The Prophet's Song

It is a heavy and dark number with a strong progressive rock influence and challenging lead vocals.

[2] May plays a non-standard Queen instrument, a toy koto, during the introduction and closing "wind" sections of the song.

Producer Roy Thomas Baker recalled in a documentary[3] of the making of the song that the wind effect was created by recording the sound of an air-conditioning unit through a phaser.

AllMusic has called the song "mystical prog rock",[4] citing it as an epic as fascinating as "Bohemian Rhapsody" and one of Queen's finest studio achievements.

[5] Rolling Stone also praised it, naming it as the record's "best track", noting that "May's powerful guitar perfectly complements the rich, multitracked harmonies of lead singer Freddie Mercury.