Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody (REACTION & Lyrical Analysis)

Nothing really matters, anyone can see...
Original Video: • Queen - Bohemian Rhaps...
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[@broadsword6650]

“I need a minute to process that...” No, you’ll need a lifetime to process that. 🙂

[@tlhuerth]

I am still working on processing this song and i heard it over 40 years ago the first time

[@paul8926]

It’s pretty much rock operetta…it really shocked listeners when it was first released in the late 70s.

[@MissNYWF]

Well said!

[@rainiernew]

LOL, my thoughts exactly. Been listening to this for 40 years and I'm still processing.

[@rickwelch8464]

Here's what I processed. The song is intentionally nonsensical in parts, but tied together with a melancholy theme. Since it is intentionally nonsensical, he is telling you at the end it doesn't matter if it makes sense at all, does it?

[@magnessskippton2509]

Someone wrote this on another Reaction ... Beginning is “A cappella” - 2nd is “Ballad” - 3rd is “Operatic” - 4th is “Hard rock and 5th is “Coda” - And there’s the genius. It’s not a song. It’s a “piece”.

[@sourisvoleur4854]

a "suite" if you will.

[@sherryarflin726]

Freddie Mercury was and will forevermore be the best front man to ever grace a stage.

[@traceyb9443]

Your facial expressions whilst listening to this song was a joy to behold! 😁

[@k_spats]

I have to leave! I'm actually excited to get back home just to watch! *This* is going to be good. 💥🌟👍🏼👑

[@katherinegilbert-espada3715]

Definitely watch the live aid concert!

[@Bradds68]

Could not agree more. I think it is one of the reasons I enjoy these Reaction videos. People discovering the songs we have loved for many years.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

You’ve never heard this song before? Let me grab my coffee, this will be good

[@williamandres1042]

@Wild Ramble I agree.

[@tanya4025]

...he remembers the lyrics of the very end..🙂

[@mjames4709]

Wild Ramble he’s still only a kid so maybe not.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

M James lots of songs we think everybody knows are virtually unknown to the younger generation. That one of the reasons this channel is so interesting.

[@mjames4709]

Hartlor Tayley that’s what I implied.

[@valnauffts9965]

My take on this song is that Freddy is coming to terms with being gay ,killing off the straight man he is pretending to be ,breaking the heart of his Mother ,his parents were very religious ,feeling very conflicted and guilty about being gay !

[@RandallMorris222]

You could do worse than to spend some time with Queen. Freddie Mercury is one of the great vocalists of the last century and the rest of the band members are all just as talented. I would suggest you look up Queens performance at Live Aid. It's one of the greatest performances in all of rock and it's 20 minutes (roughly) of pure heaven.

[@pilroberts6185]

And they followed Dire Straits Sultans of Swing. Talk about a one two punch!

[@barringtongilbert9230]

Agreed. Saw them live and nobody could take their eyes off Freddie. He and Steve Perry were true gifts from God and amazingly, both around at the same time. What a time to have been young and alive!

[@michaelpennington7800]

Search and listen to 'The Prophet's Song,' Live 'White Queen' at the Rainbow 1975, just as starters.

[@scottharris4195]

Q: Does he live up to the hype? A: He created the Hype.

[@gablen23]

Actually there isn't too much common in Bohemian Rhapsody, and Stairway to Heaven, except one thing: both are masterpieces, and a truly unique piece of arts.

[@patriciadowning4036]

Freddie Mercury's introduction of opera-style. He's considered one of the greatest vocalists of all time.

[@cst2437]

The song can be broken down into the five stages of grief: denial, depression, bargaining, anger and acceptance

[@carolethorn3211]

Very good! I'd never looked at it that way but I believe you're on to something. Beyond this "explanation", I don't think there's much more to the verbatim lyrics. It's dream-like. Like Don McLean said of American Pie.

[@robingayle68]

Yes! This is the key to decoding the meaning of this masterpiece 🌞

[@jlb74a]

Exactly, this is how I understood it after listening to it like 50 times... the greatness of this song is that he told the story using different musical genres; it started out with gospel, transitions into soft rock, then opera, hard rock, and finally he brings it down to soft rock. BTW, the opera part of the song also sounds like a Shakespearean British play. It's a masterpiece.

[@zipahdeedoodah]

never thought of it like that! thanks!

[@jamesswainston826]

"His voice is just incredible!" Yes. Water wet, sky blue, Freddy's voice brilliant.

[@polyprinz]

Freddie Mercury was a genius! And this is a masterpiece!

[@kelltic100]

Just remember hon, there is only one Freddie Mercury, and he can never be replaced. He left us way too early, so much was lost on that day.

[@SoloGuitar1000]

Queen "Somebody To Love" Live In Montreal 1981.

[@jimilove7773]

watershed moment

[@marygordon172]

I love the version of that that was in the movie Ella Enchanted

[@andrewfischer8564]

i prefer the album cut.

[@jimilove7773]

@@andrewfischer8564 Tough call both are top notch!

[@chercee]

@@marygordon172 Anne Hathaway did a great job with it!

[@mdboaterguymdboaterguy3617]

What can you say about Queen??? Just Iconic. You have to see Freddie control a stadium of 100,000 people!

[@IDreamOfLogic]

I'm not really a Queen fan, but I believe the "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the best song ever written and performed. I've heard it many many times and it still gives me that feeling when you know you're nothing but a grain of sand in this vast and magnificent universe, and yet, somehow, you left your mark in the cosmos. Watching you react to it was like watching a kid under the Christmas tree that realizes that each present he grabs has his name on it.

[@singingwordwright148]

"It's like a play". An opera is a play, yeah. Regardless of where you end up ranking this particular song in rock history, Queen will always, hands down, have the most unique harmonies of any band, ever.

[@michaelbastraw1493]

I would say there are actually five movements: Acapella intro, arpeggiated piano verse, operatic bridge, rock show verse, reprise. Best. Leo.

[@linnymaemullins3319]

😍

[@mindofthemannequins7905]

The engineering on this is phenomenal. First part was all Freddie Mercury multi-layered. This song is basically three songs turned into one played in movements rather than a basic verse, bridge chorus form. There is speculation the song is about Freddie Mercury struggling with his homosexuality. I have always pictured a medieval courtroom scene during the middle opera part. Queen is my ultimate influence. I loved them since 1975(I am that old). I am so glad that young folks like you are delving into this music. You will LOVE The Prophet's Song off the same album. Listen to Queen II. Oh heck, listen to the entire discography!! You have opened up a new Universe!!

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

The song is really not 3 songs in one. If you actually look at the structure and cord progressions you will learn that this whole songs is really one motive. Check out, Bohemian Rhapsody full cord analysis kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZqZeJamj8Sqaq8

[@mindofthemannequins7905]

@@ZENOBlAmusic Thank you

[@tonybennett4159]

There's a lot in BR that certainly indicates a search for his sexuality. "I killed a man" means that he killed the man that his mother knew, he's really not that person. All the other lyrics follow, including "Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me", and Bishmillah are the religious threats directed at gay people. Many gay people have to work through self hatred caused by society and religion. The ending suggests a final acceptance.

[@mindofthemannequins7905]

@@tonybennett4159 any way the wind blows

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

@@tonybennett4159 I actually disagree. What I find it that that people who don't know a lot about Queen always think it is about Freddie's sexuality. I think the song Freddie really wrote about his sexuality was Liar, not Bohemian Rhapsody. Freddie did not like discussing his sexuality in pubic.I already wrote and explanation so I am just going to copy and paste it, on the other hand Freddie liked that people formed their own meaning about his songs, so there is no wrong answer; As to meaning of Bohemian Rhapsody a lot of people sometimes think it is about Freddie coming out as being gay, I thought the same thing until I came to know and understand Queen's back catalog and background. I don't really think it has anything to do with being gay. You have to look at Queen's background when this song was written. Although the song was actually written over a few years. It has two meanings. It is an opera, Scaramouch and Figaro, was figures in opera. He confesses to committing a murder. The opera section is a trial for his soul between heaven and hell. For Muslim's, Bismillah means in the name of Allah, but for other religions it simply means in the name of God. That is something you might say in a trial. Freddie Mercury was Zoroastrian not Muslim, apparently this was a common greeting on Zanzibar where there were a lot of Muslims. In the end he makes peace with his fate. The song actually goes through the 5 stages of grieve. As for the deeper meaning. I would say the song is really about the music and entertainment industry. Queen struggled for years to be signed, and they signed a bad contract where they earned almost no money. By the time they recorded this album, A Night At The Opera, they were actually on the verge of bankruptcy. They were very much in debt, if this album wasn't a success the band would have had to break up. They sacrificed a lot for the music, they were all very capable of having different careers, all of the members from Queen had university degrees. Freddie Mercury also wrote two other songs about the music industry and their management at the time, Flick of The Wrist and Death On Two Legs. The deeper meaning is that an entertainer almost have kill part of themselves or their soul in order to entertain other people successfully. In blues music there is the legend of selling your soul to the devil at the crossroads. I think this might be a similar concept. You can basically almost sign away your life with a bad contract. People are always expecting something from you. "Scaramouch will you do the fandango?" (Like The Great Pretender, "just dancing and gay like a clown", Freddie loved and covered the song, The Great Pretender). The song Flick Of The Wrist provides clues to Bohemian Rhapsody. In Flick of Wrist Freddie Mercury equates their management and the signing of a contract with the devil. "Synchronize your minds and see the beast within him rise". Freddie Mercury also used sweet terms of endearment when talking about this contract. It is perhaps about how they might talk to you before signing the deal, to try and convince you to sign. Or he is equating a contract to marriage, it is like a life long deal that you basically have to make. "He's taken an arm and taken a leg, all this time honey, baby you've been had". Compare that part from Flick Of The Wrist to, "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." How much more sense does these lyrics make if Freddie Mercury are actually saying or implicating those words to their ex manager at the time? You can also compare it to some lyrics in Death On Two Legs. " Have you found a new toy , to replace me? Can you face me? But now you can kiss my ass goodbye!" I would say the song is about the decisions you make, and that you have to be careful about the decisions you make, because you might sign away your soul.

[@sidecardog5244]

We are not worthy!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

That was Aerosmith. 😉

[@mmay2669]

I see what you did there. :)

[@charliemac64]

Hartlor Tayley I do believe they were bowing to Alice Cooper in the movie.

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

charliemac64 Alice Cooper ? I’m fairly sure it was Aerosmith but I never saw the movie.

[@charliemac64]

Hartlor Tayley Scene where Alice Cooper teaches Wayne and Garth about Milwaukee. Fast forward to 1:20 to see the we're not worthy bit. They may have done it with Aerosmith on SNL before the movie, for sure. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pWaphWZ_fL2nd80

[@TheCSue]

I didn't really get into Queen until I was in my 30s - we were spoiled for choice in great music back then. The older I get, the more I appreciate Mercury's vocal range. He dives, dips & soars with an effortlessness any singer would kill for. A fun song to see that effortless range is 1 of their first hits - Killer Queen.

[@fluff7uk]

I agree. Wasn't fond of Queen at all. Really enjoy them now.

[@jeremykothe2847]

I got them the first time I was introduced. You're just slow :P /love

[@jeremykothe2847]

But you're right. Assuming you grew up in the early 80s, there was a ton on offer.

[@rickpaul4216]

I remember listening to this when "Night at the Opera" just came out. We were a bunch of 16 year old knuckleheads in my buddies basement wearing jeans and flannel shirts. We listened to it over and over again with the same mind blown look on our faces. You need more than a minute to process that.

[@thatoneguyagain2252]

Daniel, you've found another rabbit hole. Queen is just an amazing band, with depth and breadth unimaginable in today's music. All four members of the band were songwriters who wrote genuine hits, three of the four were also lead vocalists. But far and away, the greatest vocalist of all is Freddie Mercury. There is so much there for you to discover, and I'm looking forward to the adventure. People insisted that you watch the video because it was the first artistic music video ever made. The image of the four faces surrounded by darkness was a reproduction of the Queen II album cover. When you think of the stunning multi-level sound of this song, keep in mind that when this album was made, the engineers had to do all the editing using razor blades and adhesive tape. There were hundreds of overdubs onto only 24 separate tracks. This necessitated recording more and more layers of sound on top of each other on the same reel of recording tape. At one point in the process they noticed that the playback sound of one particular of the 'operatic' section was a little muffled and thin. Visual inspection revealed that that particular section of tape had been run through the recorder so many times that most of the magnetic medium had been worn off, leaving the tape transparent.

[@whispermason8052]

Songs you've heard by Queen, but you didn't know were by queen. We Will Rock You, We are the Champions, Another One Bites the Dust, Under Pressure, I want it all

[@mustangdebbie56]

You could add Don't Stop Me Now and You're my Best Friend. Also, Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Metallica fans can add Stone Cold Crazy. If you ever watched the movies Highlander or Flash Gordon, Queen did those soundtracks.

[@whispermason8052]

@@mustangdebbie56 where would you say that would show up in places s non queen fan would hear it? The other list is Sports Arena Music and Hip Hop samples that you would gave heard them but maybe wouldn't know where they come from. A lot like ELO keeps showing up in movie soundtracks the last 10 years or so. I could definitely be wrong but don't stop me now isn't in any mainstream.mocies I can think of and Mellenials weren't listening to classic rock radio which is kind of how these reaction video genre's develop. It's all point of view anyway so maybe you got something.

[@mustangdebbie56]

@@whispermason8052 Don't Stop Me Now was in Shaun of the Dead. And Hardcore Henry (which very few saw lol). It was in a Google doodle. I'm sure it was a few other movies.

[@dezperez1998]

@@mustangdebbie56 yes, don't stop me now also in the most recent movie, Shazam..

[@meeshgardner83]

Another One Rides the Bus!! Oh. Wait.

[@armadillotoe]

Interesting factoid: Brian May the lead guitarist for Queen became a Dr. of Astrophysics and consulted with NASA.

[@suecook1326]

All the members had other careers to fall back on, if needed. Roger had the degree to be a dentist, John Deacon studied to be an electrical engineer and Freddie studied graphic artistry. He designed their first logo using the astrological signs of the members.

[@derekhauffe7197]

And he (May) built the guitar he plays in this video with his dad.

[@Couldnteventhink]

@@derekhauffe7197 Cool.

[@linnymaemullins3319]

I did not know that!😍😍😍😍

[@spddracer]

You forgot that every member of Queen had a #1 Hit that they recorded outside of their original band. Only group to ever do it.

[@TheHaplorhine]

Queen have an amazing catalog crossing many, many genres. All the members of the band were outstanding musicians and Queen is possibly the most educated band ever! Brian May (lead guitar) has a PhD in astrophysics and worked with NASA on the Jupiter probe, Roger Taylor (drums) is a Dentist, John Deacon is an electrical engineer and invented the Deacy Amp which gives Brian's guitar the huge range of effects, while Freddie earned a degree in Design, he created the Band's logo, among other things. Each member of the band wrote at least one number one hit. For the most part their songs had profound meanings, especially those written by Brian. I would love to hear your take on '39' abut the theory of relativity, 'White Queen' live at Hammersmith Odeon for a stunning instrumental mid section and 'Innuendo' which was on Freddie's final album. He had kept his illness quiet and was determined to put as much music on record before he died, he finally admitted he was sick, to the world the day before he died. You had better buckle up if you are going to foray into Queen's music - it's a magnificent ride! As a side note, your subs will increase exponentially as Queen has a huge following and we are all enjoying watching a new generation discover Queen, the band who said that they were playing to the misfits at the back of the room!. And then, of course there is their 20 minute set at Live Aid in 1985 which is acknowledged to be the best live performance ever! Thank you again for your insightful analysis of the unanalysable.

[@janematthews3394]

Roger isn't a dentist. He dropped dentistry after 1.5 years and got his degree in biology instead.

[@DougRayPhillips]

Yes, Brian May was a part of the project for the New Horizons probe which was launched in 2006. It did a Jupiter flyby in 2007, but that was primarily to give it a gravity acceleration assist. Its main mission was studying Pluto, which it flew by in 2015, giving us the first-ever closeup Pluto data and images.

[@JamesSavik]

Who Wants to Live Forever? I used to be a fan of Highlander (1986) (the rest were rubbish) and TV series. Queen did the music for the original movie and it is tight. Queen: you can really dig into that.

[@linnymaemullins3319]

😍

[@aaronandelise]

Great movie, the soundtrack by Queen was incredible!

[@jimfrederick3907]

This is probably in the top 5 of 95% of the people who have heard it! - Masterpiece of a video!

[@seanie002]

If I remember rightly, one of THE first ever music videos.

[@TheCSue]

@@seanie002 Correct

[@seanie002]

Sue Smith thanx Grandma 😉

[@suecook1326]

@@seanie002 Actually the Cowsills had a music video for their song "Hair" years before BoRap. Here 'tis. 1969 kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6XCqn6Gg7SFgq8

[@jimfrederick3907]

@@suecook1326 I love "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" Also Susan Cowsill dancing in the "Indian Lake" video.

[@joethebassplayer]

A couple of things... Think of this as an Opera with movements and Acts. There is a cool biopic movie you can check out or maybe just watch "Wayne's World"... Fun Fact, Brian May (Guitarist) built his guitar with his father and was/is his primary instrument for his whole career. Oh, Brian May also went back to school to get his PHD in Cosmology and wrote his Thesis about our solar systems' rotation in the Milky Way.

[@jimcarlson6157]

astrophysics, not cosmology

[@willardsmith5481]

More specifically, Operetta, like Gilbert and Sullivan.

[@papercup2517]

@@jimcarlson6157 ...Yes, and it was specifically on Interplanetary (a.k.a. Zodiacal) Dust... a fairly arcane topic of study that only a very few other people had studied in depth before Brian started work on it. This is the fine stuff that floats around between the planets in the Zodiacal belt, the debris from various kinds of cosmic collisions. It produces a mysterious glow in the sky called Zodiacal Light. I think that's roughly it, anyway - as you can probably tell, I'm not an astrophysicist! During a Q&A session at the Oxford University Union, when asked 'So Dr May, what was it in particular that attracted you to study interplanetary dust?' Brian thought about it, smiled, and replied, 'Well... it's the pursuit of knowledge, darling...' I think it may have been his relatively rare in-depth knowledge of this subject that prompted NASA to appoint him to their science team for the Pluto space mission. Earlier, while still a student, he turned down a job offer with Jodrell Bank (an important space research centre in the UK) to continue to focus on the band (then Smile). He's been a guest on various Astrophysics and Astronomy-related discussions on TV, and published a few astrophysics-related papers and peer-reviewed articles... Sorry about the long geeky reply... I just happen to find it all very interesting, but I'll shut up now..! :-)

[@linnymaemullins3319]

😍

[@linnymaemullins3319]

@@papercup2517 😍😍😍

[@neilwhite7556]

Thank you for your in-depth reaction. You are just beginning to discover Queen and you are in for a helluva ride. I am 80+ and I wasn’t paying attention to rock music in the 70s and 80s so I am on that same trip. I have watched many reactions to BohRap but yours is the most thorough that I have encountered. Because you are considerably younger than me, I want you to know that when I encounter young people who are as thoughtful as you, it gives me hope for the future. And to take you back to my era let me say Rock On.

[@kelleychilton2524]

I'm LMAO at your reaction, it's priceless. Imagine how we felt back in 1975 when we heard it for the very first time. Absolutely mind-blowing!!

[@Lightmane]

Freddie had one of the greatest voices in rock, no doubt.

[@mattpotter8725]

One off the best? I'd say the best!!! There are many great rock singers but I can't think of any that are as great vocally, had the range, and didn't have the stage presence, and audience interaction that he did. I'd love to know who you think is on a par in all these categories.

[@Lightmane]

@@mattpotter8725 so you feel that saying one of the best was disrespecting him?

[@mattpotter8725]

@@Lightmane I'm more intrigued as to who you think is up there with him. I can't think of any and I love many bands of many different genres and can't think of one that even comes close, but maybe I'm just not remembering, and this isn't saying every other lead vocal is every other rock band is rubbish, there are many other great ones.

[@Lightmane]

@@mattpotter8725 no one comes to mind

[@lara314]

Another great rabbit hole! Queen is a diverse band; lots of different music styles. They also do amazing live shows. Some random song suggestions: Stone Cold Crazy, Somebody to Love, Keep Yourself Alive.

[@robertwilson5058]

I had to stop and comment. You just said at the end, as is said at the end of every true Masterpiece, "why does it have to end?" The reality is it really doesn't...it's only time to stop, go back to beginning, and listen again, and again and...etc... Oh how I love recorded Masterpieces! Ok, back to video...

[@meeshgardner83]

OR listen to The Show Must Go On!

[@robertwilson5058]

@@meeshgardner83 Lol. Tis a good one by Three Dog Night

[@kendallneason3645]

I enjoyed watching you listen to Freddie Mercury’s opus. The entire band was phenomenal. All of my generation miss Freddie. He has the most recognizable voice in the world.

[@dianecostanza]

Queen playing “White Queen” a night at the Odeon Hammersmith 1975 live. Real singing before the days of voice equalizers.

[@lcbcreative]

Vocal and instrumental masterpiece!!

[@jerrikeefer8219]

Definitely one of the best with Freddie playing piano! Love it.

[@TheChristinagomez]

That performance is a whole experience

[@dianecostanza]

Having grown up with Queen it always amazes me when someone has never heard this.

[@sarahjane8146]

All the sections, every one, born in Freddie’s creativity

[@michelleturner3087]

Thank you for your candid analysis. Sounds like you have a pretty cool grasp of the song. All I can say is, “More, much more, Queen, please!”

[@doplinger1]

They just did a Top 700 70s songs on Sirius/XM last weekend, listeners voted, and this came out as #1. If you ever watch the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody" it will all become clear what was going on.

[@helenespaulding9372]

Dave Oplinger where did Stairway to Heaven land? Had to be in top five...

[@doplinger1]

Helene Spaulding I just looked - it didn’t even make the list that I can see! Shocker, it’s traditionally been considered the top song of all time! Here’s the link to the list - see if you can find it - docs.google.com/document/d/1h-ywYfIMCpyj-ZS3nVXbawfr5d47AaMIVl9DSoRwOWw/edit I did see other Zeppelin songs on the list.

[@RicoBurghFan]

The Beatles did what Queen did here all the time, taking snatches of incomplete songs and weaving them together, most notably with A Day in the Life and the medleys on Abbey Road. It takes sheer genius to pull that off and this song definitely displays that.

[@lilamuzik3385]

You should see his Live at Wimberley Concert. He works an audience like a master. Asked once what he played, he answered "the audience".

[@sherriblack53]

I love the fact that you were one of the first who just WENT WITH IT. Queen Freddy Mercury is a trip. Just ride!

[@theblackcat5416]

Thanks for doing this reaction for us !!! Queen is quite a large rabbit hole that you can go down. So glad you enjoyed this song ! It crosses all generations! Perhaps you can do the video of them live at the Live Aid concert. It's about 20 minutes, I think, but it really shows the wonderful power their songs had over the audience at Wembley Staduim. The Legion Rocks ! ✌❤🌻😷🎶

[@Gregory......]

Love Queen, another Legend

[@meadowmay4743]

Hello there!! Loved your genuine reactions to this epic song!! They did something like 120 over dubs on one tape while recording this. There was huge fear that the tape wasn’t going to make it. 😎 Cool fact: Brian May and his father made this guitar (“the Red Special”) out of motorcycle parts and an old fireplace mantle. 😊✌️🇨🇦🌸

[@scifimonkey3]

Imagine producing this at a time when all pop/ rock songs had to be no more than 3mins long to get air play. EMI wanted Queen to release ‘You’re my best friend’ as the single from the album but Queen refused. they then wanted them to cut it to 3 mins but again they refused. it looked like it would never have been played on the radio except that a DJ called Kenny Everett on Capitol radio in the UK who was a friend of Freddy Mercury played the song 14 times in his shows over two days and the response was so amazing that everyone else picked up on it and started to play it.

[@sonyavincent7450]

Kenny Everett was a delightful devil.

[@Ajhost88]

Watching you discover this song might be the most joyous thing I’ve seen on the internet in quite sometime.

[@DougJantz]

I remember seeing this video on regular TV....around 1975. I was 11. It has been my favorite song ever since

[@georgewodicka4839]

Daniel, the ball player, stepping up to bat in the big leagues.

[@juliannetomlinson]

You have just witnessed the best singer ever Freddie Mercury and the most phenomenal song you will ever hear.

[@Nonniewantsmore]

Freddy Mercury was ahead of his time. He was such an awesome performer who could involve huge stadiums of people into an interactive performance. Watch Love of my Life at Wimbley. Awesome. Somebody to Love, another good one.

[@lorijones9579]

People who aren't familiar with Bohemian Rhapsody always have that look on their faces, that you can't take it all in the first time you hear it.

[@waynecox3958]

Biographer says. It’s fairly obvious to me this was Freddie’s coming-out song. […] I’ve spoken to Roger Taylor, the band’s drummer about it. There is a very clear message in it. This is Freddie admitting that he is gay.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

Freddie's "biographer" also wrote many things that is untrue. She did not have a very close relationship to Freddie. Brian and Roger has disavowed her biography.

[@nancymjohnson]

Maybe about unprotected sex when you have aids?

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

@@nancymjohnson This song was released in 1975, Aids did not really exist at the time.

[@Nina-oi1qk]

All of Freddie's "biographers" are unofficial, and Roger Taylor has said Freddie never talked about the meaning of the song; Freddie never did explain his lyrics, all he said was :"if you see it darling, it's there"

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

@@Nina-oi1qk Yes, exactly. Honestly there is a lot of myths surrounding the song. Freddie himself said in interviews it was 3 songs that he put together, but if you analyse the composition of the music, it is really one piece. There are sections that repeats throughout the the song. It forms a very cohesive unit as a composition. Freddie simply did not like explaining his songs.

[@the_Real_Grammy_of_6]

Bohemian Rhapsody - MASTERPIECE & BEST SONG EVER - is Freddie Mercury’s struggle with the fact that he had to hide his true self - sexuality.

[@lynnanderson2761]

Freddie Mercury went on to do opera before he died. He couldn't sing a bad note. Ever Explore more Queen dude. There's a movie Bohemian Rhapsody Greatest Rock Band on the planet. Ever Hands down.

[@spddracer]

His voice speaks to everyone, and shall echo in eternity.

[@HamiltonRb]

Saw Queen live twice including Live Aid and they are one of the best live acts for sure, and I would consider them as one of my favourite half dozen bands

[@kentnottingham9635]

The March Of The Black Queen makes BoRhap sound like a cake walk, as does Most of “Side 2” of Queen 2. If you wanna know what Queen is about, go back to where they started, CRAZY, OFF THE CHAIN GOOD!!!

[@mustangdebbie56]

Queen II is my favorite album of theirs. It is best listened to as 2 album sides, the White side (White Queen) and the Black side (March of the Black Queen).

[@SPohl-zy4rz]

You could have a career in acting or voiceovers. Your "voices" are good! Bohemian Rhapsody is a masterpiece. Thanks for sharing.

[@DiconDissectionalReactions]

Thank you so much, I am an actor and have done some voice work before:) It's really fun, anyway, thanks for watching!

[@toryglen]

The middle section: Opera, my darling! Bringing opera to the masses! Sheer brilliance!

[@m.frazier9952]

Enjoyed your analysis young man. You will learn Queen is just Masterful! How these brilliant musicians came together to create one of the best bands of all time is something else! Sooooo.... many songs, where does one start? Suggestions: You Take My Breath Away the 1976 version with just Freddy on Piano, then listen to the Studio version. Somebody to love the same thing but listen to the studio version first... then the live version Montreal 1981. You won't regret your Queen Journey. R.I.P Freddie Mercury.

[@larubia-se5800]

I really loved watching u on ur journey discovering the magic of QUEEN.🎶💞✌🏼

[@isabellegarza9070]

I'm amazed that four guys are singing and it sounds like an entire choir. They're so talented.

[@janematthews3394]

Three guys. John Deacon never sang on the albums, he just lip-synched in the videos.

[@paulqueripel3493]

Many overdubs, they almost wore out the master tape. They couldn't replicate it live so they didn't try, they just played the "many heads" bit from a tape/digital source and left the stage.

[@isabellegarza9070]

@@paulqueripel3493 okay I understand what you and the other guy is saying my point is this group is so creative. No other band has even thought of dubbing it that way to make it sound that way. So once again I say" I'm amazed that four guys are singing and it sounds like an entire choir and they are so talented"!

[@mudshark5393]

6:06 Those ambient noises was the shivers down his spine :)

[@nrsvlda70]

This was one of the very first music videos ever made... they were touring and needed to have something to show on TV so they made this video in a few hours (you can google tons of info on this)... essentially they were what started MTV music videos. Watch ‘the making of Bohemian Rhapsody’ - pretty amazing stuff for 1975. Freddie loved opera... this was three different songs that he had written and he just put them together and demanded it remain the length it is even tho their management fought them.. due to radio play - with most songs 2-3 min max. Go down the Queen rabbit hole... can’t go wrong. PS - All 4 of Queen members wrote #1 hit songs - no other band has done this, including Zep.

[@GinMae]

Thanks, Dicon - headphones are essential here - and you have them, so I appreciate that -- when asked about the meaning of his songs.. Freddie always said "it means what you think it means" -- :)

[@kentnottingham9635]

BTW, please do Queen’s studio versions before trying them live. That are phenomenal live, don’t get me wrong. They can’t really replicate the harmonies live but Freddy’s stage performance makes up for it!

[@theplanetruth]

Wasn’t this a dubbed produced/live performance?

[@bobbyg7102]

This is the studio version

[@I_am_Phil_Lee]

Yeah, Freddy plays three instruments - keyboard, guitar (occasionally) and the audience (always).

[@trespatines8698]

Totally agree on this.

[@seanculver8876]

Yes! The first 5 studio albums are different animals than the live stuff. They were amazing craftsmen in the studio. Impeccable. The second album, ‘Queen 2’ is the best! Also, they were an “album” band in the beginning, hard and experimental. Listen to whole albums if you can.

[@StatsJedi]

This made my day! The anticipation of your reaction was absolutely delicious, and your usual analysis topped off this ear candy in a satisfying way. Welcome to the world of Queen!

[@jerryb9207]

I like your deep dives into the lyrics. Remember though, things aren't always literal and especially in the 60s and 70s they were contextual for the times. Really cool to see you work through it!

[@joannemagee1363]

Btw Queen + Adam Lambert is releasing their first new album this century in October. Live Around The World is gonna be epic!! Watch them do Who wants To Live Forever at the Isle of Wight festival. It’s incredible.

[@matthewhoag2609]

Brian May has one of the most distinctive lead guitar tones out there. There was actually a Brian May guitar pedal made by DigiTech to get that fat, fully-saturated tone if you wanted. He would often layer many parts to create a guitar orchestra. Once you’ve explored Queen a bit, you will have to see them live. They put on an incredible show, and all of them sang, so those awesome vocal harmonies are present. The other guys even sang lead on some of the songs they wrote. Roger Taylor is one of those few drummer who can sing, and his range is incredible (the really high notes in the operatic section are him). I know everyone will throw you all their most popular songs, but I’d love to see you dissect the song ‘39 which Brian May wrote. The lyrics are worth it, and I’m wondering if you will catch on to what the story is truly about (shameless teaser, lol). Now, it’s time to go watch Wayne’s World.

[@ChristopherMmmm]

I laughed for a good two minutes at your reaction to the "mama mia" section. Lol

[@mikebrown2039]

Btw Daniel,Marlene dietrich is as a legendary actress in hollywood's golden age

[@johnfoster5295]

That bridge part was like opera. And the album this song is from is called A Night At The Opera.

[@Rand_Althor1966]

great reaction buddy. love to see you do death on two legs by Queen

[@RobertEkendahl]

Love your reaction. It's an amazing piece and an experience when you hear it the first time. Check them out live. I would reccomend somebody to love LIVE in Montreal 81. They could truly rock out as well.

[@dannygriffith6185]

It pretty much is three different songs seamlessly merged into one---brilliantly!...I believe the Beatles gave all future musicians/groups permission to join sections or fragments of songs to others to make one great whole.This started with the Beatles "A Day In the Life" (1967)..."Hey Jude" (1968)...body of song + coda....."You Never Give Me Your Money"(1969)..+ the rest of side 2 of Abbey Road (The Medley)....Queen took the idea & ran with it.Freddie Mercury was a big Beatles fan...and went on ---with band mates---to create some great pop/rock in the 70's/80's.

[@triscat]

McCartney specialized in this for a while. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey being the foremost.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

This is not 3 songs that were put together. If you really study the cord progressions of this song, you will realize it is really one song. Of course The Beatles were great songwriters and as you say Freddie Mercury was really a massive Paul McCarthy fan, I am sure he was somewhat inspired by The Beatles. People often concentrate on Freddie's singing and performance, it overshadows his skills as a songwriter. Freddie Mercury had a better understanding of musical theory then The Beatles, he loved a learned a lot classical music. Check Full song cord analysis for Bohemian Rhapsody kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZqZeJamj8Sqaq8. If you learn more about the cord structure you will understand the song better. Another even more complex song from Freddie is The March Of The Black Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody has 5 different sections, The March Of The Black Queen have 11 different sections. All of Freddie's song tend to be very complex actually.

[@papercup2517]

@@ZENOBlAmusic Hi Zenobia! My understanding was that BR was supposedly originally 3 different songs Freddie had been working on for a long time, but couldn't finish, and decided at some point to put them together and make something else of grander proportions from them. Of course Freddie being Freddie wove the whole thing together brilliantly so it really does 'read' as one musically, as well as thematically, completely coherent piece in the end, as you point out. :-)

[@lcbcreative]

@@ZENOBlAmusic I watched that youtube of the chord analysis and it was fascinating. Freddie may have used the "three songs" answer to respond to a question that people wouldn't stop asking. Whether it was about his sexuality or not, it was his message to control.

[@ZENOBlAmusic]

@@lcbcreative Yes, basically he just didn't want to explain the song to public, he also hated interviews. When people really start analyzing his songs from a musical or technical aspect you understand it better. He never cared that much about lyrics, he was more interested in composition. Here is another interesting analysis of just the operatic section: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpqrkHmogKplh8U Or even check out an analysis of We Are The Champions, a song that sounds really easy, but it actually isn't: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYbYc2qwqJmYoJY

[@bloodnokgoon5020]

Ha - so now you've found Queen too ;-) Like Rush, another musically awesome band with a huge catalogue of amazing material for you to explore :-) Freddie Mercury was an amazing vocal performer and all round musician, his piano playing was beautiful even though he never really rated himself much. Fun fact for you - Brian May (guitarist) made the electric guitar you see in this video himself from a mahogany mantelpiece! Look forward to seeing you go down a Queen rabbit hole now as well as Rush :-)

[@linnymaemullins3319]

😍

[@helenespaulding9372]

It’s in the Wayne’s World movie. The movie is GREAT! And a reaction you should DEFINITELY do is the Live Aid set they did. One of the best live sets in history. About 20 minutes

[@bargndigital8874]

A Rhapsody is a term used in Classical music, like Mozart, referencing the various acts.

[@sheilaswegler4859]

"I need a minute to process that." Want to listen all over again? Let's do it! You really Should listen again, but do the Live in Montreal. [Edit!! Oops! I am thinking of Somebody to Love In Montreal!] Some Vocal coaches on KZbin have put up videos about that one [Somebody to Love!] One talkd about his posture helping him push. One that I really liked, pointed out Freddy's various mouth openings that help him with specific sounds. Freddy was said to be very conscious about the appearance of his teeth jutting forward a little bit, but was too afraid to seriously think of changing that, and possibly affect/alter the sound of his songs. Also, live you can see the drummer [on Somebody to Love] and he has a fantastic voice, too. Overshadowed by Freddy's.

[@mustangdebbie56]

Just realize that in all live performances the middle, operatic part is strictly playback because they felt they could never replicate it live. The band leaves the stage during that section to show it is not live, then return for the rock section.

[@sheilaswegler4859]

@@mustangdebbie56 ack, someone corrected me, in their comment in the thread. It's Somebody to Love in Montreal, the the voice coaches do. Sometimes my memory is not my friend! Somebody to Love in that live show is incredible.

[@joannemagee1363]

Roger Taylor still has a beautiful voice and he and Brian May , the lead guitar , with Adam Lambert their frontman , and all the impeccable musicians that make Queen+ Adam Lambert the powerhouse they are can’t WAIT to get back to playing in front of their fans.

[@sandi8362]

I swear you are the first person that has had an honest to god original reaction. You're about to go on an unbelievable ride listening to Queen. I only wish I were listening to all of their songs for the first time again. I saw them live twice back in the 70s. Enjoy!

[@Rippypoo]

Wow. Live. That’s cool. It must’ve been amazing to be there.

[@kendallneason3645]

Twins the New Trend had a legitimate reaction. One of the guys became obsessed with Freddie’s voice of course. He called him a GOAT. (Greatest if all time)

[@mori1bund]

This video was basically the very first modern music video: Wikipedia calls it "widely credited as the first global hit single for which an accompanying video was central to the marketing strategy". Rolling Stone said "its influence cannot be overstated, practically inventing the music video seven years before MTV went on the air."

[@markig11]

WOW - Queen is the greatest! You have so many tunes to discover and love... LIVE AID!

[@PeterBuwen]

Freddie Mercury was really a genius.

[@lisamcbride8921]

Priceless reactions!

[@crgrier]

"like we're listening to three different songs." Yup, that's an actual rhapsody (musical form). A rhapsody in music is a one-movement work that is episodic yet integrated, free-flowing in structure, featuring a range of highly contrasted moods, colour, and tonality. An air of spontaneous inspiration and a sense of improvisation make it freer in form than a set of variations.

[@vovindequasahi]

I love how you are dissecting the song, bro. A brilliant man finds all the answers.

[@lilamuzik3385]

I love how you parse this in trying to understand. Good on you.

[@JohnWesleyDowney]

A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is not just the name of the Queen album. It's also the name of a very famous, very funny MARX BROTHERS movie from the 1930s. I guarantee you that Queen knew of that movie, and the song reminds me of the climax of the movie which is about a disastrous opera on a stage where everything goes wrong.

[@lilamuzik3385]

Brian May is an amazing guitarist.

[@beatricezenguinian4643]

Masterpiece. All members are genius in each instruments and the voice of freddy is so beautiful. Thanks to you to react of so good music

[@lilharleymama]

Bohemian : a person, as an artist or writer, who lives and acts free of regard for conventional rules and practices. Rhapsody: Musically, . an instrumental composition irregular in form and suggestive of improvisation. It always knocks my sock s off!~~~

[@melinakristinmercury9586]

Woaw......very interesting, I have been a Queen-fan since -77, and I really love Queen, you are a very intelegent man keep upthe work! I can recomend to you The Prophet song, the lyric one. Its on A nigth at the opera too.......BOH Rap is Freddies Masterpiece, and Yes it is a song in 3 part who became one, Freddie said in an interview. He start to think aboat the song in -69, it was finish in -73 if I remember rigth. And came out in -75. I hope you react on many songs from Queen. I think many of Queens song is magical, is about love, heartbreaking, death, they have very complext text......Its hundred of song. I see forward to listen to you! P.S Prophet song is Brian May’s Masterpiece, I recomend to you very much!

[@zebulon8819]

Freddie wrote this as an Opera like a Greek tragedy ✌️♥️ imo Aerosmith song "dream on" deserves honorable mention in the greatest rock songs ever

[@sheilaswegler4859]

The Queen at Live Aid short video titled "Fuck You" is a great example of Freddie being fun. KZbin just decided I might like to be reminded!

[@doplinger1]

There's also a movie called "Scaramouche" that I highly recommend. My 4 year old grandson loves it, lots of swordfighting and action! Not a spoiler, but explains a bit about who Scaramouche is.

[@bikerbud3903]

Queen "Somebody to love" Live in Montreal 1981 will be the best performance you will ever here. Their talent shines

[@sheilaswegler4859]

People say don't do live versions of Queen first, and I can agree, but there is an exception! You can both see him, and the band play, "Under Pressure" and hear the studio version simultaneously. The video is actually the Live Aid live show [edit: No, it looks like it's a night show], set to the studio version of the music. On the Studio version, the incomparable David Bowie sings with him. But they never performed it live together. However, after his death, the rest of Queen, and David Bowie and Annie Lennox did the song live(which was wonderful). So on the youtube channel called QueenHouse85 someone has spliced together parts of the band, and Freddie Live Aid, and David Bowie live, and it really looks like they sang it together. By the way, about Annie Lennox ( who I have said is my favorite female writer/singer/Rock Diva), about 4 people have now reacted to one of her songs, and she is not blocking the videos. I saw that she put one reaction up on her Facebook page (don't care for that or the other reaction channels at all, but good to know she is fine with it.).

[@kjd7351]

Heard this on the radio when it came out while sleeping over a friends house. It drew us close to the radio and we sat in awe mesmerized by the moment.