Bohemian Rhapsody

A Matter of Time

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen

Recommended by Uncle Manny

"As a teenager, I remember this song being so different. I was a fan of Queen because of initially the We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions song, but listening to their music, I became of a fan of their musicianship. And I love Freddie Mercury's voice.

I love Bohemian Rhapsody because it was such a different song at that time. The operatic part in the middle was so fun to listen to, blasting it loud on my car stereo. I remember seeing Queen in concert, and when this song came on they never even tried to reproduce the operatic part live. They would just play the first part of the song, then blackout the stage, bring up the video of the operatic part, and then blast into the last part and play the heck out of it. It was always fun to watch live."

It was "such a different song at that time," and I think it still bears that title in 2016. Song is crazy.

More of a "suite" or "cantata" because it is composed in three distinct sections, Bohemian Rhapsody still bears some similarities to its namesake.

A "rhapsody" is "a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasting moods, colour, and tonality. An air of spontaneous inspiration and a sense of improvisation make it freer in form than a set of variations." (Wiki).

Compared to today's pop songs, this track is much less formulaic. As such, it's not as easy to commit to memory, and I'm surprised it achieved such incredible commercial success.

(Plus, the lyrics are, like, kind of depressing.)

At its initial release in the '70s, it hit #9 on the U.S. Billboard charts. After appearing in Wayne's World, it hit the U.S. charts again, this time at #2. Plus, internationally, it hit #1 in several countries (x). I can't imagine such a unique, 6-minute track getting much radio play in 2016. A shame, perhaps.

Less surprising to me is the track's induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004. It's one of Queen's most famous songs, and it was certainly influential at the time (x).

Because it's such a famous track, there's little I can say that hasn't already been said:

Music scholar Sheila Whiteley: "The title draws strongly on contemporary rock ideology, the individualism of the bohemian artists' world, with rhapsody affirming the romantic ideals of art rock" (x).

Judith Peraino: "Mercury intended ... [this song] to be a 'mock opera', something outside the norm of rock songs, and it does follow a certain operatic logic: choruses of multi-tracked voices alternate with aria-like solos, the emotions are excessive, the plot confusing" (x).

I love the a cappella harmony that opens the track, an unexpected introduction that doesn't really set the tone of the song (the mood shifts too often for that) but maybe whets the appetite for something nontraditional.

Then, the piano comes in, softly, just mimicking the melody at first before easing into a sweet, rolling accompaniment behind the solo vocalist.

A guitar solo connects this section to the next (the "operatic" section). It's not, like, a perfect segue, but it works.

The "operatic" section is the one that I always think of when I think about this song, and it's the one that is most commonly made fun of. I mean, just listen to it. What is even going on. 

Well. You're listening to the product of 3 weeks of recording, including "180 separate overdubs" courtesy of Brian May, Freddie Mercury, and Roger Taylor singing for 10-12 hours a day to create that "choir" effect (x).

Maybe that's why they can't perform it live. Makes sense.

Lyrically, this is often analyzed to represent the narrator's descent into Hell and the fight for his soul. But Mercury himself has never explained anything.

I'm not inclined to comment on the meaning of this track. I enjoy the funky sounds and the seemingly random spontaneity in how everything is stitched together, but I can't find anything int he lyrics that I connect with. If you do, then that's cool. Music is personal.

Nothing really matters...

Rock on.

Overview:

Genre:
I mean...

Mock Opera + Rock Instrumentation / Progressive Rock

Favorite Lyrics:
I don't wanna die.
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all.

Verdict:
as classic as it gets, post-Roman Empire