Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is featured in Journey, the twenty-second and final episode of Season One. It is performed at the 2010 Midwest Regional Championship by Vocal Adrenaline, with Jesse as the lead singer.
The number is intertwined with the birth of Quinn's baby, Beth, by mixing some lyrics with Quinn's pain (for example, "let me go"). It is one of the few songs to be performed for the recording length (aside from most mash-up songs). Their performance earned them first place in the Regionals competition.
Lyrics[]
Vocal Adrenaline:
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide no escape from reality
Open your eyes look up to the skies and see
Jesse:
I'm just a poor boy (Vocal Adrenaline: Poor boy) I need no sympathy
Vocal Adrenaline:
Because I'm easy come, easy go
Little high, Little low
Jesse with Vocal Adrenaline:
Anyway the wind blows, doesn't really matter
Vocal Adrenaline:
To me
Jesse:
To me
Jesse (with Vocal Adrenaline):
Mama, just killed a man
Put a gun against his head
Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
Mama, life had just begun
But now I've gone and thrown it all away
(Mama, oooooh) didn't mean to make you cry
If I'm not back again this time tomorrow
(Carry on, carry on)
As if nothing really matters
Too late, my time has come
Sends shivers down my spine
Body's aching all the time
Goodbye everybody I've got to go
Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth
Mama, (with Vocal Adrenaline Girls: oooooh) (Vocal Adrenaline Boys: Anyway the wind blows)
I don't want to die
(Vocal Adrenaline: Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh...) I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all
Jesse:
I see a little silhouetto of a man
(with Vocal Adrenaline: Scaramouche, scaramouche, will you do the fandango?)
Vocal Adrenaline:
Thunderbolts and lightning very very frightening me
Vocal Adrenaline Girl:
Galileo (Jesse: Galileo)
Galileo (Jesse: Galileo)
(with Jesse: Galileo Figaro)
Vocal Adrenaline:
Magnifico-o-o-o
Jesse:
I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
Vocal Adrenaline:
He's just a poor boy from a poor family
Spare him his life from this monstrosity
Jesse:
Easy come, easy go
Will you let me go
Vocal Adrenaline Boys:
Bismillah!
No - we will not let you go (Vocal Adrenaline Girls: Let him go)
Bismillah! We will not let you go (Vocal Adrenaline Girls: Let him go)
Bismillah! We will not let you go (Vocal Adrenaline Girls: Let me go)
Will not let you go (Vocal Adrenaline Girls: Let me go)
Never let you go (Vocal Adrenaline Girls: Let me go)
Vocal Adrenaline:
O-o-o-o-o
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
Jesse:
Oh mamma mia, mamma mia
Vocal Adrenaline:
Mamma mia, let me go
Beelzebub has the devil put aside for me, for me, for me
Jesse:
So you think you can stone 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...
Vocal Adrenaline:
Ooh yeah, ooh yeah
Jesse:
Nothing really matters, anyone can see
Nothing really matters
Nothing really matters, to me
Jesse with Vocal Adrenaline:
Anyway the wind blows
Trivia[]
- The choreography was very grueling for the dancers (one sprained her ankle, one got a concussion, one broke her finger, one did a head-whip into the Steadicam), and Jonathan Groff was injured during rehearsal, receiving a five-inch scar on his biceps from his dance partner's stiletto.
- Darren Criss sang this song for the Queen Family Singalong.
- Jane Lynch dubbed the number her favorite of the series.
- Jonathan Groff doesn't actually play the piano, but he learned how to play it for this episode.
- As revealed by Rachel in Nationals, this performance was the gold standard for many show choirs for years.
- This is the second song Vocal Adrenaline has done by Queen, the first being Another One Bites the Dust, both of which Jesse sung lead in.
- In Nationals, Jesse claims that he lost 10 pounds during this performance.
- At 5:56, this is the longest song Glee has done.
- This is Jesse's last solo in the series.