BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY LYRICS - QUEEN | A NIGHT AT THE OPERA

Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen — Freddie Mercury's six-minute rock operetta, released October 31, 1975 as the lead single from A Night at the Opera; nine weeks at UK No. 1, a second No. 1 in 1991, and still one of the most-streamed songs of all time.

Image: Queen (official remastered video still)

Bohemian Rhapsody Song Credits

Song: Bohemian Rhapsody
Band: Queen (Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon)
Lyrics: Freddie Mercury
Music: Queen
Album: A Night at the Opera
Music Label: EMI
Release Date: October 31, 1975
Duration: 5:55

On release in 1975 it spent nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the UK, taking the Christmas No. 1 spot, and on its 1991 re-release after Freddie Mercury's death it returned to No. 1 for another five weeks. In the US it peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, then surged back to No. 2 in 1992 after its famous scene in the film Wayne's World. It is, per reports, the most-streamed song of the 20th century, with more than 1.5 billion on-demand streams.

The song is built from six distinct sections — intro, ballad, guitar solo, opera, hard rock and coda — with no chorus, and features some 180 vocal overdubs. It took three weeks to record, making it the most expensive single ever produced at the time. Its promotional video is credited with practically inventing the music video.

Bohemian Rhapsody Lyrics

[Intro]
Is this the real life? 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
Because I'm easy come, easy go, little high, little low
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me
[Verse 1]
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
[Verse 2]
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 (any way the wind blows)
I don't wanna die
I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
[Opera Section]
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
But 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) Will not let you go
(Let me go) Ah
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Oh, mamma mia, mamma mia) Mamma mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me!
[Hard Rock]
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!
[Outro]
Ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah
Nothing really matters, anyone can see
Nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me
Any way the wind blows...

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote "Bohemian Rhapsody"?
Freddie Mercury wrote it for Queen; it was released as the lead single from the band's fourth album, A Night at the Opera, on October 31, 1975.

How long was "Bohemian Rhapsody" at No. 1 in the UK?
Nine consecutive weeks on its 1975 release (including the Christmas No. 1), plus another five weeks at No. 1 when it was re-released in 1991 after Freddie Mercury's death.

What is "Bohemian Rhapsody" about?
The band has never fully explained the lyrics; it is a six-section rock operetta — intro, ballad, guitar solo, opera, hard rock and coda — with no chorus.

Where can I watch the official "Bohemian Rhapsody" video?
On Queen's official YouTube channel; the remastered HD version is embedded in this post.