised manner. This is ironic; he feels very fragile and is obviously looking for sympathy and guidance. So this statement is juxtaposed a few lines later, when he looks for sympathy from his mother. “Mama, just killed a man… Carry on; carry on, as if nothing really matters”. This stanza also indicates the second stage of the journey, the help that is looked for (from his mother) and the state of mind that is adopted (an irrational nearly heroic stance, “nothing really matters”.)

A perfect example of how English can interpret something in a millions ways different to what it actually is.

- This song was composed while he was drunk.
- The thoughts are therefore erratic and don't represent a heinous act.
- His mother puts the gun against the mans head, pulls Freddy's trigger, now he's dead.

 

[levite]

he wrote the song when he found out he had AIDs. "nothing really matters..." ect. kinda sad ORT, but a good one

he wrote the song a good five years before he found out he had aids...

 

[levite]

A perfect example of how English can interpret something in a millions ways different to what it actually is.

- This song was composed while he was drunk.
- The thoughts are therefore erratic and don't represent a heinous act.
- His mother puts the gun against the mans head, pulls Freddy's trigger, now he's dead.

where did you find out he was drunk?

and the erratic and irrational thoughts still could've been caused by a traumatic event.

what the hell is with his mother puts a gun against the mans head? he is obviously talking to his mother. "mother, llife had just begun, but now i've gone and thrown it all away" incorporate that into your absurdist theories.

your extensive knowledge of this song leads me to believe i am right, it's kimber, i'm just posting on a friends account due to laziness. i can't be bothered to sign out and back in. i can however, be bothered to write this explanation, because i am unreasonable, and apparently so is my way of thinking.

 

[Nick_R]

Freddie wasn't drunk...

also, this song was released mid 1970s on Queen's fourth album "A Night At The Opera" - Freddie did NOT know he had AIDS, the AIDS virus didn't even have a name in the 70s! AIDS only came to international attention in the 1980s... during which Freddie was then hounded by the media who thought he might have AIDS because he was gay - Freddie however didn't find out until around '86 when he got tested...
... after the fucking brilliant concert at Wembley in 86 (which you should ALL go and buy on DVD, even if ur not a fan), it seemed odd that Queen never toured again and Freddie went into hiding from the media (he hated them anyways since the mid 70s coz he had a falling out with them)...

...um, i dunno wots happened, if sort of trailed lol - um, in conclusion, go buy Queen merchandise, and while ur at the store buy some Freddie Mercury solo stuff too!!!

 

[aileenli]

I thought this was his first song that he recorded, and lent to his friend to listen to, and his friend worked at a radio station and he played that song continously for a whole day.

anyway, does it matter how/why it was written? dont you just have to show how it takes the audience on an imaginative journey??

 

[Nick_R]

um, no lol Bohemian wasn't their first song - it came on their 3rd Album. 2 albums had come out prior to "A Night At The Opera", they were "Queen" and "Queen II" (self titled albums) - you are right however that Freddie gave the song to his friend at a radio station. Freddie said it was a personal copy just for him to listen to and to not play it on the radio - LMAO -people never listen! He ended up loving the song so much that he gave it heaps of airtime and the public loved it! It was their first big big hit

 

[RideTheLightnin]

Freddie wasn't drunk...

also, this song was released mid 1970s on Queen's fourth album "A Night At The Opera" - Freddie did NOT know he had AIDS, the AIDS virus didn't even have a name in the 70s! AIDS only came to international attention in the 1980s... during which Freddie was then hounded by the media who thought he might have AIDS because he was gay - Freddie however didn't find out until around '86 when he got tested...
... after the fucking brilliant concert at Wembley in 86 (which you should ALL go and buy on DVD, even if ur not a fan), it seemed odd that Queen never toured again and Freddie went into hiding from the media (he hated them anyways since the mid 70s coz he had a falling out with them)...

...um, i dunno wots happened, if sort of trailed lol - um, in conclusion, go buy Queen merchandise, and while ur at the store buy some Freddie Mercury solo stuff too!!!

no

 

[Nick_R]

hahaha fergo, u need more than "no"
...ppl wot i said woz right, ridethelightnin just doesn't appreciate my taste in Queen... now he'd say "no, I don't appreciate your OBSESSION", which is true lol

 

[Davo1990]

ahh great song from a great band and who can forget one of the best singer/song writer in the world freddy mercury.The song is in the style of a stream-of-consciousness nightmare, and has unusual musical structure for popular music (it has no chorus, instead consisting of seemingly disjunct sections including operatic segments and an a cappella and heavy metal part). Despite this, it was released as a single and became a huge commercial success. In addition, the song is widely hailed as Queen's magnum opus, and it marked a decisive point in the band's career and set them on the way to become one of the world's most popular music groups. [1] The single was accompanied by a groundbreaking music video (then termed a "promotional video") which helped establish the visual language of the modern music video. A truncated version of the song was included in all Queen's subsequent live concert performances (as the band could not recreate the middle section live, because of the many overdubbed voices) and still enjoys great popularity around the world.It has been suggested that "Bohemian Rhapsody" was influenced by the 10cc song "Une Nuit A Paris", which is played on similar instruments, including a Fender Precision Electric Bass, May's Red Special electric guitar, Ludwig drums, timpani and a Paiste gong. Mercury used a Bechstein "Concert" grand piano, the one he played in the promotional video and the UK tour. It was the most expensive Single ever made and remains one of the most elaborate recordings in music history.[2]