Genre : Clip vidéo musical
Année : 1975
Durée : 8,20min
La critique de ClashDoherty :
En 1975, Queen sort son chef d'oeuvre absolu, A Night At The Opera, vrai mélange détonnant entre glam-rock, hard rock, rock pur et music-hall.
Plusieurs classiques au programme de cet album à la sublime pochette (l'emblème de Queen) : You're My Best Friend, Love Of My Life, Bohemian Rhapsody, '39...
On y trouve aussi le hard rock de Sweet Lady et I'm In Love With My Car (chanté par Roger Taylor), les très vintage Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon et Seaside Rendez-Vous, et le très virulent Death On Two Legs. On y trouve aussi la chanson la plus longue jamais enregistrée par Queen, à savoir The Prophet's Song, plus de 8 minutes de folie décadente, baroque, glam et hard.
The Prophet's Song, c'est un peu la transcription en chanson d'un rêve que Brian May (guitariste et un des principaux auteurs du groupe, notamment de cette chanson) aurait fait.
La chanson est quasi biblique, avec son prophète annonciateur de catastrophe, son ambiance lyrique et pesante à la fois.
Le morceau, démarrant magnifiquement et s'achevant en fanfare, vrai déluge hard (guitare, hurlements de Freddie Mercury), est célèbre notamment pour son passage central, une aria de Mercury, mélange de plusieurs harmonies vocales et chamaniques, un passage aussi splendide qu'il est angoissant, oppressant par moments (étant gosse, ce passage me foutait les chocottes, de même que le visage étrange en verso de pochette et que l'intro de Death On Two Legs). Now I know, Now I know nowano nawano nawano, etc. Un passage saisissant.
Mélodie parfaite, paroles remarquables, le groupe est en forme olympique et livre ici sa plus grande chanson, devant The March Of The Black Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody ou Brighton Rock. Cette chanson du prophète est le summum d'une carrière pas forcément exemplaire (les années 80...), mais cependant culte et excellente.
La meilleure chanson du meilleur album de Queen ; forcément, je ne pouvais pas ne pas l'aborder. Forcément, c'est un titre aussi culte que grandiose !
Note : 20/20
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
Ooh, 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 dow'ry
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
Oh, oh, people can you hear me (oh, oh, people can you hear me)
(Oh, oh, people can you hear me)
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 that you can hear me (now I know that you can hear me)
(Now I know that you can hear me)
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) (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 (now I know) (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 in two will
Shake in two will break in two
(the earth will shake in two will break in two will
shake in two will break in two)
(the earth will shake in two will break in two will
shake in two will break in two)
Doubts all around around around around around around around around
(Doubts all around around around around around around around around)
(Doubts 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) (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 (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)
Wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh
(Wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh)
(Wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh wow ooh)
Listen to the wise (listen to the wise) (listen to the wise)
Listen to the wise (listen to the wise) (listen to the wise)
Listen to the wise (listen to the wise) (listen to the wise)
Listen to the wise (listen to the wise) (listen to the wise)
Listen to the wise man (listen to the wise man) (listen to the wise man)
Laa laa - la la la la laa laa (laa laa - la la la la laa laa)
La la la la laa laa (la la la la laa laa)
La la la la laa laa (la la la la laa laa)
La la la la laa laa (la la la la laa laa)
La la la la laa laa (la la la la laa laa)
La la la la laa laa (la la la la laa laa)
La la la la laa laa (la la la la laa laa)
La la laa laa (la la laa laa)
La la laa laa (la la laa laa)
La la (la la)
Come here (Come here)
I you come here (I you come here)
I you come here (I you come here)
I you (aah)
Aah (aah)
Ahaa (ahaa)
Aah (aah)
Ahaa (ahaa)
Listen to the mad (Listen to the mad)
Listen to the man (Listen to the man)
Listen to the mad (Listen to the mad)
Listen to the mad man (Listen to the mad man)
God give you the 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!"
Ooh, but still I fear and still I dare not
Laugh at the madman