Observations placeholder
Freddie Mercury and Queen - The Prophet’s Song
Identifier
022423
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
Methinks thou dost protest too much, Freddie. Best listen to Brian – he knew
Freddie Mercury – His Life in his own Words [compiled by Greg Brooks and Simon Lupton]
I don't want to change the world with our music. There are no hidden messages in our songs, except for some of Brian's. My songs are like Bic razors; they're for fun, for modern consumption. People can discard them like a used tissue afterwards. They can listen to it, like it, discard it, then turn on to the next. Disposable pop………………
If I were pushed, I could write a message song. I'm not going to say that I have never written a message song, but it's not in the John Lennon idiom, not in that trend. I mean, I wrote a song called We Are The Champions which is a kind of message anthem, but not for world peace. It's in a different direction…………..
Brian has an outrageously mammoth epic track, The Prophet's Song, which is one of our heaviest numbers to date. He's got his guitar extravaganza on it. You see, Brian's guitar is specially built, so he can almost make it speak It will talk on this track.
The Rhapsody single took bloody ages, and The Prophet's Song alone took three weeks, but we had all the freedom we wanted and we were able to go to greater extremes. Fancy doing opera, for a start! I believe that album combined the outrageousness of Queen II with the good songs on Sheer Heart Attack. They are the finest songs ever written dears!
A description of the experience
"The Prophet's Song"
Oh, oh, people of the earth
Listen to the warning
The seer he said
Beware the storm that gathers here
Listen to the wise man.
I dreamed I saw on a moonlit stair
Spreading his hands on the multitude there
A man who cried for a love gone stale
And ice cold hearts of charity bare.
I watched as fear took the old men's gaze
Hopes of the young in troubled graves
"I see no day," I heard him say
So grey is the face of every mortal.
Oh, oh people of the earth
Listen to the warning
The prophet he said
For soon the cold of night will fall
Summoned by your own hand.
Oh, oh children of the land
Quicken to the new life
Take my hand
Fly and find the new green bough
Return like the white dove.
He told of death as a bone white haze
Taking the lost and the unloved babe
Late too late all the wretches run
These kings of beasts now counting their days.
From mother's love is the son estranged
Married his own his precious gain
The earth will shake in two will break
And death all around will be your dowry
Oh, oh people of the earth
Listen to the warning the seer he said
For those who hear and mark my words
Listen to the good plan
Oh, oh, oh, oh and two by two my human zoo
They'll be running for to come
Running for to come out of the rain
Oh flee for your life
Who heed me not let all your treasure make you
Oh fear for your life
Deceive you not the fires of hell will take you
Should death await you
Ah people can you hear me?
And now I know and now I know
And now I know and now I know
That you can hear me
And now I know and now I know
And now I know now I know
Now I know now I know
Now I know now I know
Now I know
The earth will shake in two will break
Death all around around around around
Around around around around
Now I know now I know
Now I know now I know
Now I know now I know
Now I know now I know
Now I know now I know
Now I know
Wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo
Listen to the wise listen to the wise listen to the wise
Listen to the wise listen to the wise man
La la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la la la la la
La la
La la
La la
Come here (I - You)
Come here (I - You)
Come here (I - You)
Come here (I - You)
Ah ah ah ah ah
Listen to the man listen to the man listen to the man listen to the mad man
God gave you grace to purge this place
And peace all around may be your fortune
Oh, oh children of the land
Love is still the answer take my hand
The vision fades a voice I hear
Listen to the madman!
But still I fear and still I dare not
Laugh at the madman!