The Prophet's Song
Queen Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh-oh, people of the earth
"Listen to the warning"
The Seer, he said
Beware the storm that gathers here
Listen to the wise man

I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair
Spreading his hands on the multitude there
A man who cried for a love gone stale
And ice cold hearts of charity bare
I watched as fear took the old man's gaze
Hopes of the young in troubled graves
I see no day, I heard him say
So grey is the face of every mortal

Oh-oh, people of the earth
"Listen to the warning"
The prophet, he said
For soon, the cold of night will fall
Summoned by your own hand

Oh-oh, children of the land
Quicken to the new life
Take my hand
Ooh, fly and find the new green bough
Return like the white dove

He told of death as a bone white haze
Taking the lost and the unloved babe
Late, too late, all the wretches run
These kings of beasts now counting their days
From mother's love is the son estranged
Married his own, his precious gain
The earth will shake, in two, will break
And death all around will be your dowry

Oh-oh, people of the earth
"Listen to the warning," the seer, he said
For those who hear and mark my words
Listen to the good plan

Ah-ah-ah-ah
And two by two, my human zoo
They'll be
Running for to come
Running for to come
Out of the rain

Oh, flee for your life
Who heed me not, let all your treasure make you
Oh, fear for your life
Deceive you not, the fires of hell will take you
Should death await you

Oh-oh, people can you hear me (Oh-oh, people can you hear me)
(Oh-oh, people can you hear me)

And now I know (and now I know, and now I know)
I know, I know that you can hear me (and now I know that you can hear me)

And now I know, now I know, now I know, now I know
Now I know, now I know, now I know, now I know
Now I know (now I know, now I know)
The Earth will shake, in two will break (the Earth will shake, in two will break)
The Earth will shake, in two will break (the Earth will shake, in two will break)
Doubts all around, around, around, around, around, around, around, around
(Doubts all around, around, around, around, around, around, around, around)
(Doubts all around, around, around, around, around, around, around, around)
Now I know (now I know, now I know)
Now I know, now I know, now I know, now I know
Now I know, now I know, now I know, now I know
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa (whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa)
Listen to the wise, listen to the wise, listen to the wise
Listen to the wise, listen to the wise man
(Listen to the wise man, listen to the wise man)

La-la, la-la-la-la, la-la (la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la)
La-la, la-la-la-la, la-la (la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la)
La-la, la-la-la-la, la-la (la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la)
La-la, la-la-la-la, la-la (la-la, la-la-la-la, la-la)
La-la, la-la

Come here (la-la, come here)
I, you come here (I, you come here)
I, you come here (I, you come here)
I, you (ah)
Ah, ah, ah, ah

Listen to the mad (listen to the mad)
Listen to the man (listen to the man)
Listen to the mad man (listen to the mad man)

God give you the grace to purge this place
And peace all around may be your fortune

Oh-oh, children of the land
Love is still the answer, take my hand
The vision fades, a voice I hear
Listen to the madman





Ooh, but still I fear and still I dare not
Laugh at the madman

Overall Meaning

The Prophet's Song by Queen is a complex and symbolic song that predicts a catastrophic event. The song starts with a warning to the people of Earth to listen to the Seer's prophecy, which predicts a storm gathering on the horizon. The lyrics then describe a dream where the singer sees a man crying for a love that has gone stale and icy hearts of charity. This man is surrounded by fear and troubled graves, with no hope of a better tomorrow. The Seer then warns that the cold of night will fall soon, summoned by man's own hand.


The second verse contemplates death and its consequences. The lyrics describe how death will take those who are lost and unloved and how the wretched kings of beasts will count their days. From the mother's love, even the son is estranged, and the earth will shake, breaking into two, and death will be their dowry. The Seer warns that people must listen and act upon his words to avoid these fatal consequences. The song concludes on a positive note that love is still the answer, and people should take the Seer's hand to fly and find a new life, symbolized by the new green bough and the return of the white dove.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh-oh, people of the earth
Calling out to the people of Earth


"Listen to the warning"
Urging people to listen carefully


The Seer, he said
Referring to a wise old man, the Seer


Beware the storm that gathers here
Warning about a dangerous storm that is approaching


Listen to the wise man
Advising people to listen to the knowledge of the wise man


I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair
Recounting a vivid dream sequence


Spreading his hands on the multitude there
Describing the image of a man reaching out to a crowd


A man who cried for a love gone stale
Depicting a man who grieves over a lost love


And ice cold hearts of charity bare
Expressing the lack of compassion in society


I watched as fear took the old man's gaze
Observing an old man's fearful expression


Hopes of the young in troubled graves
Suggesting a future that is bleak and bleak for the young


I see no day, I heard him say
Quoting the old man's belief that there is no hope for the future


So grey is the face of every mortal
Metaphorically referring to the monotony of mortality


For soon, the cold of night will fall
Predicting a chilly future


Summoned by your own hand
Attributing the cause of this future to human action


Oh-oh, children of the land
Calling out to the younger generation of Earth


Quicken to the new life
Encouraging them to move on and embrace change


Take my hand
Urging them to take his hand for guidance


Ooh, fly and find the new green bough
Encouraging them to seek out new beginnings


Return like the white dove
Suggesting that they will return as symbols of peace


He told of death as a bone white haze
Referring to an ominous portrayal of death


Taking the lost and the unloved babe
Referring to a cruel and gruesome death


Late, too late, all the wretches run
Describing a sense of panic or desperation


These kings of beasts now counting their days
Referring to people who are losing their power or influence


From mother's love is the son estranged
Quoting a common phrase to show feelings of alienation


Married his own, his precious gain
Referring to selfish or corrupt behavior


The earth will shake, in two, will break
Predicting a catastrophic event in the future


And death all around will be your dowry
Referring to death as an inheritance


For those who hear and mark my words
Addressing people who listen and take heed


Ah-ah-ah-ah
A vocal sound effect, not connoting much meaning


And two by two, my human zoo
Metaphorically referring to people like a zoo exhibit


They'll be running for to come
Suggesting a sense of chaos and urgency


Out of the rain
Reflecting on the imagery of nature and its effects on humans


Oh, flee for your life
Urging people to preserve themselves


Who heed me not, let all your treasure make you
Warning people who do not listen to the consequences of their actions


Oh, fear for your life
Urging people to be afraid


Deceive you not, the fires of hell will take you
Describing a threatening and dangerous situation


Should death await you
Suggesting that death is inevitable for some


Oh-oh, people can you hear me (Oh-oh, people can you hear me)
An appeal for human attention and awareness


(Oh-oh, people can you hear me)
Repeating the appeal in hopes for a response


And now I know (and now I know, and now I know)
Making a self-realization


I know, I know that you can hear me (and now I know that you can hear me)
Acknowledging that people can actually hear him


The Earth will shake, in two will break (the Earth will shake, in two will break)
Repeating a previous line with more emphasis


Doubts all around, around, around, around, around, around, around, around
Reflecting on uncertainty and fear


(Doubts all around, around, around, around, around, around, around, around)
Repeating the previous line with more emphasis


Listen to the wise, listen to the wise, listen to the wise
Admonishing people to listen to those with knowledge and experience


Listen to the madman
Suggesting that people may need to look towards unconventional sources for guidance


God give you the grace to purge this place
Expressing a hope for God's help and intervention


And peace all around may be your fortune
Desiring a peaceful future


Love is still the answer, take my hand
Urging people to consider the value of love and to take guidance


The vision fades, a voice I hear
Suggesting that the vision of the future is disappearing


Listen to the madman
Repeating the earlier guidance for people to seek unconventional sources for guidance


Ooh, but still I fear and still I dare not
Admitting to feeling hesitant or afraid


Laugh at the madman
Repeating the earlier guidance to listen to the unconventional sources




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Brian Harold May

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@jakobcepon988

1970. Freddie joined the band.
1970. Queen was formed.
1971. John deacon joined the band.
1973. Debut album
1975. The greatest song.
1977. Two of the greatest rock anthem ever.
1978. The happiest song ever.
1980. The greatest bassline
1981. The most iconic bassline
1985. The greatest performance.
1991. The greatest frontman in rock history. Died 😞.
1992. The greatest tribute concert for Freddie.
1995. The most emotion album was released. And it was made in heaven 😔.
2018. A great movie. Bohemian rhapsody.
R.I.P freddie mercury.
Queen forever 🤩.



@francesca2509

My top ten queen songs (at the moment)- they change all the time are

1. Mad the swine- Queen
2. The fairy fellers master stroke- Queen II
3. Seaside Rendezvous- A Night at the Opera
4. I’m in love with my car- A Night at the Opera
5. Spread your wings- News of the World
6. Seven seas of rhye- Queen II
7. In the lap of the gods (original)- Sheer Heart Attack
8. Lily of the Valley- Sheer Heart Attack
9. You take my breath away- A Day at the Races
10. Flick of the wrist- Sheer Heart Attack

But I also really like
Keep passing the open windows- The Works
I want it all- The Miracle
Hammer to fall- The Works
It’s a hard life- The Works
Brighton rock- Sheer Heart Attack
Crazy Little Thing Called Love- The Game
I’m going slightly mad- innuendo
The show must go on- innuendo
Need your loving tonight- The Game
Doing alright- Queen
Rain must fall- The Miracle
Don’t try suicide- The Game
Now I’m here- Sheer Heart Attack
Jesus- Queen
One vision- A Kind of Magic
We will rock you- News of the World
Killer queen- Sheer Heart Attack
Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy- A Day at the Races
Under pressure- hot space
Life is real- hot space
Get down make love- News of the World
Made in heaven- made in heaven
Liar- Queen
Some day one day- Queen II
The prophets song- A Night at the Opera
Las palabras de amor- hot space
In only seven days- jazz
Love kills- Queen forever
Somebody to love- A Day at the Races
These are the days of our lives- innuendo
Innuendo- innuendo
Don’t try so hard- innuendo
The miracle- The Miracle
Princes of the universe- A Kind of Magic
Barcelona- greatest hits III

But I love them all :)



@johannedelmann5490

Brian May speaks about The Great Flood and its different stories or interpretations according to other religions.
This song's main reason has to do with a specific dream he had a long time ago. It's about the people on the street trying to hold hands, but because of the selfishness that was going on at the time, it was more complicated. They needed guidance and direction from one another.

This song is tuned in D (regarding the guitar), to obtain lower notes and particular effects on the guitar, as he shared his points on this piece.
Before the official title of this piece, they called it previously PEOPLE OF THE EARTH , BUT after thorough consideration, it should be better to add it to the lyrics, instead of naming the song that way in the first place.

It has a lot of Japanese influence, that's why you can hear a Koto (a kind of string instrument that you pluck like a harp) during the beginning of the song; it's mentioned that there's a reference to Noah's Ark and that the animals went in two by two (male and female), boarding the vessel (also mentioning US as animals too).

This was accomplished by Roy Thomas Baker . Mercury designed all the vocals and played with them along the song, like a kind of manifestation of things and holy prophecy.



All comments from YouTube:

@havannah7516

This song with headphones on is a spiritual experience

@nanci_sousa

Actually doing that and crying, it’s so beautiful! 😭

@starshot5172

2:45

@elliehernandez9069

Yes !!!

@VillaNostalgia

Yes, it is.

@monstrosesquipedalianhippo4006

with or without queen is the best ever

62 More Replies...

@pLife-bh4pu

The fact that this song isn't in Queen's greatest hits catalog is like a slap in Brian May's face. This is my favorite Queen song that he wrote.

@Vel_0000

Queen included only singles in The Greatest Hits 😕

@JeffMountainPicker

It is a masterpiece! My favorite of his would be one I like to play on my guitar; You and I!

@syntec1418

@JeffMountainPicker John Deacon wrote You and I

More Comments

More Versions