"It feels like a painting" That is possibly the best explanation of this song I have ever heard.

Queenie here... I will try to keep it as short as possible. (All of this comes from either Brian May [guitar] or Roger Taylor [drummer], videos found on KZfaq, and in many articles.) "Bohemian" means different, artistic. A "Rhapsody" is a song in many parts. No one knows exactly what the song means and Brian says he is glad Freddie never explained it. Freddie said that true music is for the listener, not the artist to explain it to them. John Deacon (bass) is the 4th member of the band and created Brian's amp that has never been replicated. Those sounds like horns and violins are all Brian's guitar (that he made at home with his father when he was 16 and is still using at 76... called the Red Special) using the Deacy (pronounced Deaky) amp. All 4 were initiated individually into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, all them having #1 songs. Ones you will know are "We Are the Champions" (Freddie), "We Will Rock You" (Brian), "Under Pressure" by John - you will know it from the opening having been sampled, and "Radio Ga Ga" from Roger. 2 live video Must-Sees are "Somebody to Love" _Live Montreal 1981_ and _Queen Live Aid_ (grab the one with the most million views). Note that if you pull videos from the Queen Official Channel, they will not be blocked. Queen does not block their videos. You play Queen videos and the Queenies will come! Your reaction was freakin' amazing! LOVED it! Thank you! Enjoy the Rabbit Hole of Queen.

Every time I hear this song I have to consciously remind myself this was recorded and mixed in 1975 This song was so far ahead of its time

Freddie was from Zanzibar, with parents who were Zoroastrian, an ancient, uncommon religion and growing up in the 70's as someone who's sexuality was pretty incompatible with society at large... Bohemian Rhapsody is strongly speculated to be about himself, killing his old self and accepting his new self, a fallout with his very religious family, etc.

Respect for being honest about this not being your first time hearing the song. Too many people will act it up for the camera and lie about not hearing a song before. You're honest and keep it real, and that's what I enjoy about your channel.

I have always heard this song as a telling of his real life struggles, being a gay man in a stringent society, told through the metaphor of a Dante's Inferno type of descent and re-emergence. He kills a man (committing sin, just like being gay was) and is sentenced to death (shunned by his family/society), his soul then descends into Hell where he goes through all the stages of grief- even bargaining with the devil to "let me go", when his pleas fail (asking for forgiveness), he settles on fighting his way through (very f*** you I don't need you) and eventually escapes to a new reality where the trials of his past life seem insignificant and dreamlike (he is finally comfortable being himself). A very relatable story told in a unique and wonderful way. What a treasure.

Bohemian Rhapsody is a Five act story told in six minutes. Our main character questioning life and reality in the intro. We learn that he has killed someone, and is telling his mother he has to run because of the crime in a very ballad type section. As the music turns operatic, he has been caught by the friends of the person he killed, and attempts to plead for his life. Having failed to convince them, the rock section charges us up as he fights to free himself, likely taking more lives to do so. In the end, it drops back into a more mellow tune, but our narrator ralizes life as he knew it is over, and everything he has worked for is gone. And we are left with a sentiment that we were brought into this with from before, he will drift through life, as if on the wind, any way the wind blows. This song is a masterpiece of music.

Freddy Mercury, Michael Jackson, Prince … all unnaturally talented gods taken from us too soon.

It's probably already been said but their 1985 Live Aid concert should be on your short list of reactions to come. It is generally considered one of the greatest performances by a rock band of all time. It's a bit of a journey but seeing Freddy and crew perform live will give you a new appreciation for what Queen is capable of doing.

Dude, one of the wildest thing about this song that doesn't come out here is the way they play with stereo 'little high' in the right ear 'little low' in the left ear, the swish of the wind circling around your head and whatnot. This was back in the day of HiFi shit and it was groundbreaking even apart from how badass everything else is.

Don't forget "Another One Bites the Dust" from Queen! It's the one with the killer baseline.

An argument can be made that "Bohemian Rhapsody" is the single greatest piece of music ever written by humankind.

One Queen song I would HIGHLY recommend is “The Show Must Go On”. There’s a lot of legend to the song, but the one I heard and like is they had finished most of it, but Freddie was dying of AIDS and they were worried he wouldn’t be able to finish it. It said he said “Watch me darling!” Slammed the rest of his vodka and finished the song in a single take. Heartbreakingly beautiful.

There are some bands that are just special. Pink Floyd is another band whose music has the power to transform your entire vibe. I can't wait until you discover Pink Floyd. It isn't just a song... they create soundscapes that take you to another place.

It’s remarkable that this amazing weird ass song was such a huge hit. It’s truly timeless.

Thank you for this reaction. That's a great analogy... this song is a priceless painting. Freddie was the Vincent Van Gogh of this masterpiece and the boys all added their brush strokes to bring the magic alive. I recently joined youtube just to be part of the Queen army and comment. I was born into a family of Queen lovers. Love to the Queen army💖💖💖💖

They did NOT make "take me out to the ballgame". They made We Will Rock You. Good stuff Rob, keep doing your thing fam.

“I don’t think regular people can make that song” is such an accurate take. It really is like being on some kind of rollercoaster. An experience.

"See. A song like that I just don't think regular humans can make." The best description of Queen evah! 👑

Queen is a British rock band that was formed in 1970 and was comprised of: Freddie Mercury - Lead vocals and piano Roger Taylor - Drummer and vocals Brian May - Lead guitar and vocals John Deacon - Bass guitar Queen have released 15 studio albums, 10 live albums, 16 compilation albums, two soundtrack albums, 2 extended plays, 73 singles, and seven promotional singles. "Bohemian Rhapsody", which was released originally in 1975, is the creation of Freddie Mercury but he never told anyone what he was thinking when he wrote the lyrics. Freddie tended to write in metaphors so I would not suggest taking any of his songs literally. He wanted listeners to be able to apply to the song whatever meaning it had to them personally. Not what it meant to him. BTW - Freddie did admit that "Bohemian Rhapsody" was composed of three separate songs that he had been working on but could not seem to finish. So he decided to mash them together, adding some transitions and bridges, and created "Bohemian Rhapsody". "Bohemian Rhapsody" can be broken down into 6 parts: Part I is the "Into". The video image shows the four members of Queen singing and harmonizing the lyrics of the "Intro" in A cappella. In reality, it is only Freddie's voice you hear on the recording. Freddie laid down 5 separate tracks of himself singing and harmonizing with himself. (FYI - multi-tracking and overdubbing runs rampant in Bohemian Rhapsody.) Next is the "Ballad" portion of the song ('Mama, just killed a man'). Freddie had worked on it for years but the song never had a name. The other members of Queen tentatively titled it "Freddie's Cowboy Song". The lyricist Tim Rice (who wrote the lyrics for "Jesus Christ, Superstar", "Evita", "Aladdin", "The Lion King", ...) was a close friend of Freddie's and he believes this portion of the song’s lyrics were about Mercury confessing to his fans that he was gay. The third section is the guitar solo. This is the only part of Bohemian Rhapsody not written by Freddie. Freddie told Brian that he wanted a guitar solo in the song and where he wanted it to fit into the song but left it to Brian to create. Brian wanted to have his guitar effectively sing a verse that would inject a different melody. He heard something in his head. He said that he could hear this melody and had no idea where it came from. That melody isn’t anywhere else in the song, but it’s on a familiar chord sequence, so it dovetails in quite nicely. The guitar solo leads to the fourth section which is the "Operatic" section. Freddie not only loved Rock but he loved Opera. He was always fascinated with the idea of combining rock and opera. It took 3 weeks to record "Bohemian Rhapsody" and the "Operatic" section was much smaller when they began recording but Freddie kept adding to it. Various lyrics in the "Operatic" section seem to refer to the band... * Freddie casts himself as Scaramouch, a stock clown of 16th-century Italian literature. * Galileo who was an Italian astronomer, physicist, and engineer definitely refers to Brian (Queen's lead guitarist) who in real life is Dr. Brian May, who has a Ph.D.in Astrophysics. * Figaro refers to the Mozart opera, "The Marriage of Figaro" and it is a subtle way to reference Roger Taylor (Queen's drummer) who has a four-range vocal span (E2-E6) and was even frequently cited as hitting E5 in live performances. Freddie compared Roger's voice to a dog whistle. * The final reference of Magnifico is John Deacon (Queen's bass guitarist), who has not just a BSc but a First Class Honors Degree in Electronics. John is the creator of the "Deacy Amp". When Brian's homemade electric guitar (dubbed The Red Special) was connected through a treble-booster (an effects unit used by guitarists to increase the high end of their tonal spectrum) to the "Deacy Amp", Brian could produce sounds reminiscent of various orchestral instruments, such as violin, cello, trombone, clarinet, or even vocals from his guitar. It is hard to realize that it is only Freddie, Brian, and Roger singing in the "Operatic" section (John never sang on the records). This was 1975, well before digital recordings and they were using 24-track analog tape. This made it necessary for the three to overdub themselves many times and "bounce" these down to successive sub-mixes. Some sections feature 180 separate overdubs! The fifth section is the "Hard Rock" portion. In this section, Freddie sings angry lyrics addressed to an unspecified "you", accusing them of betrayal and abuse and insisting "can't do this to me, baby", before the final lines conclude with him singing, "just gotta get right outta here". (FYI - the "Operatic" and the "Hard Rock" sections of BoRap were featured in a scene in the 1992 film Wayne's World, in which the main character and his friends head bang in a car to the rock part.) In the sixth and final section, the "Outré", returns to the "Ballad" to close the circle of the song and ends with the sound of a Chinese gong.

Queen is the greatest band of all time! Lead guitar is Brian May; bass is John Deacon; drummer is Roger Taylor. That operatic section is just those four guys. No opera or choir. Just their amazing voices. Roger Taylor the drummer has a high falsetto voice and it’s his voice you hear singing Galileo in the operatic section. Queen has a huge fan base so bring on more Queen. We love watching people hear their music for the first time ❤

To me it's not just that they're genius musicians, it's that they're the ones singing it. When someone really feels what they're singing and they put their whole life experiences into it you get something that hits you in a way nothing else could.

I vote YES to recommending songs that you like back to the audience! It's something I haven't seen in other reaction videos, and as a music fan, I'm always interested in what else is out there that I haven't heard yet. Stand out, and get fans for artists you love? No losing, really

Freddie mercury and Prince were probably the two most talented musicians of their generation. Freddie for his vocal range and stage presence and Prince for his prodigious natural talent for all aspects of music.

My dude… you randomly popped up in my recommended and I’ve been having fun watching your reactions. I started laughing when you said you were from Youngstown. Hi from Warren 🙋🏾‍♀️i knew i recognized the humor

If you love this song, you should REALLY listen to Don't Stop Me Now, and their collab song with David Bowie, Under Pressure. Oh, they also did Killer Queen and Somebody To Love.

Just recently discovered you, already a fan. You don't just react, you actually listen. I love that you find many songs in your videos that make you want to hit the gym

All these years later, as a Mom of a young man, when I hear this song it hits differently now; the thought of watching your son throw his life away is terrifying. So far so good! 😂

If you've seen Wayne's World you've heard this song. It was featured prominently and actually reignited Queen fandom in the 90's

I love the idea of adding a hiphop/rap song recommendation at the end, as someone who never really experienced good hiphop/rap. What would be cool is if you recommended a good one that tackled the same issues as the rock song that you just reviewed. Really tie the two together with a common archetype.

People who are experts in singing and music have said that although they didn’t have the same tools to measure someone’s singing during the time Freddie was performing they estimate that he had one of the widest vocal ranges in a man ever! I know he had 3 octaves though

I heard this one for the first time with one of my neighbors. 3 musicians, brothers. They played it like 10 times in a row no kidding and each time we were hearing it was a novelty. An absolute great time. We had to rewind it each time, a freaking tape cassette! 70's musicians had all the package of the past, only instruments, great composers, singers, writers and performers.

Love your video! I grew up with Queen, saw them in 1978 in St Louis MO. I was 16. Queen's music relates to people of all ages and music types. Freddie was from Zanzibar originally, but he considered the UK his home. He would have known that at that time, there had never been a "brown" rockstar. Freddie never told the meaning of this song, only that is was about relationships. Some people speculate that it was him coming to terms with his sexuality. But regardless, it's just a wonderful song. Yes, I can see where people growing up in violence now could relate to the lyrics. Brian May is an amazing guitarist! When his solo starts it reminds me of a caged tiger that was finally let loose after waiting patiently for his turn. There is so much wonderful rock & roll from the 70s and there is no bad song by Queen! Keep listening and keep rocking! *peace*✌

Rush has amazing transitions and the three members are top tier musicians. Great music I think you would like.

Hands down Rob's reaction always crack me up. 😂

I like the "painting" comparison. I've also heard the the term "musical buffet" about this song. Both fit so well and are super imaginative.

Your reaction is wonderful :) You could do a whole series of Queen through the decades until Freddie was taken from us too soon and even after to see how incredible this band was, is, and always will be in the ways they change up their style while still remaining THEM at the core and how incredible their innovations and musicality. Brian May, the lead guitarist, is also an astrophysicist which is utterly astounding, too. Their discography is unbelievable.

This song is a classic , beloved song around the entire world , in every country. Loved your reaction. This is Freddie’s coming out song. The man he killed is Farrukh, Balsara ( his birth name) , so that Freddie Mercury could live. It’s his life in 3 parts. He started writing it in college . Your really great! Keep doing Queen and all of us Queenies will be with you. If you do Queen , you have to do them live, or your missing out.

I wish I could listen to this song for the first time again. Bohemian Rhapsody is personally my favorite song of all time. This song was one of the few instances where I was immediately hooked the first time I listened to this song. What’s remarkable is that Freddie Mercury wrote and composed this entire song himself, a truly generational talent. Not only does Freddie have one of the most iconic and powerful voices in rock, but he is also one of the greatest frontmen and live performers of all time. You should definitely check out Queen’s live performances and just see how Freddie absolutely held the audience in the palm of his hand.

You hit the nail on the head. It’s a work of art by a gifted genius. It’s an experience.

Music has the ability to change your mood and sometimes your mind… when you get the goosebumps, your body is physically reacting to something so powerful that your energy field changes …your hairs shifting and your skin texture changing confirms that biologically, music is more powerful than you may think ❤

I have heard this song a thousand times & I still get the chills every single time.

Freddie once said his favorite instrument...was the audience. His stage presence and skill show him to be able to control audience interaction. The Freddie strut on stage was 100 percent ace. Brian May and his father actually built the guitar he's playing. Brian holds a doctorate in astrophysics. Try listening to the drummer as he sings. In any band other than Queen he would be lead vocalist...his top range is higher than Freddy's. Try Queen's live performance at Wembly its considered one of the best live performances ever. It includes "We are the Champions, " We will Rock You" and opens with Bohemian Rhapsody. This group is classic and timeless...check out the crowd singing on Green day 20 years or so after Freddie passed.

You should check out their movie soundtrack for "Highlander" Particularly "Who wants to live forever" Live from Budapest. I dare you not to tear up or outright cry! The whole soundtrack is some of their heaviest shit they did!

I've always liked Somebody to Love; it seems like a stylistic follow-up to this.

Oh and they are my FAVORITE Rock Band.... arguably the greatest.

Love, love Queen, and especially this song! Rob, you should really watch the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody. It's pretty great, and gives a decent view into what Freddie's life was like during the forming, and success, of Queen.

I love your reactions! You are always so genuine. Being open about you hearing this song before shows that. Keep up the good work! There is so much music to explore (regardless of the skin tone of the people who made the music).

I know your reactions are pure and I’m here for it!❤

"That song is a [...] experience" and "A song like that, I don't think regular humans can make", "... a painting". Yes, I couldn't agree more.

I'm really glad to see people enjoy classics like these, you have a great taste in music. Your channel is great!

I think the best way to describe what you were getting at with the song is that you've heard it before but you haven't "listened" to it.

Gr8 reaction as usual, you put in the work (pay attention and appreciate music in general) and it shows!!!!

You are special!!! So happy I saw you for first time. Patty

"I don't know what the fuk just happened!!" Love you!!

I do love your stuff, dude. Keep rockin'!

Absolutely loved this review 😀

Great to see you back! Have a listen to “Another one bites the dust”, the bass line alone will get you pumped! Keep up with the high energy, it’s infectious!

I adore Queen. Thanks! This song was written by Freddie Mercury the lead singer and legend. To him the songs were about the music. He let listeners decide what the song meant to them personally. Yes, Freddie was an artist born to produce musical art. Luckily the universe put him with Dr. Brian May is the guitarist (& astrophysicist), John Deacon is the bass player, ( & electrical engineer), Roger Taylor is the drummer and has an amazing high voice so he often was the back up singer. All 4 members wrote hit songs and are in the songwriters hall of fame. Their song catalog is long. Keep going.

I totally get where you were coming from! I am so impressed by many forms of art and their artists and consider they are special people and Freddie and all members of Queen are special and talented people.

Queen is a band I couldn’t live without. Paintings are how we decorate walls. Music is how we decorate time.

Just found your channel going by the thumbnail I thought you were twins🤣🤣 Bohemian Rhapsody has had a billion views on KZfaq. And for the last hundred years we have had football in the UK. Queen's songs are also used in a lot of commercials. Great reaction to legendary Queen. Check out what Freddie Mercury thinks what was even a better song that he wrote called somebody to love live HD Montreal.❤🇬🇧 X

Love your reactions, they’re so honest and funny 😅. I don’t think you only have to react to things you’ve never heard before or you have to like everything you react to, as long as your feedback is real and authentic. You could react to things you listen all the time, like hip hop, break it down for people that don’t necessarily listen to it. I would watch that. I’m a from Eastern Europe and been listening to all kinds of music all my life but American hip hop has always been difficult for me to get into because of the language and cultural barriers. I laughed so hard at your shock when you realized Queen was from the UK, I was equally shocked back in the day when I found out Rolling Stones were English, I could’ve sworn they were from the US because they sound so bluesy 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

Broo! More Queen reactions needed! They made around 370 songs and you've done 1!!!!!!

No matter how many times I hear it, it always fascinates me most that this just exists. The fact it was made, as is. Just its "being here" is too amazing to me to really get sick of it.

Fantastic reaction ❤😊Freddie was such a musical genius 😊

Styx - "Come Sail Away" midway through the song does a similar epic switch.

Bro lol I love your reactions you crack me up! With that being said I knew you were real when you said Billy Joel was a great writer. You have a good ear. Cheers from San Diego Calif 619 😎

Yo you gotta hear them do The Show Must Go On. Apparently it was recorded only days before he died while he was very ill. By far my favorite Queen song of all time.

Yes Rob! Thank you! They’re not human lol 💯

dammit bro you got me up till 2 o clock in the damn morning watching your videos and i gotta work tomorrow 😭🤣

I'm so glad i came across your channel bro! Love your videos

Please put a song a day. I love that.

Love the recommendation idea

Love this song, and enjoyed this reaction. If you love the thought of how someone created this conceptually, you should look into how they made it with the technology of the time. This was the first of its kind too.

You might want to look into anti-glare glasses. I’ve seen other KZfaqrs with glasses mention them. Love the reactions! So much fun to experience music with your POV

First. Love Queen! Favorite bad of ALL TIME.

Great reaction, man!

LOL funny reaction dude, that ending 'WTF they know about the ball game' 😂😆 had me in fits, subbed

Y'town! From across the boarder in New Castle over here. Keep on with the great content

Queen is so sick. I would definitely love to see you do some more Queen reactions. Also if you like cool switch ups in songs "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead would be a good one to do.

Thanks for sharing this with us ❤x❤ Freddy forever may be in our heart xx

Love your reaction🧡

A Painting....Loved the insight you have, definitely Original 😅 Right On

Basquiat... Well played! Really like you're vids.

Hello, fellow Youngstownian. Saw them in concert in the 80's. They are phenomenal live!

They did a bunch of fancy songs, and I love that, but "Tie Your Mother Down' just rocks and that does it for me.

Wow man, you rock, I adore when a handsome young man like you shows his enthusiasm for an old song !!!! Even if this song is an absolute masterpiece, thank you !!!!

Loved this.. Excellent Sir.

Love your reaction....anyone who has never heard Bohemian Rhapsody must be living under a rock..! Another brilliant reaction would be to "" Somebody to Love ""....❤

queen is a hole you can fall into, man. A lot of "reactors" do this one and a couple others but they have so much good shit.

Just stumbled on your videos and love the reactions. Shoutout to Youngstown bro that’s my hood too! 330 iykyk! I’m gonna need you to react to Elvis Presley “if I can dream” live version. It was performed by Elvis shortly after the death of Martin Luther king who he was good friends with. You’re gonna love it

Thanks for your reaction. ❤

Freddie Mercury; an artist of extraordinary perception to have even imagined it

Damn, you’re good you’re entertaining just like queen and I appreciate your enthusiasm. Thank you sir.

Seriously! Never laughed so hard at the end of a reaction! Dude! Take me out to the ball game 😂😂😂

That solo. Gets me every time. Perfect reaction. “Gawd damn”

From the Album A Night at the Opera. No choir, just the other 3 band members.

I think what would be fire would be finding a rap song you are reminded of by the song you're listening to, and analyzing and comparing the two tracks. If you're looking for vivid and visceral lyricism, anything by Lou Reed would be good. Walk on the Wild Side might be recognizable since Tribe used its very famous bass line as part of the beat to Can I Kick It? But I also think Heroin off of their 1967 album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, would be a fascinating one to cover.

A song best heard with headphones on for the stereo separation