Hi there,you bunch of tarts ! Is Bo Rhap actually a serious song about Freds upbringing, his sexuality or his rise to fame ?I have never heard even Roger or Brian give a straight answer.Im sure that some of you have your own ideas.
Actually, Freddie has no idea either. I honestly think it was just some random thing that Freddie thought would sound cool. I just go with that. So, that's what I think.
No one from band members gave clear answer about the content of the song. I don't think it was about Freddie's upbringing. It's just one of Freddie's fantasies which nobody will understand. The answer is gone with it's author.
philip storey wrote:
Hi there,you bunch of tarts ! Is Bo Rhap actually a serious song about Freds upbringing, his sexuality or his rise to fame ?I have never heard even Roger or Brian give a straight answer.Im sure that some of you have your own ideas.
The question of the ages...
I remember this being discussed not too long ago, and I wrote out a very long and complex, rambling answer to what I think its about, but I'm really sorry, I don't feel like re-typing it. :) I suspect that its about a variety of things, but maybe rather then the exact words all meaning something, the overall framework of the song expresses various struggles Freddie was experiencing at the time, expressing his feeling and emotion rather then explicitly explaining or referring to a particular situation. All of Queen have said they don't know what it means; however, Brian did once say that it does have a meaning, but he didn't want to kill the song by saying it. (not his exact words).
Brian also once said that Freddie was very clever in saying his songs were 'disposable', because it meant that he didn't have to explain them. A lot of them did have fairly deep and heavy meanings, and explaining them would have changed people's attitudes to the songs, and would have given away more then Freddie was happy with. If that makes sense.
I remember watching a Freddie interview where he said he liked to keep his songs really open for the public to try and figure out themselves. He never wanted to ruin a persons view of a song by telling them what it was really about. I'm sure his songs had eep powerful meanings, he just never said anything and i respect him for that.
I guess BoRhap is in essence about Freddie finding his sexual identity.
The song pretty much captures the feeling that one has, before finally 'coming out'...Apologizing to the mother or a mother-like figure (remember, Freddie still was in a relalationship with Mary at the time he wrote the song...), probably many possible hidden sexual connotations as well ('killing' a man, pulling the 'trigger'...) - and no matter how hard you try, there's nothing you can do against it...In a way, the song is basically also a lot about self-acceptance and the resulting fear of dissapointing someone that you love.
Anyway...at least that makes sense to me! ;)
About 5 years ago there was a really psycidelic music video on MTV,
and this song repeated the line "Is this the real life, or is this just fantasy".
It was kind of a LSD-feeling on the whole thing, and I have to agree that the line could be about a trip on drugs...?
I think it is just a simple ballad. When I first heard the song, it reminded me of the song "Tom Dooley" by the Kingston Trio. It is just a song with a story.
At that time I did not know anything about Freddie Mercury or Queen. I just thought the songwriter was very clever - the lyrics had a very strong emotional appeal. Most teenagers and young adults adjusting to the working world would feel the line "I sometimes wish I had never been born at all" at one time in their lives.
vonkeil wrote:
I guess BoRhap is in essence about Freddie finding his sexual identity.
The song pretty much captures the feeling that one has, before finally 'coming out'...
Apologizing to the mother or a mother-like figure (remember, Freddie still was in a relalationship with Mary at the time he wrote the song...), probably many possible hidden sexual connotations as well ('killing' a man, pulling the 'trigger'...) - and no matter how hard you try, there's nothing you can do against it...
In a way, the song is basically also a lot about self-acceptance and the resulting fear of dissapointing someone that you love.
Anyway...at least that makes sense to me! ;)
I'm sure that's what is about. Practically every single word in it makes sense that way. I once read someone's analysis of it that way and I completely agree.
It had never occurred to me that it was about that. I was sure it was about some real case of a guy sentenced to death, 'cause that's what I had heard someone say once...
Anyway, don't have time right now, but the mamma reference seems to be to Mary, and yeah, the reference to the gun "put a gun against his head and pulled my trigger". Every line makes sense that way.
Anyway, as others said, Freddie liked people to have their own interpretations.
I sometimes think the song is about many different things that are not related to Freddie's sexuality, such as the transition from Farouk bulsara to Superstar Freddie Mercury and changing his name which could have been hurtful to his family. Everyone percieves songs differently and this is what makes them special for them. A song stirs emotions. If you are told the meaning then those emotions may dissapear or be manipulated and take away from this Legendary song!