From the time "Bohemian Rhapsody" was released to the public, there has been speculation regarding the meaning behind the song's lyrics. One common misconception is that the song is a first-person account of an AIDS victim, even though it was written more than a decade before Freddie Mercury contracted HIV, and seven years before HIV was even recognized as a virus. Some believe the lyrics are about a suicidal murderer hunted by demons, or depict the events just preceding an execution, pointing to Albert Camus's novel The Stranger as a probable source of inspiration. Some even believe the lyrics were only written to fit with the music, and have no meaning at all. As evidence, Kenny Everett quoted Mercury as claiming the lyrics were simply "random rhyming nonsense."[citation needed]
Mercury was famously evasive when asked about the song's meaning. Unlike the other members of Queen, who often talked about the inspiration behind the songs they had written, Mercury disliked analysing his own material, and preferred listeners to construct their own personal interpretations.[citation needed] What is known is that the song had an especially personal connection for Mercury, which was confirmed by the band's other members. Following the single's release, Mercury was quoted as saying:
“ It's one of those songs which has such a fantasy feel about it. I think people should just listen to it, think about it, and then make up their own minds as to what it says to them...'Bohemian Rhapsody' didn't just come out of thin air. I did a bit of research although it was tongue-in-cheek and mock opera. Why not?