Bohemian Rhapsody
William Shatner and John Wetton Lyrics
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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
A little high, little low
Anyway the wind blows
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, 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 (anyway the wind blows) I don't want to die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
I see a little silhouette 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, ooh
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 song "Bohemian Rhapsody" is an epic rock classic by Queen originally released in 1975, as performed here by William Shatner featuring John Wetton. The song is known for its intricate blend of styles, including rock, opera, and ballads. The opening lines are a questioning of reality, as if the singer is caught in a dream or some otherworldly state with no escape. The line "Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality" can be interpreted as a metaphor for feeling trapped or overwhelmed.
The singer describes himself as a "poor boy" with no need for sympathy. He is carefree in his ways, living life with an "easy come, easy go" attitude. The following verse takes a dark turn when "Mama" is introduced, and it is revealed that the singer has committed murder. He asks for his mother's forgiveness but knows that he must face the consequences for his actions. In the following lines, he sees death coming and wishes to avoid it, even contemplating never having been born at all.
In the third part of the song, the singer engages in an operatic section with a cast of characters including Scaramouch, Galileo, and Figaro. Here the music becomes fraught with tension and fear as the singer begs for his life. The final section of the song returns to the atmospheric opening lines, emphasizing the line "nothing really matters," suggesting that all of the turmoil and drama in the song has ultimately been inconsequential.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this the real life, is this just fantasy?
Questioning whether what is happening is real or not
Caught in a landslide no escape from reality
Feeling trapped, with no way out
Open your eyes look up to the skies and see
Take a moment to look around and take notice of things
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Expressing that one does not want or need pity or help from others
Because I'm easy come, easy go
Things come and go, sometimes without much thought or concern
A little high, little low
Describing one's emotional ups and downs
Anyway the wind blows
Whatever happens, happens - it's out of one's control
Doesn't really matter to me, to me
Not really caring too much about the outcome or consequences of things
Mama, just killed a man
Admitting to committing murder
Put a gun against his head
Describing the method used to commit the murder
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Describing the act of pulling the trigger of a gun, and the resulting death
Mama, life had just begun
Feeling as though life had only just started before committing the murder
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
Feeling as though one has ruined everything after committing murder
Mama, ooh, ooh
Experiencing overwhelming emotions after committing murder
Didn't mean to make you cry
Feeling remorseful over causing someone else pain
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
Acknowledging that one may not be alive tomorrow due to one's actions
Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters
Encouraging others to keep going despite the situation at hand
Too late, my time has come
Feeling as though one's time is up
Sends shivers down my spine
Experiencing fear in a physical way
Body's aching all the time
Experiencing pain and discomfort
Goodbye everybody, I've got to go
Saying one's final goodbyes
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Having to face the consequences of one's actions
Mama, ooh (anyway the wind blows) I don't want to die
Expressing fear of dying
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
Regretting one's existence due to what one has done
I see a little silhouette of a man
Seeing a small, shadowy figure
Scaramouch, scaramouch will you do the fandango
Asking if the small figure will perform a dance
Thunderbolt and lightning, very, very frightening me
Feeling scared due to a sudden storm
Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Galileo, Gallileo Figaro magnifico
Spouting out a series of famous names
But I'm just a poor boy and nobody loves me
Feeling unloved and insignificant
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Describing the circumstances of the main character
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Pleading for the main character's life to be spared despite his crime
Easy come easy go will you let me go
Asking to be released, as though nothing ever happened
Bismillah, no we will not let you go, let him go
Refusing to let the main character go free, instead offering to let someone else go
Bismillah, we will not let you go, let him go
Continuing to refuse to let the main character go free
Bismillah, we will not let you go, let me go
Asking to be released instead of having someone else go free
Will not let you go, let me go (never)
Refusing to let the main character go, no matter what
Never let you go, let me go
Refusing to let anyone go, including the main character
Never let me go, ooh
Expressing hopelessness in the situation
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Continuing to refuse to let anyone go
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia let me go
Pleading for the main character to be released
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me
Feeling as though one is being punished in a significant way due to their actions
For me, for me
Stressing that what is happening is specifically for the main character
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye
Feeling as though others are attacking him for what he has done
So you think you can love me and leave me to die
Feeling betrayed by those who claimed to care about him, but are leaving him to suffer
Oh baby, can't do this to me baby
Expressing the unbearable pain of what is happening
Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here
Feeling as though the only way to escape the situation is to leave
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah nothing really matters
Feeling as though everything is ultimately meaningless
Anyone can see nothing really matters
Acknowledging how obvious it is that nothing matters
Nothing really matters to me
Feeling as though there is nothing that can be done to change the situation
Anyway the wind blows
No matter what, things will continue to happen as they will
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Freddie Mercury
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind