☝️ Key Points
- At the beginning of the song, the narrator finds himself in an existential crisis and feels trapped in his situation.
- The narrator commits a murder, which could be a metaphor for a serious mistake he regrets and that has changed his life.
- The middle part of the song seems to be an internal struggle of the narrator, with references to characters and scenes from the Commedia dell'arte.
- The last part of the song seems to be a farewell, in which the narrator speaks of betrayal and wounds, and wants to escape from his situation.
- The final chorus suggests resignation and leaves the listener with the thought that, despite all the drama and seriousness, nothing really matters.
Interpretation
The lyrics of "Bohemian Rhapsody" are ambiguous and leave room for different interpretations.
At the beginning of the song, the narrator seems to be in an existential crisis, questioning: "Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?". He feels trapped and sees no way out of his current situation ("Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality").
In the following verses, he tells of a murder he has committed ("Mama, just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead"). It is believed that the murder is a metaphor for a grave mistake that the narrator regrets and that has drastically changed his life.
The middle part of the song is dramatic and theatrical, and includes allusions to characters and scenes from the Commedia dell'arte ("I see a little silhouetto of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?"). It appears to be an internal struggle of the narrator, a kind of trial where he pleads for his life ("Easy come, easy go, will you let me go Bismillah! No, we will not let you go").
The last part of the song seems to be a kind of farewell. The narrator feels betrayed and hurt by someone ("So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye. So you think you can love me and leave me to die"). He wants to escape from his current situation ("Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here").
The final chorus ("Nothing really matters, anyone can see, nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me") suggests a certain resignation. Despite all the drama and suffering, the narrator seems to come to the conclusion that nothing really matters.
It is important to note that Freddie Mercury, the main author of the song, never gave a detailed explanation of the lyrics, which has led to numerous speculations and theories among fans and critics.