Bohemian Rhapsody – English Lyrics

• By: Queen
• Album: A Night At The Opera

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Queen's iconic "Bohemian Rhapsody," a masterpiece that transcends musical genres and tells a captivating, enigmatic story. Learning the lyrics and structure of this song offers a unique window into the artistry of Freddie Mercury and the band's innovative approach to rock music, providing a rich linguistic and cultural experience.

[English]

♪ 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 ♪

♪ 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 ♪

(gentle piano solo)

♪ 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 ♪

♪ As the wind blows ♪

♪ I don't want to die ♪

♪ I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all ♪

(electric guitar solo)

(rhythmic piano solo)

♪ 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 o o o o ♪

♪ 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 ♪

♪ Never let you go, never, never, never, never let me go ♪

♪ Oh oh oh oh ♪

♪ No, no, no, no, no, no, no ♪

♪ Oh, mama mia, mama mia, mama mia, let me go ♪

♪ Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me ♪

♪ For me, for me ♪

(energetic guitar music)

♪ 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 ♪

(energetic rock music)

♪ Ooooh, ooh yeah, ooh yeah ♪

(slow rock music)

♪ Nothing really matters ♪

♪ Anyone can see ♪

♪ Nothing really matters ♪

♪ Nothing really matters to me ♪

(slow quiet piano music)

(slow quiet electric guitar)

♪ Any way the wind blows ♪

(soft cymbal crash)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
fantasy /ˈfæntəsi/ B2	noun - the faculty or activity of imagining things, especially things that are impossible or improbable.
escape /ɪˈskeɪp/ B1	verb - to get away from a place (such as a prison) where you are being held noun - an act of escaping
reality /riˈæləti/ B2	noun - the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they are imagined or might be.
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - the organ of sight
skies /skaɪz/ A2	noun - the region of the atmosphere and outer space seen from the earth.
poor /pʊər/ A2	adjective - lacking sufficient money to live at a standard considered comfortable or normal in a society.
sympathy /ˈsɪmpəθi/ B2	noun - feelings of pity and sorrow for someone else's misfortune.
killed /kɪld/ A2	verb - cause the death of (a person, animal, or plant).
gun /ɡʌn/ A2	noun - a weapon incorporating a metal tube from which bullets, shells, or other missiles are fired by explosive force, typically making a characteristic loud noise.
head /hed/ A1	noun - the part of the body above the neck where the eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and brain are.
trigger /ˈtrɪɡər/ B2	noun - a small device that releases a spring or catch and so sets off a mechanism, especially in a gun. verb - cause (an event or situation) to happen or exist.
dead /ded/ A2	adjective - no longer alive.
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - shed tears, typically as an expression of distress, pain, or sorrow. noun - an act of crying
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
body /ˈbɒdi/ A1	noun - the physical structure of a person or an animal, including the bones, flesh, and organs.
truth /truːθ/ B1	noun - the quality or state of being true.

Key Grammar Structures

• Is this the real life?

  ➔ Inversion for questions with "be"

  ➔ The standard question form using "be" verbs involves inverting the subject and the verb. Here, "Is" (verb) comes before "this" (subject).

• Caught in a landslide

  ➔ Past participle as adjective (reduced relative clause)

  ➔ This is a shortened form of "(I am) caught in a landslide." "Caught" acts as an adjective describing the speaker's state.

• Any way the wind blows

  ➔ Subjunctive mood expressing indifference/acceptance.

  ➔ While seemingly straightforward, "any way the wind blows" subtly suggests an acceptance of whatever outcome occurs, irrespective of personal preference. Though not explicitly a subjunctive construction, the *idea* behind it reflects a similar sentiment of hypotheticality or lack of control.

• Mama, just killed a man

  ➔ Simple Past Tense (describing a completed action in the past)

  ➔ "Killed" is the past tense form of "kill", indicating that the act of killing is completed.

• If I'm not back again this time tomorrow

  ➔ First conditional (hypothetical situation in the future)

  ➔ This is a classic example of a first conditional: "If" + present simple (I'm not back), then will/modal verb + base form (carry on). It expresses a possible future event and its likely consequence.

• I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all

  ➔ Past Perfect Subjunctive (expressing regret about a past action)

  ➔ The structure "wish + past perfect subjunctive" (I'd never been born = I had never been born) expresses a strong desire for the past to be different. It highlights regret over something that cannot be changed.

• Will you let me go?

  ➔ Future simple with "will" (expressing a request/plea)

  ➔ Using "will" in a question can express a request or a plea, emphasizing the speaker's desire for the action to be performed. It's more forceful than "Can you let me go?".

• So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye

  ➔ Interrogative tag + modal verb "can" (expressing disbelief and challenge)

  ➔ The phrase uses "can" to question the ability or willingness of others to commit such harsh actions. It's not a genuine inquiry but a rhetorical challenge, expressing disbelief and indignation.