It is generally agreed upon that WATC is an anthem. The trouble comes when one asks, "an anthem to what?" Revisionist historians of music have dubbed it, to the great consternation of a majority of Queen fans, a "gay anthem." Taken alone, the first verse could indicate it is an anthem for the wrongly convicted/persecuted: "I've done my sentence and commited no crime." Others have called it a sport/football anthem. Still others, myself included, believe that it is more of a personal anthem, an anthem to the band itself, or to performers in general. The lyrics in the second verse seem to reflect this as well: "I've taken my bows, and my curtain calls. You've brought me fame and fortune...etc." But no matter what the anthem is about, the important thing to remember is that "We'll keep on fighting 'til the end."
I have a feeling that if Fred were ever asked what kind of anthem WATC was, he would reply with something like, "It's just an anthem, darling. Can't an anthem just be a bloody fucking anthem?"
Anyway, let's get a general poll of opinion on this matter. Cheers.
It's an open-ended anthem. If there are no specifics within the lyrical content, then it is open to the listener's interpretation, regardless of the actual intentions of the author.