Mustapha (song)

Not to be confused with Ya Mustafa.

"Mustapha" is a song written by Freddie Mercury and recorded by British rock band Queen. It is the first track of their 1978 album Jazz,^[1] categorized as "an up-tempo Arabic rocker" by Circus magazine.^[2]

"Mustapha"
German single picture sleeve
Single by Queen
from the album Jazz
B-side	"Dead on Time" (Germany) "In Only Seven Days" (Yugoslavia)
Released	April 1979 (Germany)
Recorded	1978
Genre	Progressive rock hard rock art rock
Length	3:01
Label	EMI
Songwriter(s)	Freddie Mercury
Producer(s)	Queen Roy Thomas Baker
Queen singles chronology
"Don't Stop Me Now" (1979) "Mustapha" (1979) "Jealousy" (1979)

Single

"Mustapha" was released as a single in Germany, Spain, Yugoslavia and Bolivia in 1979. The B-side of the single was "Dead on Time" for German and Spanish releases and "In Only Seven Days" for Yugoslavian and Bolivian releases. Also, all four versions had different covers.^[3]

Lyrics

The composition's lyrics are mainly in English and Arabic, repeating the word Allah, the Arabic word for God used by Muslims. It also uses a sentence in Persian-emulating gibberish, reflecting Mercury's Parsi background. The lyrics repeat the names Mustapha and Ibrahim. The lyrics also repeat the phrase "Allah will pray for you." Parts of the lyrics like "Achtar es na sholei" meaning "His star, not his flame" have clear ties to the Persian language.

Personnel

• Freddie Mercury – lead and backing vocals, piano
• Brian May – guitars
• Roger Taylor – drums, hawk bells
• John Deacon – bass guitar