Queen is technically a rock band. But I feel they are a genre themselves. Their music is so unique, their sound is never the same. Freddie Mercury-lead singer, Brian May-lead guitar, Roger Taylor-drums, and John Deacon-bass. I’d love to see you react to Somebody To Love live in Montreal!
Freddie Mercury's voice is unique. The first a capella part is just Freddie, harmonising with himself. Freddie wrote this masterpiece (Brian May wrote his own guitar solo of course). Freddie was a great musician, performer, singer. He is still so greatly missed...
No , The Guitar solo is also written by Freddie !!! Brian May said in an interview !! The Fact is This whole song from start to end everything is Freddie's idea, everything written by Freddie !!!
A few fun facts about Queen: * Guitarist Brian May has a Ph.D. in Astrophysics and built his electric guitar (Red Special) when he was 17 (with his dad). * Bassist John Deacon has a degree in electronics. He designed and built the amp that Brian sometimes uses to create unique sounds on Red Special. John was also involved in the band’s financial management. * Drummer Roger Taylor has a degree in biology (pre-med). His vocal range is better than most lead singers of other groups. * Lead singer Freddie Mercury has a degree in graphic design. It goes without saying that his vocal range was amazing and he was the best front man of any band. * All four have written #1 hits, and all are members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. BTW, Freddie didn't say his mother killed a man. He said, "Momma, just killed a man." (Note the comma. It indicated he was addressing his mother). People have been debating the meaning of the song ever since it came out, but it's safe to say it was a euphemism, and no one was actually killed. 😀
I think you can safely say this song is rock opera but Queen never adhered to any genre. When you first listen to a Queen song you never know what it is going to be but you know it is going to be good. Yes, that is pure Freddie Mercury on vocals. He also wrote this song which he turned into a rhapsody by sandwiching together three different songs that were on the same basic theme. Freddie was a one off with a 4 octave vocal range though in this song the highest notes are Roger who is the drummer. Nobody knows what this song was about because Freddie never said, he left it up to the listener to decide. Some of the lyrics are metaphor and not literal. If you listen closely, his mom didn't kill a man, he says he did when he says pulled MY trigger now he's dead. There are lots of theories about what the song means but nobody really knows. It is a song about transitions I think, becoming a different person, perhaps growing up, perhaps leaving his old life behind for music or some other change. I love this song and nearly everyone knows this song by heart. Just enjoy it and let it be whatever it feels like at the time. To me this song has three parts: the crime, the judgement and the outcome which is nothing really matters. I have been listening to this song since 1975 and I still hear different things in the lyrics and the music when I listen to it. This is a fantastic band with over 200 songs in their catalog. Every band member wrote at least three number 1 hits. Freddie Mercury was said to be the best singer of all time and also the best frontman of all time. Thank you for your reaction. It was everything I felt the first time I heard this song too but I was just itching to hear it again and again.
@@DJ-bj8ku Queen did vaudeville, jazz, disco, funk, ballads, folk, anthems and whatever they felt like. I would call them a rock BAND, I agree with you there but as far as their music is concerned, I think Queen was much more diversified than that. Seaside Rendezvous, Cool Cat, Good Company, 39 and You Take My Breath Away to name a few, really can't be considered as rock songs in my opinion. You are free to disagree, of course and I would certainly understand your point of view. Bo-Rap is rock opera in my opinion (and I have heard the members of the band refer to it that way) not unlike some of the songs done by The Who where rock was blended with a more classical types of music. The members of Queen were music composers and really took the freedom to write in any manner that appealed to them and each of them had different tastes in music.
@@sherryheim5504 Thanks for the thoughtful response. I grew up in the late ‘60s and of course through the ‘70s when there were super groups, like Zeppelin, the Stones, etc. Queen was never considered more than a very talented rock group. I think the Stones were more versatile. Of course perspectives change over time, but Queen was influenced primarily by Elvis (Crazy Little Thing Called Love), the Beatles and music from the ‘50s. While they had a unique sound, of course-I had several of their albums-I think the RU-vid era may be giving them an outsize stature simply because Freddy was charismatic and flamboyant and no one really rocks like them anymore.
I have to laugh every time someone says they've never heard of this group before. You have. You just dont know it. Ever heard of We Will rock You? We Are the Champions? Another one bites the dust? :) As for this song, Freddie Mercury never told anyone what exactly it meant. He preferred people make up their own minds as songs can be personal to whoever is listening. The other band members probably knew. A lot of people feel it's his coming to grips with his own sexuality. In effect he was killing the man his family (mother) expected him to be and admitting his gay/bi personality.
Thanks for the great reaction! This genre is called "Queen" because it's a group that represents all the genres we know. This is exactly the phenomenon of Queen + their harmony. It was these four talented musicians who made music history. In Freddie's work, it is never possible to find clarity in words. All his fantasy world and thoughts are up to the listeners. He himself has said so in his interviews.
Queen is a British rock band formed in 1970 consisting of: Freddie Mercury - Lead vocalist and piano John Deacon - Bass guitar Roger Taylor - Drummer and vocals Brian May - Lead guitar and vocals You are right. There was no Autotune in 1975 when Bohemian Rhapsody (BoRap) was recorded and released. All 4 members of Queen had amazing musical talent plus all 4 members composed music that became number 1 hits. Ever heard "Another One Bites the Dust", "We Will Rock You", or "We Are The Champions"? All written and recorded by Queen. Freddie Mercury composed Bohemian Rhapsody. He never explained the meaning behind it because Freddie preferred that the meaning be whatever the listener felt it was not what he (Freddie) was thinking when he wrote it. He did admit that it is actually 3 different songs that he had been working on for a while but could not seem to finish. So he mashed them all together, adding some transitions and bridges, and created Bohemian Rhapsody. Bohemian Rhapsody can be broken down into 6 separate parts: 1. Intro - (the video shows all 4 members of Queen singing acapella but in reality what you are heading is just Freddie, who laid down 5 separate tracks of himself singing and harmonizing with himself). 2; Ballad - "Mama, just killed a man..." had the working title of "Freddie's Cowboy Song". 3. Guitar Solo - this is the only part of BoRap not composed by Freddie. He knew he wanted a guitar solo in it and so he told Brian where he wanted it and Brian wrote something so amazingly perfect for the song. 4. Operatic section - Freddie was always fascinated by the thought of mixing genres of music. He loved the thought of mixing rock (which he loved) with Opera (which he also loved). 5. Hard Rock - because Freddie and the whole band loved to rock out 6. Outro - Closes the circle by returning to the ballad to close out the song A good friend of Freddie's, the lyrist Sir Tim Rice (who wrote the lyrics for "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Alladin", "The Lion King", "Evita", etc.) believed the ballad portion was Freddie's attempt to come out as gay/bisexual. (The man he killed was metaphorically the Freddie who pretended to be straight.) In 1975, even though it was during the "sexual revolution", coming out as non-heterosexual was very scary. Freddie never did actually admit he was gay but everyone knew it. (None of the other members of Queen were gay).
No auto tune but also no ear pieces -- what you heard on stage is what you sang and played to...now no artist will go out there without that advantage. Gold stars for the early days.
Thanks for the great reaction! Don't try to put the band into a box, they wrote the songs in cca. 15 different genres, they were the most diverse rock band. Freddie Mercury composed this masterpiece from 3 earlier written and unfinished songs. All those beautiful harmonies are the result of a very complicated 3 weeks recording in 6 different studios, only Freddie knew how it had to be sounded. In the first part Freddie is harmonizing with himself and the chorus section is based on the voice of 3 of them, because John the bass player couldn't sing well. Pls, check out Somebody To Love at Montreal 81.
My Dad introduced me to Queen in 1990. I instantly fell in love with his voice 😍. I was devastated when he died of AIDS. He is the true definition of a artist. He was at his best performing live. No one could peacock the stage like Freddy!
Don’t get hung up and over analyze these lyrics. Freddie took three songs he was working on and mashed them together. Freddie always said you can interpret it anyway you want. React to Somebody to Love, live in Montreal.
Absolutely huge talented band one of the best bands ever from 🇬🇧 Uk , all the members of Queen have written no1 hits, Queens greatest hits album is still the best selling album of all time in the Uk 🇬🇧 they have sold 300 million albums worldwide, They are known for there flamboyant live performances, the lead guitarist Brian May hand made his unique legendary electric guitar from a wooden fireplace, Queen have amazing songs like, We Will Rock You , also We Are The Champions ,they have many rock anthems , Live Aid concert in 1985 was a charity concert in aid for the famine in Africa,Live aid was twined with a concert in Philadelphia USA 🇺🇸 80,000 people at Live Aid , 90, thousand crowd in Philadelphia, 2billion people worldwide watched both concerts, all the best artists in the world attended these concerts, and Queen had a 20 minute slot for their performance and Queen performance absolutely stole the show from the world’s best, The lead singer Freddie Mercury was considered the best frontman of a band ever! So check out Live Aid 1985 at Wembley Stadium , Freddie had the crowd in the palm of his hand !
Queen is it's own genre. They sing it all!!! You have to react to more Queen. Their live performances are the best. No auto tune. This is pure Talent!!!
Technically it is rock. If you listen closely he is confessing to his mother that HE killed a man and has thrown his life away. He will be locked up or executed. Most believe the song is metaphorical. Some argue it was Freddie Mercury's coming out song. He would never say what it was about, leaving it up to the listeners. You are correct in that there is no auto tune or filters - it is pure Freddie Mercury. In fact, the opening section is Freddie doing 5 part harmony with himself. He had amazing vocals and is considered by many as the best rock male vocalist of all time. The Queen rabbit hole offers a wide variety of songs showcasing their amazing talent. Next, you should listen to "Somebody to Love" live in Montreal. Their talent is on full display
Yess.... Please react to "Somebody to love" but I would suggest react to the studio version first... then onto the live Montreal one for comparison to get the full effect of their amazing ability to change it but still keep the meaning of the song...by the way Freddie wrote this song too. Amazing vocalist and best Frontman ever...R.I.P. Thanks for your reaction.
queen's music is....iconic. even if you never heard of them...its impossibe to never have heard their music. reacto these -Live aid (a 20 min concert they had) -we will rock you -we are the champions -under preasure -crazy little thing called love -who wants to live forever (from the movie Highlander) -princes of the universe (same) -Love of my life -another one bites the dust -somebody to love -I want to break free -dont stop me now
Bohemian Rhapsody has so many views, like most of their songs because Queen is the absolute best band there is and. Freddie Mercury is one of a kind and the greatest frontman to ever walk on stage! You have to listen to some of their greatest hits, the rabbit hole is waiting for you! I've been loving Queen for about 45 years now and I have no plans to stop! Thanks for reacting to Queen! 👍
Freddie Mercury (lead singer) was working on writing 3 very different songs when he had the genius inspiration to combine them into this epic masterpiece. Nothing like it, before or since.
Queen did all kinds of genres, they were very unique. This song was written by Freddie Mercury, it wasn't his mother who killed a man, it was him and he confessed to his mother. Freddie Mercury is the lead singer.
Im 65&just discovered Queen after hearing DanVasc do this&then I started hearing other songs&realized Id loved various songs just never saw band album cover or pic before;that was in Oct. &Im hooked completely. I guarantee you are now hooked! They were awesome band but Freddie Mercury,lead singer&front man was a gift from God in voice,charisma,vivid imagination! Their other videos will blow you away as nearly all are over the top. This was 3 songs Freddie combined&is what set them off! Dont try to figure out meaning as itll give you brain freeze I think.&This is early Queen; the older they got the more work to meet challenge of variety of 4song writers mixing it up! One Freddie & he truly was the best but also only 1 true Queen,as never could replace Freddie❣️💔💖💯
This was the very first song considered rock opera. Queen is it’s own genre since all four members have written at least 3 number one hits. There songs all sound different. Freddie Mercury had the best voice ever. 4 octaves - incredible.
Queen is a deep, deep dive. Early stuff (like this) is amazing.. they’re genre-busting, you can’t pin them down! Freddie didn’t ever want to define his music, he wanted it to mean something different to whomever was listening to it!! But.. bc all four of these guys wrote music (all are in the songwriter hall of fame).. their music varies widely. You’ve heard much of it, even if you didn’t know who sung it!! Enjoy the journey - you can’t go wrong!
to see queen at their fullest...watch their Live aid performance. its a 20 min they had at the live aid for africa chariety concert. they were one of many performers at 2 locations (they performed in London). they werent the headline but they stole the show
Ok so now you have to watch or find the clip of the movie Wayne’s World, there is a famous part where the guys are rocking out to this song. Epic movie moment. And I’d suggest reacting to Somebody to Love. The original is outstanding BUT there is a live performance Montreal 81’ that is just so amazing. If you like Freddie’s voice you have to watch the Live Montreal first. I’ll include the link.
Really good reaction, I enjoyed it. And being surprised and confused is a perfect reaction. There are a number of different assumptions about the meaning in the lyrics from the literal to it being a metaphor for Freddie coming out. Whatever, it's a masterpiece. I was 15 when this was released and as lots of other people have said, it's a song that stays with you.
The genre is Queen. Freddie is confessing to his mother that he ‘murdered’ someone, not saying his mother murdered someone lol. Freddie is British, the others are English. Freddie is a genius and our national treasure ❤️🇬🇧
All talent......this song has 1 complete storyline (listen again to the words only)....it has 5 parts.....1 Acapello (introduction), 2 Ballad (confession), 3 Operatic (trial) [look up Bismilla], 4 Rock show (acceptance) and a Coda (closing).........there are masterpieces and then there's Bohemian Rhapsody
People say the genre is called Rock Opera but it’s the only song I’ve heard of that genre. The band is called Queen and the song is called Bohemian Rhapsody, you should definitely react to more of their music they’re probably my favorite band currently.
A strip that ran in Heavy Metal Magazine around the time was called Rock Opera. Not for the first time, confusion arises because the lyrics written "Mama. Just killed a man" misses the personal pronoun. He means "Mama, I just killed a man . . " To contextualize, the following lyrics are, " . . Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he's dead!" So many reactors to Bohemian Rhapsody are so busy processing an error of information that they fail to hear the contextualization afterwards. They're too busy thinking, or saying, "Huh? . . What? . . His mama killed a man??"
The Genre is Queen. Freddie would never say what the song was about but a lot of people think it is about him killing off the old Freddie by coming out about his sexuality to his Mother
Oh baby, you can’t pigeon hole Queen. This song was Freddie’s coming out song to his Mother. Please keep on your Queen journey. You will be richly rewarded. They are legend. Watch “Somebody to love” live from Montreal next. Please always, always watch Queen live. 0 synthesizers. 0 auto tune. 100% pure talent. Not bad for a group of four that included a dentist, as Astro engineer, a graphics designer, and Jon. Lol.
QUEEN was multi-genre's, & if I had to put a label on this song, I would say it falls in the Rock Opera category......enjoyed your reaction, & hope you continue down the QUEEN rabbit hole, it is huge, and incredible!!!
Freddie Mercury was a musical genius! This song was from their album A Night at the Opera. So, you were correct in saying that the second part of the song sounded like opera. Freddie was the lead vocalist, and he actually wrote the song! He purposely threw different genres into it! RIP, Freddie. You're singing with the angels! 💞💞
''that guy has a great voice'' is like saying ''Mozart was a great composer''. Like, bruh, he's got arguably the greatest rock voice/singing voice in music history. Quite an understatement 😂 This song is a masterpiece!
This is truly the greatest masterpiece ever. !! And it’s our Freddie’s coming out song . The most beautiful soul to ever grace our planet . I loved you reaction and comments 💕
Rhapsody: a musical composition of irregular form that expresses powerful feelings. Freddie's composition includes intro, ballad, operatic section, hard rock & coda. Freddie himself never clarified what his lyrics meant but it's generally assumed that the man he killed was some former version of himself.
Some songs by Queen "We will rock you", and "we are the champions ", I know you will recognize. "Another one bites the dust ", live at Wembley 1986 "Under pressure ",live at wembley 1986. "Somebody to love ", live at Montreal 1981 "Save me ", live at Montreal 1981.
The interpretation is up to each listener. I interpret it this way, the fictional character in the song murders someone, then he stands trial where he sings I’m just poor boy from poor family, the response is no we will not let you go….he’s convicted, and the third transition is working through the anger and resentment of the conviction, until it ends with accepting his fate. However, this is how I feel the song moves
Don’t worry about how you feel Freddie said about this song put your own interpretation onto it, whatever fits to your life, I’m queen fan went to most of their of their concerts, this man wanted no more than to make sure the fans got nothing but the best from him, his fans were the most important thing to Freddie and that’s why he gave everything he had on stage even when diagnosed with HIV he never wanted to let his fans down regardless of how sick he became, your right you are listening to one of the greatest bands ever and I’m so privileged to have seen.this band live. RIp Freddie your are, solely missed, you got your wish not make it to old bones but we would of been happier if you did, god knows he didn’t need another angel in heaven so bad but he decided he wanted Freddie’s voice was more useful in heaven, but god knew his legacy will always live on, that was proved by the green day concert when the full audience sang bohemian rhapsody word for word when most of the crowd were to young to remember queen, he will always be remembered and missed by his fans
Their music was especially popular in the 70's. They/QUEEN WERE TOLD BY THEIR RECORD LABEL THAT "the song would NEVER SELL. THEY SAID, " IT'S TOO LONG AND THE RECORD COMPANY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PRODUCE IT, I.E ROCK/OPERA." TIME PROVED THOSE EXECUTIVES WRONG. QUEEN'S MUSIC, WITH FREDDY MERCURY AS LEAD SINGER, STILL IMPRESSIVES MUSIC CRIDICS TO THIS DAY.
The popular narrative is - He was diagnosed with AIDS which back then was like a death sentence. Since it was primarily contracted through transmission, it was easily spread to others - thus, the reference to taking someone’s life. The song is sad, but was also groundbreaking for that era so I totally get how you feel conflicted because I did too. Rock operas were not a thing back then so I was amazed, and the musical changes take you through that emotion in the song’s meaning. It’s pretty much timeless and I’ve never felt or heard anything similar since.
Queen is a rock band but incorporates different types of music. He killed a man not his mom. His parents were religious and strict. I think it was his coming out song killing his old self. Just my opinion. Queen is amazing and its not a cry for help. Freddy died of Aids right before they got treatment for it. He was amazing. Listen to the full Queen live Aid concert without studying it first. Watch the entire clip and react. Its amazing too.
I'm surprised at how many people think that Mama killed a man. I certainly knew that he was talking to his mama, even the first time I heard it. Even though the subject "I" is dropped, the pause after "Mama" made it clear that Mama didn't kill anybody. He killed a man with his own gun.
So loved your reaction - the genre is Queen - they are in a league of their own. If you've not reviewed it already please check out the Live Aid Queen set or better still just work your way through the Album - Queens Greatest Hits 1. The song you just heard is about a poor boy who shoots a man, gets arrested, ends up in court and goes to jail .... but although he is broken he is still defiant and hopefully. In the UK we all know the words and we sing it loud ... in the car, when cleaning, at work, on the bus .... it is simply Queen.
,Queen...Roger Taylor, Brian May ,John Deacon and the BRILLIANCE OF FREDDIE MERCURY..ONE OF THE GREATEST SONGS EVER WRITTEN.CAME OUT IN 1975... written by Freddie
Watch the 1985 Live Aid concert. Their performance outdid every single other performance. Freddie Mercury’s voice and Brian May’s guitar. It’s 70 80s rock. By 1985, every single person on earth under 30 knew Queen.
Freddie's voice = magic 100% him He is known for his fast vibrato. My favorite example of that is from Friday night's Wembley 1986 'Who Wants to Live Forever' (must be Friday for my example). Another excellent 'study' of Freddie's voice is 'You Take My Breath Away' live at Hyde Park 1976. (just Freddie and his piano) superb! This song is 5 kinds of music (rarely do songs merge more than 2 if any) A CAPELLA... is this real or just fantasy BALLAD ... mama just killed a guy OPERA ... a silhouette of a man ROCK ... you think you can stop me CODA ... nothing really matters what may be happening in the song A CAPELLA... questioning situation BALLAD ... admition / realization OPERA ... judgement / pleading ROCK ... anger / consequences CODA ... resolve / acceptance Freddie would never say what it's about and wants each listener to decide for themselves. One very widely aggreed idea is it's Freddie killing off the heterosexual side of himself. Freddie was 29 in 1975 and gay or on the cusp... it was illegal to be gay up until 1967 (only 8 years earlier) so legal issues plagued this part of society. I personally love how much the video reminds me of 'Oliver' from 1968~1972 both visually and storyline.
I'm not gonna look through the lyrics to see if it's already been said but, the entire song is about his aids diagnosis. "He put his gun against his head, pulled his trigger now he's dead" "So you think you can love me and leave me to die" "Spit in my eye" "Goodbye everybody, ive got to go" When he wrote Bohemian Rhapsody, an aids diagnosis was a death sentence. And it was for Freedie Mercury. He didn't live long after he wrote this.
I concur …. Listen to Somebody to Love (Live in Montreal) and the greatest live performance of a band all time: Queen at Live Aid concert broadcast live around the world. Finish with Freddie and Monserrat live in Barcelona singing an operatic song he wrote called “Barcelona”. Pick the one where he is in a black tuxedo and she is in a light blue dress. There are many versions as he performed different places. But this one version is epic. And served as the theme song to the Barcelona Olympics
Queen is the most biggest and the number one awesomest rock and roll band in history and if you want proof you name any rock group that has their music played at every sporting event all over the world namely we Will Rock you and we are The champions
His mother didn’t kill a man. He did, and he is confessing to her. Bohemian Rhapsody is a sui generis, historic masterpiece. For those who fret over or speculate about its genre, let me weigh in. At its essence, it is a three act rock opera, unlike anything before or since. It would not exist but for Freddie Mercury and Queen. Freddie’s voice stands alone as rock’s one and only true operatic voice.
Well, this was the 1970s..... No rules, Pure talent, NO genre! That's the magic of Queen. Just listen to it all the way through. You can't dissect this piece of magic!
They are a rock band. This song was rated in top 5 greatest song ever. No..his mom didnt kill a man, he was confessing to his mom. Freddy Mercury has a great voice. Check out Somebody To Love, live in Montreol, 1981... you will see what a great voice he has. Also the song We Are The Champions,,and We will Rock You. They have such a great rabbit hole to go down!!
Brilliant song, Brilliant band!!! Momma didn’t kill a man, you misunderstood the beginning a bit!! Queen is a Rock band and has a massive catalog, you will know a few of their songs!!! enjoy the ride! 👌🎵👍🎶✌️😁
This song and video came out in the mid 70's. Auto tune didn't exist until the mid 90's. What you are listening to is 100% them, the words the music, just them. You have heard their music before, in movies, commercials, at sporting events, you just didn't know it was Queen. Go down the rabbit hole, it will be a journey you will enjoy. Don't overthink this song, just enjoy it.
The name of the group is Queen in the name of the song is Bohemian Rhapsody and it's a rock opera is a little bit of chorus band rock and roll and orchestra and Opera all rolled into one and it came out in 1976 they're very well-known British rock group 🎶🎺🎷🎸🎻🥁📯
Literally This song is about 5 stages of grief :- 1) First harmony ( Is this the real life ...) describes Denial. 2) The Balad part( Mama just killed a Man...) describes Depression. 3) The Oprah part( Let me go ...) describes Bargaining. 4) The Hard Rock part( So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye...) describes Anger. 5) The Last Freddie solo (Nothing really matters...) describes Acceptance. Just resemble the Lyrics with Emotion and the Music of the Song , You'll Understand. It's not a kind of song written in one night or one month, it's a compilation of 12-15 years of Freddie.
