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I would like to thank Martin Lodge, Ian Whalley, and Jeff Wragg for the many discussions during which the ideas of this article took shape. I would also like to thank the two reviewers from this journal for their insightful feedback and suggestions.
Introduction
British rock band Queen released 'Bohemian Rhapsody' on 31 October 1975. As the lead single from their fourth album A Night at the Opera (released three weeks later), it brought the group greater commercial success than they had previously experienced. It went to no. 1 on the British singles charts where it remained for nine weeks; slightly less popular in America, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' only reached no. 9 on the Billboard singles chart. Nonetheless, when re-released in 1991 and 1992, following Freddie Mercury's death and its appearance in the popular film Wayne's World (1992), 'Bohemian Rhapsody' returned to the top of the British charts and ascended to second position on the Billboard charts. Nearly forty years after its release, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' remains one of rock music's most famous and beloved songs, on account of its striking and enigmatic lyrics, operatic references, and stylized music video, amongst other features. 1
Despite Queen's marginalized presence in rock criticism and academia, generally,2there has been much written by critics and academics about 'Bohemian Rhapsody', specifically. From an academic perspective, authors have cumulatively provided a rich tapestry of information concerning the operatic influences on the song,3the potential links between the lyrical narrative and Mercury's biographical circumstances,4and the form of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.5In a recent thesis, Promane draws on all these strands in a single chapter dedicated to 'Bohemian Rhapsody': he discusses extra-musical genre issues, Mercury's biography, and presents a detailed outline of how the song unfolds.6From outside academia, two DVD documentaries and other interviews with the song's producer Roy Thomas Baker provide further insight into the making of the song from a recording and production perspective.7It is fair to say, then, that there exists a wealth of insightful information regarding 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. The various authors and commentators view the song, however, predominantly from a synchronic perspective. While 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is often tied into wider contextual trends in popular music...