<P> When the band released a Greatest Hits cassette in Iran, a leaflet in Persian was included with translation and explanations (refers to a book published in Iran called The March of the Black Queen by Sarah Sefati and Farhad Arkani, which included the whole biography of the band and complete lyrics with Persian translation (2000)). In the explanation, Queen states that "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 from Shaitan (the devil in Islam). </P> <P> Despite this, critics, both journalistic and academic, have speculated over the meaning behind the song's lyrics . Some believe the lyrics describe a suicidal murderer haunted by demons or depict events just preceding an execution . The latter explanation points to Albert Camus's novel The Stranger, in which a young man confesses to an impulsive murder and has an epiphany before he is executed, as probable inspiration . Others believe the lyrics were only written to fit with the music, and have no meaning; Kenny Everett quoted Mercury as claiming the lyrics were simply "random rhyming nonsense". </P> <P> Still, others interpreted them as Mercury's way of dealing with personal issues . Music scholar Sheila Whiteley observes that Mercury reached a turning point in his personal life in the year he wrote "Bohemian Rhapsody". He had been living with Mary Austin for seven years but had just embarked on his first love affair with a man . She suggests that the song provides an insight into Mercury's emotional state at the time, "living with Mary (' Mamma', as in Mother Mary) and wanting to break away (' Mamma Mia let me go')". </P> <P> When the band wanted to release the single in 1975, various executives suggested to them that, at 5 minutes and 55 seconds, it was too long and would never be a hit . The song was played to other musicians who commented the band had no hope of it ever being played on radio . According to producer Roy Thomas Baker, he and the band bypassed this corporate decision by playing the song for Capital Radio DJ Kenny Everett: "we had a reel - to - reel copy but we told him he could only have it if he promised not to play it .' I won't play it,' he said, winking ..." Their plan worked--Everett teased his listeners by playing only parts of the song . Audience demand intensified when Everett played the full song on his show 14 times in two days . Hordes of fans attempted to buy the single the following Monday, only to be told by record stores that it had not yet been released . The same weekend, Paul Drew, who ran the RKO stations in the States, heard the track on Everett's show in London . Drew managed to get a copy of the tape and started to play it in the States, which forced the hand of Queen's US label, Elektra . In an interview with Sound on Sound, Baker reflects that "it was a strange situation where radio on both sides of the Atlantic was breaking a record that the record companies said would never get airplay!" Eventually the unedited single was released, with "I'm in Love with My Car" as the B - side . Following Everett's escapade in October 1975, Eric Hall, a well known record plugger, gave a copy to David "Diddy" Hamilton to play on his weekday Radio One show . Eric stated "Monster, Monster! This could be a hit!" </P>

How many times has bohemian rhapsody been number 1