'Bohemian Rhapsody' unseen verses to feature in new Freddie Mercury lyrics book
16 October 2025, 08:57
A Life in Lyrics from Freddie Mercury and Mary Austin is coming next year.
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The lyrics of Queen's epic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' have been adored, mocked, studied and dissected for half a century now.
A deep treatise on the futility of life? A hint at Freddie Mercury's then-private sexuality? Just rhymes for rhyme's sake?
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Perhaps there'll be a bit more light shed on the issue next year with the release of A Life in Lyrics, which will not just feature the Queen and Freddie Mercury songs we know and love, but also illustrations from Freddie's personal archive, unreleased songs, notes and alternative versions.
Mary Austin, Freddie's close friend and one-time fiancée, has compiled the book from Freddie's notebooks and it will be released by HarperCollins on September 1, 2026, just four days before what would have the singer's 80th birthday.
Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video Remastered)
"In early 2023, in the midst of cataloguing the contents of Garden Lodge, this wonderful home Freddie had left to me, I began to leaf through the papers my family and I had collected together from where they had lain, undisturbed and unseen, in the house for over 30 years," Austin said.
"Here were the working drafts for Freddie's lyrics, set down across loose sheets of paper and in simple, plain notebooks that entirely belied the wonders within.
"This re-emergence of Freddie's handwritten notes, offering a window into his brilliant, creative mind, stirred up many memories from decades passed, of conversations, occasions and emotions. Freddie’s songs continue to bring so much happiness, and solace, to so many.
"I hope that by sharing his manuscripts now, contextualised with fresh insights and a sprinkling of vignettes of our lives together, I will illuminate the remarkable creative force of my dear friend for the enjoyment of everyone he continues to delight and inspire, even after all these years."
The material from Freddie will include abandoned verses for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and multiple drafts of 'Don’t Stop Me Now'.
Austin will also provide her own stories, memories and anecdotes.
