ONE VISION

Queen’s Mega-Hit ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Was Originally Titled ‘Mongolian Rhapsody’

Song lyrics left on the cutting room floor by Freddie Mercury include the words “matador” and “Belladonna.”

An early, handwritten draft of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” suggests that Freddie Mercury was experimenting with a slightly different title: “Mongolian Rhapsody.” The scrawled evidence, never before seen, is among a trove of other drafts set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s this month, according to The New York Times. On the introductory page of the 15-page manuscript, written down on a calendar from a defunct British airline, the word “Mongolian” in “Mongolian Rhapsody” is crossed out and replaced with “Bohemian” in black and blue pen. Other words that were left on the cutting room floor by Mercury include “matador” and “Belladonna” in one section; those kept include “Galileo,” “Bismillah,” and “Fandango.” The folio, which is expected to fetch up to $1.5 million, is among roughly 1,500 of Mercury’s personal belongings headed to auction. The collection also includes paraphernalia like the singer’s stage costumes, woodblock prints, and a silver mustache comb.