The name "Bohemian" in the song title seems to refer to a group of artists and musicins living roughly 100 years ago, known for defying convention and living with disregard for standards. A "Rhapsody" is a piece of Classical music with distinct sections that is played as one movement. Rhapsody's often have themes. Freddie Mercury wrote the lyrics, and there has been a lot of speculation as to their meaning. Mercury's parents were deeply involved in Zoroastrianism, and words like "Bismillah" do have a meaning in that religion. His family grew up in Zanzibar, but was forced out by government upheaval in 1964, and they moved to England. Some of the lyrics could be about leaving his homeland behind. In an interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor on the Queen Videos Greatest Hits DVD, Brian said: "What is Bohemian Rhapsody about, well I don't think we'll ever know and if I knew I probably wouldn't want to tell you anyway, because I certainly don't tell people what my songs are about. I find that it destroys them in a way because the great thing about about a great song is that you relate it to your own personal experiences in your own life. I think that Freddie was certainly battling with problems in his personal life, which he might have decided to put into the song himself. He was certainly looking at re-creating himself. But I don't think at that point in time it was the best thing to do so he actually decided to do it later. I think it's best to leave it with a question mark in the air." http://songfacts.forest.net/detail.lasso?id=685

The song appears to be about a poor young boy facing the death penality for killing a man. Bismillah is from Arabic meaning in the name of Allah or God. Freddie Mercury aka Farrokh Bulsara was of Indian muslim origin. The use of bismillah is commanly used in Arabic speech, especailly in formal situations to place an emphasis on an answer- consider "Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-" This appears to be a dialoge between the boy and the justice system. The justice system also appears to be middle eastern "So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye" Anyway, could go on and on but I think i will stop here. the rest you can work out from yourselves... 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, A little high,little low, Anyway 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 ooo, 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- 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 ooo- (any way the wind blows) I don’t want to die, I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all- 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 and 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 No,no,no,no,no,no,no- Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go- Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me- 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- Nothing really matters, Anyone can see, Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me, Any way the wind blows..

Its simple, Freddie mercury ( real name Farrokh Bulsara) was of Indian parsi heritage. Now, Parsis are a group of people who migrated from Persia ( which neighbours India) more than 1000 years back, today they have been intermingled however and are part and parcel of the Indian society. they follow a religion called Zorastrianism ( btw, I am a Parsi myself). And, NO the fact is we don't identify ourselves as Iranian, we are truly Indians. Farrok i.e. Freddie was not a Muslim or Arab, however in Persian, Hindi etc Bismillah is a general term for Godwilling ! It is used alike by Muslims, hindus, parsis and even Christians alike. The song Bohemian Rhapsody is complex and as Brian May so rightly puts it, no one for sure can decipher its full meaning like Freddie had intended.It could be a plethora of expectations, ideas and an amalgamation of his experiences in life put in one great and outstanding song which is probably the most genius hit ever writen and composed in rock history !

"Bismillah" is an Arabic word meaning "In the Name of Allah, the Beneficient, the Merciful", and used by observant Muslims. Freddie was not a Muslim but a Parsi (Zoroastrian) -- the religion predates the Islamic conquest of Iran, and survives mainly in India to which Parsis fled around 1000 A.D. and where they survive as a distinct community. Freddie likely picked up this term from India (with a large Muslim minority) or Zanzibar (majority Muslim island).

This is actually one of the great mysterys of Queen. No one knows. Freddie DID NOT take the answer to this question to the grave. He told Roger Taylor (Queen's drummer), but Roger can no longer remember it. Some have said itss about Freddie's sexuality. But again, no one really knows.

I believe this song is about AIDS. Freddie Murcury was known to have been homosexual, and the line, "just killed a man" is suggesting the transference of AIDS. "pulled MY trigger now he's dead"... The verse that begins "so you think you can stone me and spit in my eye" are the spoken words of the man "shot" at the beginning of the song. We can only guess that the man being shot is Murcury's partner or lover. The lyrics also suggest that he didn't wish any mourning for his death or passing because, "nothing really matters" to him. Ultimately, I think this song is about the guilt Murcury carried for having contracted and passing on the AIDS virus without his partner having known, possibly without having known it himself. This song can really tear me up... If this is really what he meant by the song, I wonder if anyone close to him realized so before he died. Hmm, very sad.

Gotten from Wiki: There Queen states that "Bohemian Rhapsody" is about a young man who has accidentally killed someone and, like Faust, sold his soul to the devil. On the night before his execution he calls for God in Arabic, "Bismillah" (Basmala), and with the help of angels regains his soul from Shaitan.

The song isnt about aids, homosexuality or some poverty-ridden kid in some 3rd world country but actually about Freddie Mercury's self ego, and our self ego is the destruction of all mankind... Lines, such as: Mama,just killed a man, Put a gun against his head, Pulled my trigger,now hes dead, Mama,life had just begun, Means: hey mom, i just killed my self ego killed it with (something) MY LIFE HAS JUST BEGUN!!! see... now you see...

Its about him killing a man and being sent to the electric chair for the murder. Bismillah is parsi, indian, muslim or whatever you want to call it. Kind of begging his God for mercy. Beelzebub as you know is one of the 5 princes of hell thus meaning he got protection by selling his soul. In the end he dies anyway. so in a summary: Freddie killed a man and was sentenced to death by the court. The towns people pray to their god and Freddie instead of receiving mercy from their god he is offered protection from Beelzebub who takes his soul. Which then leads to aggressiveness in which Freddie dies. The only person who gains something is Beelzebub seeing as Hell got a new member.

Great song that I take as a ballad about a guy who killed someone.