Paige's first professional appearance was in the UK tour of the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse musical The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd. She made her West End debut in Hair, and went on to featured roles in Jesus Christ Superstar, Nuts, Grease, and Billy (a musical adaptation of the film Billy Liar.)
In 1978, Hal Prince offered the still relatively unknown Paige the title role in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita after Julie Covington, who played the role on the album turned down the part. This proved to be the defining moment in her evolution to the self proclaimed title "First Lady of British Musical Theatre".
Paige has portrayed some of Lloyd Webber's most notable female characters, originating the role of Grizabella in Cats (a role she reprised for a video release). She took on the role late in rehearsal when the actress Judi Dench had to pull out due to a torn Achilles tendon. Her performance of the song Memory from that show is her signature piece.
In 1994, Paige took over the role of Norma Desmond in Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard when Betty Buckley was ill, before stepping into the part full time the following year. She transferred to the American production to make her Broadway debut in a performance that Lloyd Webber described as "musically terrific" in 1996, staying with the show until it closed the following year. In 1998, Paige made a guest star appearance at the Andrew Lloyd Webber, fiftieth birthday celebration in the Royal Albert Hall. She sang Memory and Don't Cry for Me Argentina.
By no means has Paige limited her theatre credits to Lloyd Webber projects. In 1986, she appeared as Florence in Chess, (lyrics by Tim Rice, music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA), a role she had originated for the 1984 RCA double-disc concept album. The show was notable at the time for its set, which featured a large, tilting stage that resembled an illuminated chess board, with a proscenium built from television screens. For this role Paige was nominated for Laurence Olivier Award in a category Outstandng Performance by an Actress in a Musical.
She followed this success with a hit revival of Cole Porter's Anything Goes in 1989 which she co-produced with Tim Rice, based on the contemporary US (Lincoln Center) production starring Patti LuPone. In 1993, she embarked on a troubled run as famed French chanteuse Édith Piaf in Pam Gems' musical play Piaf (1993). In 2000 she appeared in another acclaimed revival, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's The King and I, in which the King was played by Jason Scott Lee.
In 2004, she sang the role of Mrs. Lovett in the New York City Opera production of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd. In June 2007 Paige will play the title role in the musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone at London's Novello Theatre.
Paige also has had success in the UK singles charts. I Know Him So Well (from Chess), her duet with Barbara Dickson, held the #1 position in the British charts for four weeks, and still remains the biggest selling record by a female duo in the Guinness Book of Records. She also had a top ten hit with Memory from Cats. Additionally, she has had eight consecutive gold and four multi-platinum albums.
Paige released her first full studio album of new recordings in twelve years, "Essential Musicals" in October 2006. It includes popular songs from musicals identified by a poll on her radio show.
Paige has hosted her own BBC television specials as well as starred in several films for the network, and has also performed in a number of televised Royal Variety Shows. Arts commentator Melvyn Bragg hosted a special edition of The South Bank Show about Paige's career in 1996, entitled The Faces of Elaine Paige. She made special recordings of some of her most famous songs exclusively for the programme. It is frequently shown on PBS in the USA.
More recently, Paige has focused on television appearances, playing Dora Bunner in the 2004 ITV adaptation of Agatha Christie's A Murder is Announced, before performing a guest role as a post mistress in Where the Heart Is.
In September 2004, Paige began a weekly radio show, Elaine Paige on Sunday, on BBC Radio 2, featuring music from musical theatre and film scores. Occasional interviews are also featured, having included theatre impressario Cameron Mackintosh, actress Angela Lansbury, the Pet Shop Boys and Elton John. Paige's show has been described by Elisabeth Mahoney of The Guardian as a "rare wrong move" on the part of Radio 2.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Elaine Paige Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
The opening verse of the song asks the fundamental question of whether reality is just a dream or it’s a tangible experience. The following lines suggest a sense of confinement, where the singer feels trapped with no way out from what society addresses as reality. The following lines express his inability to attain riches in life but still doesn’t need any sympathy. He believes that life is "easy come, easy go," where the external factors determine what might happen, and it doesn't matter; fate takes its course. The chorus suggests that the singer has committed a murder, regrets it, and knows his life is about to end. However, he asks his mother not to shed any tears for him and to carry on living like nothing ever happened.
The next verse highlights the inevitability of death, where the singer's time has come. His body aches, and the shivers down his spine suggest he's come to terms with his fate. The singer bids farewell to everyone and everything, but his steadfast regret revolves around hoping that he had never been born at all. The following lines reveal a whimsical transformation, as he sees a silhouette of a man and starts singing Galileo and Scaramouch, involving the audience in the dream-world while the voices in his head take ahold.
The following lines share the singer's remorse that he's just a poor boy with no significant standing in society, which leads him to face a "monstrosity." The line "Bismillah!" is an Arabic phrase for "In the name of Allah." According to an interview with lead singer Freddie Mercury, he used this phrase as it adds drama to the song without having any real meaning. The song's ending is full of energy and anger, as the singer confronts his murderer and pleads to release him to "get right out of here." The final lines of the song conclude, stating that nothing really matters, and it's all about the destiny of the wind, which can bring either good or bad luck.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this the real life?
Asking whether the current situation is actually happening or just a figment of the imagination
Is this just fantasy?
Wondering whether the current situation is real or just a dream
Caught in a landslide
Feeling overwhelmed by events outside of one's control
No escape from reality
Feeling trapped in a situation that is hard to get out of
Open your eyes
Advising to take a clear look at the situation
Look up to the skies and see
Suggesting to take a broader view of the situation
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Stating that despite adversity, there is no need to feel sorry for oneself
Because I'm easy come, easy go
Life is unpredictable and things come and go without warning
A little high, little low
Life has its ups and downs, and one must accept them
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me, to me
Life is unpredictable, but it's not worth worrying about
Mama, just killed a man
Admitting to a serious crime
Put a gun against his head
The method of the crime
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Confessing to have killed someone
Mama, life had just begun
Reflecting on the previous carefree time
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Regretting having done something to ruin the previous happiness
Mama, ooo
Saying 'Mom' as a way of looking for help in a difficult situation
Didn't mean to make you cry
Apologizing for causing distress to a loved one
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Acknowledging the seriousness of the situation and a possible fatal outcome
Carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters
Urging others to continue without worrying about the outcome of the situation
Too late, my time has come
Admitting that it's too late to change the inevitable outcome
Sends shivers down my spine
Feeling frightened to the bones
Body's aching all the time
Suffering from the effects of the situation
Goodbye everybody I've got to go
Saying farewell to loved ones
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Acknowledging the difficult reality of the situation
I don't want to die
Expressing fear of the outcome
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
Reflecting on the difficulties of life
I see a little silhouetto of a man
Seeing a vague figure
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango
Asking someone to dance
Thunderbolt and lightning very very frightening me
Expressing fear of the sudden and terrifying situation
Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Figaro - magnifico
Saying random names with no clear meaning
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Describing the singer's background
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Asking to have mercy for the artist
Bismillah! No we will not let you go - let him go
Refusing to let the artist go
Will not let you go let me go (never)
Refusing to release the artist
Never let you go let me go
Refusing to let the singer be released
Never let me go ooo
Never wanting to be abandoned
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Refusing to budge from the position taken
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
Crying out for help from a beloved parent
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me
Saying there is an evil entity waiting for the singer
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Criticizing someone who has hurt the artist
Oh baby can't do this to me baby
Expressing a deep desire not to be hurt
Just gotta get out just gotta get right outta here
Saying that leaving the situation is the only possible outcome
Nothing really matters
Saying that very little in life actually has any real meaning
Anyone can see
Anyone can recognize this fact
Nothing really matters to me
Personal belief that things don't really matter
Anyway the wind blows
Again, emphasizing the unpredictability of life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Freddie Mercury
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dave surrey
This is totally outstanding, even for Elaine, who always impresses me (& that's an understatement). I was lucky to have seen her twice live -- in a NYC Opera production of "Sweeney Todd" and recently in "Follies" on Broadway. A magnificent performer born for musical theatre.
patroldsk
The truth is that Freddie and Elaine were a good friends, so he knew about that cover album and he was really excited about it. He loved the orchestra idea. All 10 songs are just fenomenal, felt in love with the album and Elaine of course. Beautiful and stunning!
dave surrey
Agree, she is multi-talented. This performance was 21 years ago when the great Elaine Paige was 43 years old. She is now 64 and still great!
Elaine Losee
Talent stays, age can't take it away.
Love 💘 😻 💜 💛 💚 her.
Irayna Wheat
The greatness of Elaine Paige's remarkable talent always leaves me in awe. It's difficult to imagine an artist doing something with this energy, perfection and beauty of passion LIVE! What a treat for that envied audience!
Elaine Losee
Absolutely
Ben Santiago
Pretty good,hard to do a song like this live and do it justice but she pulled it off very well I think
MrCuddlyable3
Elaine was 43 in 1991. It's still amazing how well she tackles this live performance of one of the most elaborate studio recordings in pop music history.
Diane Ellis
Wow! This is incredible. What a voice. She is so talented! I just saw this, as I was browsing through searches of Elaine Paige clips. Wonderful!
George Sedares
I had the extreme pleasure to see her live aboard a cerise ship, where she sang most of her hits. I cried; so beautifully done. ! She is in a class of her own.