King of the Road (song)
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"King of the Road" is a 1965 song written and originally recorded by country singer Roger Miller. The lyrics tell of a man with a nomad or perpetual traveler lifestyle (possibly a struggling road musician, as the composer was himself) who, although he lives in a hand-to-mouth existence, also feels free, and describes himself with joking introspection as the "king of the road". It was written at the Idanha Hotel in Boise, Idaho.[citation needed] The highly popular crossover record hit #4 on the Billboard Top 100, and #1 on their Country and Easy Listening surveys.
The song has been covered by several other artists, including Elvis Presley, Jack Jones, Boney M., Dean Martin, R.E.M., Johnny Paycheck, Boxcar Willie, Randy Travis, Rangers, James Kilbane, the Statler Brothers, Rufus Wainwright, Giant Sand, The Proclaimers, Ray Conniff Singers and The Reverend Horton Heat during live performances.
The King Family Show was a TV variety show broadcast from 1965 to 1969. Each week, the King Family would run through a medley of the week's popular tunes of the week. The family-oriented show's producers were uncomfortable[citation needed] with the line "I ain't got no cigarettes", and replaced it with "no regrets".
The song is featured in Wim Wenders' 1976 film, Im Lauf der Zeit (In Due Time; English title Kings of the Road). It is also featured at the beginning of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Brokeback Mountain, Into the Wild and in Swingers. Miller performs it in the concert film The Big T.N.T. Show.
The tune was also featured in the British road safety adverts.[citation needed]
The Lyrics "no pool, no pets, I aint got no cigarettes" was referenced by 'Christopher McCandless' on his journey in Alaska.
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[edit] Queen of the House
In the same year (1965), country music singer Jody Miller answered "King of the Road" with "Queen of the House". The song used Roger Miller's music while changing the lyrics to describe the day-to-day life of a housewife. The words were written by Mary Taylor.[1][2]
[edit] Footnotes
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| Preceded by "Ticket to Ride" by The Beatles |
UK number one single May 13, 1965 (1 week) |
Succeeded by "Where Are You Now (My Love)" by Jackie Trent |
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