The sounds of English…
a listening experience
Bohemian Rhapsody Queen
Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama
Bohemian Rhapsody Queen
Many things can be said about this awesome song, that has arrived to form a part of our cultural heritage. Like Stairway to Heaven, everyone seems to have their own opinion of what the words or lyrics mean and really say. To begin with, Bohemian Rhapsody was the first single released by the British rock group, Queen. This song initially forms part of their fourth album, A Night at the Opera. Immediately after its release, the song reached # 1 in five European countries and the 7th place in the US. Seventeen years later, it was featured in Wayne’s World, a great movie from 1992. In 2002, the song was listed as #1 in the Guineas World Records Poll, as Britain’s favorite all-time single. In December of 2018, it was recognized as the most-streamed song of the past century. As for me, it is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite songs. Finally, another interesting aspect of the Bohemian Rhapsody consists in the fact that it seems to be the first music video in the music business. The video track, was recorded in 1975 and aired in November of that same year. Overnight, its success transformed the music industry for all time, for years after songs incorporated video as a part .
The lyrics
Bohemian Rhapsody
[Intro]
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
[Verse 1]
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
[Verse 2]
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 (Any way the wind blows)
I don’t wanna die
I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
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, 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
(Never, never, never, never let me go) Ah
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Oh, mamma mia, mamma mia) Mamma mia, let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me!
[Verse 4]
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
[Outro]
(Ooh)
(Ooh, yeah, ooh, yeah)
Nothing really matters, anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters to me
Any way the wind blows
Vocabulary
Streaming A technology to receive music or video from the Internet onto your computer without delays or interruptions because of the transmission speed. Streaming platforms have replaced DVDs as a way of sharing music.
Most streamed-song A leading, high-ranking song on a streaming platform and has been one of the songs that people mostly listen to. Bohemian Rhapsody became the mos streamed-song in all of the past century.
Feature An essential or relevant part of something The movie featured popular songs of different artists.
Fantasy Something created in the imagination, normally pleasant or exciting. John lives in his own world of fantasy.
Sympathy
A feeling of kindness or empathy toward a person who is going through rough, bad times. I can’t help feeling a strong sympathy for the neighbor who lost their dog!
Thrown it all away An expression that refers to wasting or losing an excellent, valuable opportunity. She had a good life and just threw it all away when she began to gamble at the casinos.
Didn’t mean to make you cry Another way of saying that it was not my intention to hurt you or do you harm. I’m sorry for what I did, I never meant to make you cry.
Face the truth To accept punishment or criticism for something you have done wrong. Another way to express this is to face the music. Well, I made some serious mistakes at work, now I have to face the truth and talk to my boss.
Sent shivers down my spine or back A way to say that something or someone is causing intense feelings of fear, anguish, or nervousness. When the killer showed up in that movie scene, it sent shivers down my spine!
So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye. Another way to say so you want to insult or abuse me. Ever since our team lost the match, the other guys think that they can stone us and spit in our eye!
Spare him his life. Used to express that his life should be forgiven, and he should be allowed to go. The judge decided that even though he was guilty, his life would be spared.
Monstrosity Used to describe something terrible, it is also a synonym of crime. The suspect was accused of having committed the monstrosity of murdering the family in cold blood!
I’m easy come, easy go An untroubled person to get along with, a person who can take the good and the bad in life without a problem, also can be expressed as an easy-going person. I have never seen her get angry or anxious, she has such an easy come, easy go kind of personality.
Any way the wind blows Used to say, whatever happens, be it good or bad. Any way the wind blows, Joe will always win the game!
Doesn’t matter to me Expression to indicate that I don’t care what happens. So you don’t want to hang out with me anymore. Well, that doesn’t matter to me at all…
The Listening Exercises
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video Remastered)
This is the official version of Bohemian Rhapsody by The Queen. There are uncountable other interpretations by this band, recorded during the many concerts they have presented all over the world. Still, it was this particular video that was chosen as the representative video for this specific song. It is an excellent rendition, and the listening experience should be quite easy to achieve, for the vocals are clear, and the pronunciation is easy to follow. Personally, I love this video of the song and find that it clearly illustrates what this band was all about and how it gained its way into the history of music.
[OFFICIAL VIDEO] Bohemian Rhapsody Pentatonix
This cover by Pentatonix is nicely done. The vocals are surprising, to say the least, and the video is amusing and interesting. They have great voices and definitely do justice to this song. It’s quite easy for the listener to follow the lyrics and understand them. All in all, it’s a fascinating cover of this great song.
Bohemian Rhapsody (Live) (HD) – Axl Rose Elton John Queen
This is certainly a most memorable concert. It was celebrated at the Wembley Stadium in April 1992. This was five months after the death of Freddie Mercury, composer and lead singer of Queen. The concert was held as a tribute to the musician. The event also promoted AIDS awareness and collected funds to fight AIDS. This concert was viewed in 76 countries with an audience of 500 million people. The event gathered over 20 million British pounds. The song backed by the original Queen group, with the voices Elton John and Axle Rose is definitely a milestone in the history of Rock music. An exciting aspect of this concert is the crowd’s involvement singing along with the performers. This is an inspiring and stirring listening experience. Enjoy!
LONDON, ENGLAND Green Day Crowd Singing Bohemian Rhapsody – Hyde Park July 1st, 2017
This is definitely a great video. Green Day managed to get more than 60, 000 people to sing Bohemian Rhapsody in Hyde Park, London, England. I find this a moving cover that shows how this one song can influence so many people that carry these lyrics in their mind as a treasured memory.
The Ten Tenors – Bohemian Rhapsody
This live rendition of the song has some useful qualities. Its speed is slower than most of the other versions, and the two lead voices are quite clear. The chorus also is easy to understand or make out, for they also pronounce in a distinct form in their low-pitched, tenor vocalizations. As a song, it is well done and can be enjoyed while practicing a listening exercise.
Bohemian rhapsody muppet music video the muppets
I confess I didn’t watch The Muppets as a child when growing up. Still, they have entertained generations with their own particular sense of humor. As a listening exercise, you have a variety of weird voices to practice with. I recommend that you open the transcript to follow the changes in the lyrics.
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody – EPHS Concert Choir
Another version of a great song by a choir in a live presentation. Even though they are a lot of people singing at the same time, the lyrics are quite easy to understand.
Bohemian rhapsody William Shatner
If you were a fan of Star Trek, this adaptation of Bohemian Rhapsody by William Shatner, better known as Captain Kirk of the starship Enterprise would sound familiar. His intonation is clear-cut and is a good exercise with the American English sounds.
Flashmob Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
This is a moving presentation of Bohemian Rhapsody captured live at a shopping mall in Switzerland. It clearly shows the power of music and how it can make strangers gather together and join in the celebration of a song! Enjoy this fantastic version and sing along so you can practice your pronunciation.
Bohemian Rhapsody karaoke in the streets of San Luis Obispo
A spontaneous karaoke interpretation of Bohemian Rhapsody at the Farmers Market in the city of San Luis Obispo, California. The singer has a great voice and a clear pronunciation. Just an ordinary guy from the US and not a professional, so it’s a great chance to hear the everyday way of speaking on the streets of California.
Queen Bohemian Rhapsody (Rocknmob Sochi, 150+ musicians)
Rockmob has organized sensational live concert-cover verions of some of the most popular songs in the history of modern music. This interpretation is not an exception. To gather this amount of talented musicians to render a tribute to this song is indeed a great achievement. I am sure that you will have no problem in following the lyrics and will also enjoy this presentation.
Bohemian Rhapsody Ensamble Pre-Universitario, Colombia
This last interpretation of the song comes from South America. The artists are Colombian, from a school for kids 14-years old and above. Even though they are not native-speakers, their English is excellent and easy to follow.
There are a variety of different voices singing the same beautiful lyrics. Each voice with its own pace, inflection, and personality. Listen to these different versions, and exercise your English listening skills, remember that learning is fun, so enjoy!
All photographs by ©edudelcorral
Talking easy, the English lessons The Listening Exercises