Bohemian Rhapsody
Orchestra Regina/Queen Lyrics

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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
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, ooh
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
Gallileo, Gallileo
Gallileo, Gallileo
Gallileo 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, 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

(Ooh yeah, ooh yeah)

Nothing really matters
Anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me

Any way the wind blows

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Queen's iconic track, Bohemian Rhapsody, are particularly memorable and chilling. The listener discovers that the singer has just murdered someone, and is telling their mother about it. The line, "Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead," is particularly jarring. The lyrics suggest that the character feels some degree of remorse, as they lament throwing their life away after just getting started. The line, "Mama, life had just begun, but now I've gone and thrown it all away," alludes to the idea that the character had a lot of promise, but has now ruined it by their crime.

In the following lines, the chorus includes the iconic "Mama, ooh" refrain, as the character addresses their mother again. They seem to feel guilty for upsetting her, but also resigned to their fate, asking her to carry on without them if they do not return. The line, "As if nothing really matters," comes across as particularly bleak and poignant, suggesting that the character feels their actions have rendered their own life irrelevant.

The final verse continues the theme of accepting one's fate, as the character lets go of their earthly body and faces death. The line, "Goodbye everybody, I've got to go, gotta leave you all behind and face the truth," speaks to the inevitability of death and the importance of accepting it. The chorus then repeats, with the character begging their mother not to let them die, before expressing a wish that they had never existed at all.

Line by Line Meaning

Mama, just killed a man
I have just killed a man, Mama.

Put a gun against his head
I held a gun against his head.

Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
I pulled the trigger, and now he is dead.

Mama, life had just begun
I was just starting to live my life, Mama.

But now I've gone and thrown it all away
But now I have ruined it all.

Mama, ooh
Mama, I am overcome with emotion.

Didn't mean to make you cry
I did not intend to make you cry.

If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
If I do not return by this time tomorrow.

Carry on, carry on
Carry on with life.

As if nothing really matters
As if nothing really matters anymore.

Too late, my time has come
It is too late for me.