"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a six-minute suite composed by Freddie Mercury and released as the lead single from Queens fourth album, "A Night at the Opera" in 1975. The song is notable for its lack of a refraining chorus and consists of several sections: an intro, a ballad segment, an operatic passage, a hard rock part, and a reflective coda. The song has been affiliated with the genres of progressive rock, hard rock, art rock, and progressive pop.

Freddie Mercury never explained the meaning of the song, but he did say that it has a fantasy feel about it and that people should listen to it, think about it, and then make up their own minds as to what it says to them. However, there have been many interpretations of the song over the years. Some have speculated that the song was inspired by Freddies relationship with Mary Austin, while others have suggested that it was his way of coming out to his fans.

According to a leaflet in Persian included with the bands Greatest Hits cassette in Iran, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is about a young man who has accidentally killed someone and, like Faust, sold his soul to the devil. On the night before his execution, he calls for God saying, "Bismillah" ("In the name of God" in Arabic), and with the help of angels, regains his soul.

Brian May has said that Freddie never explained the lyrics, but he believes that Freddie put a lot of himself into the song. Freddie was a very complex person, flippant and funny on the surface, but he concealed insecurities and problems in squaring up his life with his childhood.