THE BOOK SHELF
BELONGING online study aid
Queen's
'Bohemian Rhapsody'
Queen’s 1975 song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ from their album ‘A Night at the Opera’ clearly portrays the concept of belonging. It tells of a young man who is ostracised because of his actions- In ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ it was murder but in the songwriter’s (Freddie Mercury) life he was an outcast because of his sexuality. Belonging is a recurring idea in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and in many of Queen’s other songs as it was an experience that Mercury was well acquainted to due to the fact he was gay.
The song is in some ways a parody of traditional Italian Operas (hence the album name), with aria and recitative-style verses and operatic techniques like imitation and falsetto.
We see belonging all through ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and the introduction is no exception, as you can hear in this excerpt. The persona is describing how the consequences of his actions have unsettled him. The concept of belonging in the song is achieved through the use of musical techniques.
The use of instrumentation (solo vocalist, backed by simple broken chord accompaniment on the piano) creates a sense of loneliness, isolation and regret. This shows us that when belonging is taken away from a person they are left feeling alone and empty. They are left feeling remorseful about what they have done that has cause their isolation.
The technique that creates a feeling of contriteness within this excerpt is lyrical and the text that the persona is singing contains the literary technique of symbolism.This shows us that it was the persona's actions that caused them to become rejected. More than this, we can discern that the persona understands that it was his actions that caused him to ‘kill’ his belonging which means that he can only blame himslef for his displacement.
In verse one, the persona is explaining what his actions were that resulted in his separation from belonging. This alienation is expressed through musical techniques and we see it in this excerpt from verse one:
Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ shows the value of not belonging through its use of musical techniques. We see this exclusion especially in verse 4 where the persona is beginning to understand exactly what consequences his actions will have.
Within this excerpt, the persona goes from being a passive ‘poor boy’ to an aggressive man when he realises what will happen to him, and then back to a passive boy when he accepts his fate. This is expressed through the musical concept Dynamics and expressive techniques, in particular a crescendo followed by a diminuendo (< >). This creates a climax and creates a feeling of tension which is then resolved as the music gradually gets softer. This shows us the emotional process that the persona and anyone in their position experiences when they are forced out of belonging. It also shows us the inner turmoil that can be experienced when people are alienated.
The use of instrumentation within this excerpt is reflective of the persona’s feelings at the time. For example, the electric guitar does not have a vital role until the climatic point in the composition where there is a loud guitar solo and after that vocal one singing the melody backed by the electric guitar. As the diminuendo comes into effect, the electric guitar fades and is replaced by the block harmonies of voices two, three and four as well as the piano, which was the main instrument until the climax. The electric guitar offers a harsher sound than the piano and the combined vocals. This shows us that during the harmonies and piano backing, the persona is habitually passive and subdued but when the guitar backs, the persona is aggressive and angry. This shows us that when a person feels that the place or position in which they belong is being threatened they often respond in an aggressive manner as the idea of not fitting in is not appealing to most everyone
We see aspects of the concept of belonging in Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody.’ We see it especially in this excerpt, where the persona is talking about the loneliness he feels when he is abandoned by society.
The use of repetition within the lyrics of this song is to create an emphasis on the feelings of hopelessness and pointlessness that the persona feels. This shows us that once action that prompts alienation is committed there is almost no way to re-belong within that group. The lyrics imply that the persona isn’t in control anymore. Almost like he handed over his claim for belonging when he committed his crime (murder)