Weasel Walter can most frequently be seen playing drums, although he plays bass, started out on guitar, and has taken saxophone lessons from Hal Russel.
Walters has cited influences as numerous as the Free Jazz of musicians Albert Ayler, Hal Russel, and Cecil Taylor, No Wave, Black Metal and Noise. Although many compare his style to that of Naked City in its mixing of genres and sense of irony, his is unique in that his compositions do not clearly show which genre they are, whereas Naked City's style more frequently involves switching between clearly definable genres every several seconds.
Walter has also gained fame as an expert on no wave music. He has given several public lectures on the topic, including to members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Weasel Walter 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 song Bohemian Rhapsody by Weasel Walter begins with the question, "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?" which sets the tone for the rest of the song. Walter creates a sense of confusion and disorientation for the listener, hinting at the idea that the following lyrics should not be taken literally but should rather be interpreted with a deeper sense of meaning. The lines "Caught in a landslide, No escape from reality" are particularly symbolic, as they suggest a feeling of being overwhelmed and trapped by the struggles of life.
Walter then brings the focus onto the main character in the song, who is "just a poor boy" and needs no sympathy. He sings, "Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter to me" which seems to suggest a sense of resignation and acceptance of whatever happens in life. However, this attitude is challenged when the character's mother kills a man and he is forced to confront the reality of his situation. He sings, "Mama, life had just begun, But now I've gone and thrown it all away" which shows that he is filled with regret for what has happened.
The rest of the song is a series of evocative images and themes, including a little silhouetto of a man, Galileo, and Beelzebub. These images are open to interpretation, but one common reading is that they represent different forces or influences in the character's life. The repeated phrase "Bismillah! We will not let you go" suggests a struggle for control, with the character desperately trying to break free from whatever is holding him back. Ultimately, the song ends with the message that "Nothing really matters, Anyone can see, Nothing really matters", which can be seen as a message of acceptance or a nihilistic view of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this the real life?
Asking whether reality is as it seems
Is this just fantasy?
Questioning whether what they are experiencing is real or imaginary
Caught in a landslide,
No escape from reality.
Feeling helpless in the face of the harsh reality they are experiencing
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see,
Encouraging the listener to be mindful and observant of their surroundings
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy,
Because I'm easy come, easy go,
Little high, little low,
Anyway the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me.
Asserting one's independence and that external circumstances don't control their life
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.
Confessing to a terrible act and the regret and remorse that follows
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.
Apologizing to someone for the pain they have caused and encouraging them to continue on without them if necessary
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.
Realizing that one's time has come and accepting that they must move on to face their destiny
I don't wanna die,
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.
Expressing fear and uncertainty about death and the wish that they had never existed
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.
Describing a surreal and fantastical scene
He's just a poor boy from a poor family,
Spare him his life from this monstrosity.
Appealing to someone's sense of compassion for a helpless individual
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.
Telling a story of conflict between individuals and expressing one's desire for freedom
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.
Challenging another's harmful behavior towards oneself and expressing the desire to escape from that situation
(Oh, yeah, oh yeah)
An interjection expressing excitement or enthusiasm
Nothing really matters,
Anyone can see,
Nothing really matters,
Nothing really matters to me.
Concluding that in the end, nothing truly matters
Anyway the wind blows.
A phrase that encapsulates the idea that external forces can be unpredictable and uncontrollable
Writer(s): Freddie Mercury
Contributed by Isaiah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.