Bohemian Rhapsody
Flavio Mendes & Maira Martins Lyrics
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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,
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, 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.
Too late, my time has come,
Sent 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, ooh (anyway the wind blows),
I don't wanna die,
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.
I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?
Thunderbolt and lightning,
Very, very frightening me.
(Galileo) Galileo.
(Galileo) Galileo,
Galileo Figaro
Magnifico.
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.
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
Never let me go, oh.
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.
(Oh, yeah, oh yeah)
Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me.
Anyway the wind blows.
The classic opening lines in Bohemian Rhapsody introduce a highly emotive and theatrical song, starting with a powerful and soulful melody that sets the stage for the rest of the song. So many people have attempted to interpret the opening lyrics of ‘Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?’, and while the meaning is somewhat subjective, it’s heavily debated that the song represents frontman Freddie Mercury's struggle with sexuality and identity. The notion of 'Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality' could be interpreted as Mercury wrestling with his own identity. The song then progresses with a powerful and highly emotional ballad with some wonderfully obscure lyrics. The next few lines talk about the singer being ‘just a poor boy’, a sentiment that reflects the 70s economic turmoil, especially in the UK where the band originates from.
The song continues into a deeply personal and dark story of guilt, remorse and ultimately escape. The singer struggles with the weight of the world on his shoulders, using his mother as a support system (‘Mama, ooh’) and opens up to her about killing a man with a gun, which seems to have shattered his world (‘But now I’ve gone and thrown it all away’). The section detailing the silhouetto of a man is an interesting and memorable reference to theatre, arts and drama, something that Mercury and the band were passionate about. The song then enters a powerful and fantastical operatic section that merges different melodies, voices, harmonies and instruments displaying a stunning musical prowess that remains unmatched.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this the real life?
Questioning the authenticity of the current experience.
Is this just fantasy?
Questioning whether the experience is reality or imagination.
Caught in a landslide,
Feeling stuck and overwhelmed.
No escape from reality.
Feeling trapped in the current situation.
Open your eyes,
Be aware of the situation.
Look up to the skies and see,
Observe and find enlightenment.
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Proclaiming independence and self-sufficiency.
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
Accepting that life is unpredictable and fleeting.
Little high, little low,
Acknowledging ups and downs of life.
Anyway the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me.
Resigning to the fact that life cannot be controlled.
Mama, just killed a man,
Confessing to a crime.
Put a gun against his head,
Using a weapon to commit the crime.
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead.
Committing murder.
Mama, life had just begun,
Reflecting on life before the crime.
But now I've gone and thrown it all away.
Regretting the crime and its consequences.
Didn't mean to make you cry,
Apologizing for causing emotional pain.
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow,
Acknowledging the possibility of not seeing one another again.
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters.
Encouraging others to continue with life, regardless of the situation.
Too late, my time has come,
Accepting that death is imminent.
Sent shivers down my spine,
Feeling scared or nervous.
Body's aching all the time.
Experiencing physical pain.
Goodbye, everybody, I've got to go,
Saying farewell to loved ones.
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.
Leaving one's former life behind and accepting the reality of the current situation.
I don't wanna die,
Expressing fear of death.
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.
Expressing a desire to never have existed.
I see a little silhouetto of a man,
Describing a visual of a small man.
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?
Asking Scaramouche if he knows how to dance the Fandango.
Thunderbolt and lightning,
Describing stormy weather conditions.
Very, very frightening me.
Feeling scared of the weather.
(Galileo) Galileo.
Invoking the name of the famous astronomer.
(Galileo) Galileo,
Repeating the name of the astronomer.
Galileo Figaro
Combining the names of the astronomer and the composer.
Magnifico.
Endowing self with the quality of greatness.
He's just a poor boy from a poor family,
Describing the character's background.
Spare him his life from this monstrosity.
Pleading for mercy for the character's life.
Easy come, easy go, will you let me go?
Contemplating the ease of life and questioning whether freedom will be granted.
Bismillah! No, we will not let you go. (Let him go!)
Denying permission for the character to leave.
Bismillah! We will not let you go. (Let him go!)
Repeating the denial of permission to leave.
Bismillah! We will not let you go. (Let me go!)
Making a plea to be allowed to leave.
Will not let you go. (Let me go!)
Repeating the plea to be allowed to leave.
Never, never let you go
Making a declaration of never letting the character go.
Never let me go, oh.
Asking for never to be let go.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
Repeating the denial of permission to leave.
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me.
Suggesting that the devil is waiting for the character.
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
Challenging someone who is trying to harm the character.
So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
Questioning a lover's motives.
Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,
Protesting against mistreatment.
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here.
Expressing the need to escape the current situation.
Nothing really matters,
Accepting that nothing is truly significant.
Anyone can see,
Acknowledging that the lack of significance is obvious.
Nothing really matters,
Reiterating the lack of significance.
Nothing really matters to me.
Expressing the personal lack of investment in anything.
Anyway the wind blows.
Acknowledging the uncontrollable nature of life.
Contributed by Isaiah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.