It was, despite having broken every rule in the pop-hit-writing manual, an instant commercial success. It became the Christmas single of , held its own at the top of the UK singles chart for nine weeks, and had sold more than a million copies by the end of January The single was accompanied by an avant garde promotional video directed by Bruce Gowers, which is still considered definitive and groundbreaking, and which kickstarted the MTV pop-video boom.
It was thus the first same-version song ever to reach number one twice in the UK. In the United States, the song originally peaked at number nine in It is reckoned that the song is still played somewhere in the world at least once every hour. Lead guitarist Dr. To the rest of the band, the piece at first seemed insurmountable. Having his undivided attention for a few moments, I put to him, not for the first time, my theory about these characters.
Galileo was obviously astronomer, astrophysicist and mathematician Brian May. Well, Freddie did adore his feline friends. I suggested in so many words that it was, in fact, a thickly disguised confession about his sexual orientation. Having been raised in a close, intensely religious Parsee community, adherents of the monotheistic religion of Zoroastrianism dating back to 6th Century BC Persia modern-day Iran , Freddie had never been at liberty to live a publicly flamboyant lifestyle.
Not only would this have offended his parents, but their religion does not recognise homosexuality. He was never able to live openly as a gay man. He shared his life for seven years with devoted girlfriend Mary Austin, before admitting to her that he thought he might be bisexual.
He did not refuse to discuss all this with me. But we did discuss it on numerous occasions. It was about how different his life could have been, and how much happier he might have been, had he just been able to be himself, the whole of his life. The world heard this song as a masterpiece of imagination, a great command of musical styles.
It was this remarkable tapestry. It was so intricate and had so many layers, but the message, if hidden, was simple. Just as the management, the band, all of us in his life, never admitted that Freddie was even ill, not until the day before he died — because it was his business — he felt the same about this song. I disagree. I agree with her interpretation.
Freddie had a lot of religion. He is struggling with his homosexuality. Five is the number of grace. David had 5 smooth stones. He wrote about being loved and left. He lost interest in Mary after he had her emotionally and physically because no human can fill that place that Jesus has set aside for himself.
Men, like Freddie, are looking for a woman to fill that place and erase the insecurity but it can not be found at the foot of a woman. So after exhausting Mary, he cheats with a man. This is spitting in the eye of God that he rejected but he has turned it around because he was going to false gods. He felt they were spitting in his eye. Jesus must be your first love.
Jesus knows when you are being real with Him. Freddie was describing his own man-made hell. And yes, it seems clear that religion was a very big deal to Freddie and his parents. And that his love was named Mary is…. Bababooe — you may be on the nose, here, with your illusion comment, which no one mentioned yet. WHAT great theories. I read them all. I believe Freddie was really a genius,; musically gifted, intensely introspective, and kind.
Wish he was still here. He was a kind man, and also deeply troubled. The troubled part often leads to musical genius, as a way to transcendently channel pain, but the kindness was just him, shown by how Mary and crew stuck by him, and still do, even so long after his death. I wish he could have seen his own movie.
There was no one like Freddie. Yvette, so true. Thanks for such a great post! Hope it was useful! Mel, thank you for your comments about Bismillah. I wish we could ask Freddie.
And there is a certain beauty to that too. I believe the intro is Freddie talking to his mother as a representation of everyone he loves, and telling her that he has killed off his former self to become who he really is.
His biggest concern, of course, is that in doing so he has reverted to being small again and dealing with all of the difficulties of life over again. In that context the lyrics make perfect sense. As far as the operatic part goes, it is the playing out of his internal struggle — the literal bad and good inside him and his struggle to be let go to be who he is. Most importantly it has to be an epic tale.
It has a classic literary structure played out musically and resolving at the end. Thank you MZ. MEANT to be epic in scope, with a certain majesty and beauty in the storytelling. But right too about the classic literary structure…. I have always loved Queen and worshipped Freddie. Whatever the true meaning may be, it remains the most incredible song.
I saw Queen live in and was blown away by their show. He become a professional soldier at the age of 18 and at the age of 24 his life had changed forever.
I too wish that Freddie and my friend was still here. I think that would have made Freddie very happy to hear. I like going to kareoke with my friends and usually sing a Queen song. It makes me happier. And people in the room always sing along. I think that the part where it says sings? Does that mean anything about Freddie? I think there is some truth to that as well. Metaphorically, it ties to all of these interpretations I think. You want others to see something general that you see, but in their own interpretation and that makes it successful if it does just that.
This song is perfect at being relatable by everyone that struggles with the existing world views out there. Thus, I see the song as a genius general introspective we have all felt regarding social acceptance in a world rife with condemnation for anyone who dares to be different. Best regards to you all, keep your dreams alive! So many people feel marginalized and misunderstood. Very sad, but what can we personally do to get that acceptance?
For Freddie, his art was his voice and attempt to find happiness. I agree there is a measure of relatability in Bohemian Rhapsody. Otherwise, a six minute song with strange words would have never taken off, much less be something so beloved so many years later.
I think everyone has to listen,listen, listen. Freddie was a bit extroverted type. He had no real hidden message. He sang as he felt. So people, stop looking into something that is not there. He knew he was sick and he pulled the trigger. He was a great singer without a cause.
My understanding of Love of my life lyrics if about Mary is that he perceives that she has left him and that she has taken her love away from him.
This is codependency. He though she was his answer. But even if Mary was. So sad. What a pathetic pleading. Come back, come back, come back. Come back. You may be right and the songs are just fun outlets, and we are reading more into them than was intended. This is the beauty of art. People can try to read into it, or just accept it, but something good is forever. Matt, that works for me too. It was a four way collaboration, and the case can be made they were just having a bit of dramatic fun.
I am so sick of people trying to psychoanalyze everything. The man was an artist. An artist does what an artist does, he creates. The songs are a form of the inner souls of the artist. When someone connects than it becomes a part of their inner being. I think with the chair, it was something he had in his room at the asylum and he thought he could make a still life from it.
With Starry Night, he clearly was more inspired there than he was by the chair, but I think he just wanted to paint something he thought was cool. Monet liked the effect of light on water and painted a lot of that. And so on. People can put all kinds of interpretations on things if they wish. It probably tells us more about the viewer than the actual creation.
Same here you took every thought I was thinking I related to it for that reason. Ready to discontinue my love for the song with the other reasons others was thinking. I dont believe it was as deep as described of others. Good job. It meant pretty much boastful coward, which is something a hippy would not find offensive but charming. You should know the culture from which Queen arose. And a Fandango is a wild party, not just a necktie party Mexican style re. Very interesting analysis, however, they are all incorrect and the truth about the meaning is quite shocking.
Queen as a band were very much struggling in Freddie was in a straight relationship at the time, he had no idea he was gay. There is no real meaning to the song. Thanks, Everrett Richardson. And the coda. Just outstanding storytelling too. It might be a lot of everything said here and nothing at all. Which is a very Alice in Wonderland thing to say, no? I think Freddie was too sensitive and gentle for his time.
He suffered so much. Hmmmm, interesting about ZZ Top. I loved that band back in the day. Going to have eto do some research now, hmmmm. Musical research, yeah! Poonam Choudhary, I doubt we will ever know for sure, but as with any great art, we can decide what to take away from the experience of it. As in the first stanza, it could be everything or nothing at all:. Greetings, most kind and insightful friends! I just realized this is the th comment on this article about the meaning of Bohemian Rhapsody.
I want to thank you all for continuing to share such a thoughtful, intelligent conversation. May it keep on keeping on. I recently read a karmic interpretation of the song that made me wonder if Freddie was familiar with the story of The Earl of Sandwich, Martha Raye, and James Hackman who was hung for murder.
Fandango, anyone? Also, a Rhapsody was a song made up of many styles, like this one. Thanks for this information. It starts with a whisper, then becomes a shout. Read Time: 5 Minute, 12 Second. As seen on. Use the RunPee app Android or iPhone when you go to the movies. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today's blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter RunPee. If there's a new film out there, we've got your bladder covered.
Jill Florio. You might also like Join the conversation comment comments. ThePlebLord December 31, at pm. Eduardo November 17, at am. Jill Florio Administrator November 19, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator December 31, at pm. Lee January 18, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator January 25, at am. Sher March 7, at am. Jill Florio Administrator October 29, at am. Alice January 4, at pm. Katie March 31, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator January 4, at pm.
Alex January 15, at pm. This is my take on the song. Jill Florio Administrator January 15, at pm. Thank you for your insights! Felicia January 18, at am. Cindy February 10, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator January 18, at am. I wish we could ask Freddie himself. Your interpretation is very much in line with mine. Thank you again! I love all these interpretations! Daniel February 18, at pm.
Riri January 27, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator January 27, at pm. Angelique February 1, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator February 18, at pm. Bohemian Rhapsody Shirley blogs… February 2, at pm. Dorinda Ares February 2, at pm. So what is The Stranger? Ollaya February 5, at pm. Castor Pollux May 25, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator May 26, at am. Chris February 20, at pm. Matteo February 24, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator February 26, at pm.
Becca February 26, at am. Becca February 27, at am. It would have been a bit more hilarious if he went by the given name Michael Meyers. Jill Florio Administrator February 27, at pm. Bekah April 30, at pm. It is spelled Myers, not Meyers. Truth I wonder how the Elton John movie will go. Alkenjie D. Franco March 1, at pm. Jill Florio Administrator April 1, at pm. Marcus Raptus March 9, at pm. I love how everyone is elaborating on this unequivocal masterpiece. Patrick Galligan March 18, at am. Marcus March 18, at pm.
Melinda August 19, at am. Dario March 26, at pm. I think artists always talk of theirselves also in a cryptical way , and Freddy does it too. What else did I miss? Bababooe April 4, at pm. I always feel its about reincarnation and reality is an illusion. Jill Florio Administrator April 5, at pm. How do you think that could fit? Anonymous April 5, at pm. The genius, of course, is undisputed.
Yvette Delos Santos October 17, at am. Mel April 28, at pm. MZ May 14, at am. Ceels May 23, at pm.
0コメント