Songs that Celebrate the Monarchy!

Just for fun, here are 5 songs in which the word "king" appears in the title:

"King of Pain" is a classic 80s song from the Police, channeling the energy of light reggae and soft taps on the piano, "King of Pain" is like it's own little hummingbird that revs its muted engines at just the right times. And of course, lead singer Sting has always been dramatic.


"King of Spain" is an early, Dylan inspired folk tune that espouses an escapist fantasy over a jangly acoustic guitar that makes you want to clap.


"It's Good to be King" by Tom Petty is a steady tune, as Tom nasally preaches the virtues of having your own emotional space in life. Who knew Petty was all about personal boundaries and the practice of self-care? At the end of the tune, the last minute or so, there's an utterly beautiful instrumental piece-a place where strings meet cascading guitars.


"King Rides By" by Cat Power is a song the famed Chan Marshall has cut twice. The version featured here includes a video of boxer Manny Pacquiao hittin' a punching bag and a scratchy guitar guiding this groovy tune about romantic love down the lane of time.

"Age of Kings" is a moody, brooding tune by the folk/punk inspired Mountain Goats. Here, the painful moments of romantic disarray are recalled with great detail (rain on the clay tiles all night/ your head nestled beneath my chin) over a bed of strings.

My favorite of all these songs may be "Age of Kings".

My favorite video? "King Rides By". Easy.

Enjoy!

Comments

Popular Posts

"Tangled Up In Blue": What's the Best Version?

Monday Poem: "The Book of Hours: I, 59" by Rainer Maria Rilke

Preached on in the World: What Happened with Bob Dylan in Toronto (1980)?

Tracing J.Cole's Millennial Journey

"Torch Songs" and "Cast Iron Ballads": Deep Cuts from the Planet Waves Era

Context: On Kendick Lamar's "How much a Dollar Cost"

Review: Bob Dylan at the Oakdale Theatre

Along for the Ride with Tell Tale Signs

Peace, Bullets, Schools, Chaos, Life, and The Drive by Truckers

Jeff Lynne's on the Phone