With all the hoopla surrounding the Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody, I decided to post about songs I adore that I find extraordinarily unusual and weird, yet rawk. I have always thought of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the song, as a bewildering masterpiece, despite not having a clue what the lyrics meant. About two months ago I heard someone on TV explain he believed the song’s lyrics represented Freddie Mercury’s way of telling the world he did not conform to only male/female sex. It was an enlightening moment for me.
Mercury was born in Zanzibar to parents who were devotees of the Zoroastrian religion, which believes homosexuality is a form of devil worship. Here are some lyrics from Bohemian Rhapsody and my responses. “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Caught in a landslide No escape from reality.” Freddie is finally ready to tell the truth. “Mama, just killed a man, put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger, now he’s dead.” Is Freddie communicating he is killing his heterosexual self to Mom? “Didn’t mean to make you cry.” Is Freddie telling his Mom that he can no longer hide his true self despite what the family religion dictates? “Sometimes wish I’d never been born at all.” Is he struggling violently as do so many people who finally reach the decision that he/she must come out of the closet? “I’m just a poor boy and nobody loves me. He’s just a poor boy from a poor family. Spare him his life from this monstrosity…Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me for me for me.” He has been struggling so mightily, trying to balance his real self against religion, and surely Zoroastrianism is not the only form of religion that condemns gay partnership, fixating on physical sex. “So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye? So you think you can love me and leave me to die? Oh baby can’t do this to me baby, just gotta get out just gotta get right outta here.” His admission is full.
Here are nine other very unusual songs that definitely rock:
“Karn Evil 9” by Emerson, Lake, and Palmer. Gotta love keyboardist Keith Emerson taking the lead on this song by a great prog-rock band.
System of a Down has so many interesting and unusual songs. Their syncopation, lyrics, ferocity, musicianship, Armenian folk influences, and overall variety are oh so special. I’d start with “Chop Suey.” I wish I could see the band live again.
Trampled Under Foot by Led Zeppelin. The Good Ship is my favorite rock band and the song appears on my favorite album in their catalog. Within Trampled is a 45 second passage between Jones and Page, two swordsmen, at the 2:15 mark. After listening to this countless times, I still cannot wrap my head around the arrangement.
Fluff by Black Sabbath. This delicate piano solo cannot be Black Sabbath, right? Not on my favorite Sabbath album, right? Iommi shows an unusual side as Sabbath goes.
Hocus Pocus by Focus. Yodeling? ‘Nuff said! Another prog-rock band.
Epic by Faith No More. I stood in the second row of their concert with another band called Pop Will Eat Itself decades ago. Lots of body surfing at the small venue. Mike Patton has recorded some truly weird shit with Mr. Bungle.
Black Betty by Ram Jam. This is apparently an adaptation of a much shorter tune by the legendary Leadbelly. Tom Jones re-recorded this song…Tom Jones
By extension, I found this during my research: Meshuggah and Bee Gees…not bad
