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KING SONGS: 5 X 5
A lengthy one today, readers, but hey it's a public holiday in Oz.
Today being a public holiday for the King’s Birthday, following are 5 facts about 5 king songs, plus video links and llyrics.
Enjoy.
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Hall of the Mountain King
ELO
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Video:
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"In the Hall of the Mountain King" is a piece of orchestral music composed by Edvard Grieg in 1875 as incidental music for Henrik Ibsen's 1867 play Peer Gynt.
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Its easily recognisable theme has helped it attain iconic status in popular culture,where it has been arranged by many artists.
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The British rock band Electric Light Orchestra performed a cover of In The Hall of the Mountain King (sometimes in a medley with 'Great Balls of Fire') in live concerts and later made a studio recording on the 1973 album On the Third Day.
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The English keyboardist Rick Wakeman uses this piece in the fourth section ("The Forest") of his 1974 album "Journey to the Centre of the Earth".
Hear the full album at:
(I had this when young and love it).
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A reimagining:
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King of Wishful Thinking
Go West
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Video:
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Lyrics:
I don't need to fall at your feet
Just 'cause you cut me to the bone
And I won't miss the way that you kiss me
We were never carved in stone
If I don't listen to the talk of the town
Then maybe I can fool myself...
I'll get over you... I know I will
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking
And I'll tell myself I'm over you
'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking
I am the king of wishful thinking
I refuse to give in to my blues
That's not how it's going to be
And I deny the tears in my eyes
I don't want to let you see... no
That you have made a hole in my heart
And now I've got to fool myself...
I'll get over you... I know I will
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking
And I'll tell myself I'm over you
'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking...
I'll get over you... I know I will
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking
And I'll tell myself I'm over you
'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking
I will never, never shed a tear for you
I'll get over you
If I don't listen to the talk of the town
Then maybe I can fool myself...
I'll get over you... I know I will
I'll pretend my ship's not sinking
And I'll tell myself I'm over you
'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking
I'm the king of wishful thinking
I'll get over you... I know I will
You made a hole in my heart
But I won't shed a tear for you
I'll be the king of wishful thinking
I'll get over you...
I'll pretend my heart's still beating
'Cause I've got no more tears for you
I'm the king of wishful thinking...
I'll get over you... I know I will
You made a hole in my heart
And I'll tell myself I'm over you
'Cause I'm the king of wishful thinking
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"King of Wishful Thinking” is a song by British pop duo Go West and was featured in the film Pretty Woman. It was later featured on Go West's third studio album, Indian Summer, in 1992.
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This is one of those songs that everyone knows but can't tell you the name or the artist.
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From:
This song's a masterpiece in the art of inducing grief in the listener via cognitive dissonance. The singer announces his intent to deceive himself about how much his breakup is hurting him, and the accompanying musicians play an upbeat tune in collaboration with this plan, but the clever symbolism in the words reveals the carnival atmosphere of the music to be an empty show and leaves us with a bleak appreciation for how very deeply in despair the singer really is. Realizing the madness of his attempts to pretend otherwise thus inspires us to pity him in his miserable condition.
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The ultimate broken heart song.
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King of the Road
Roger Miller
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Video:
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Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but two hours of pushing broom
Buys a eight by twelve four-bit room
[Refrain]
I'm a man of means, by no means
King of the road
[Verse 2]
Third boxcar, midnight train
Destination: Bangor, Maine
Old worn-out suit and shoes
I don't pay no union dues
I smoke old stogies I have found
Short but not too big around
[Refrain]
I'm a man of means, by no means
King of the road
[Bridge]
I know every engineer on every train
All of the children and all of their names
And every handout in every town
And every lock that ain't locked when no one's around
[Verse 1]
I sing, trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but two hours of pushing broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
[Refrain]
I'm a man of means, by no means
King of the road
[Outro]
Trailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but two hours of pushing broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
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"King of the Road" is a song written by country singer Roger Miller, who first recorded it in November 1964.
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The lyrics tell of the day-to-day life of a traveling hobo, who despite having little money (a "man of means by no means"), revels in his freedom, describing himself humorously and cynically as the "king of the road".
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It was Miller's fifth single for Smash Records and the song won Miller 5 Grammy Awards in 1966.
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Miller recalled that the song was inspired when he was driving and saw a sign on the side of a barn that read, "Trailers for sale or rent". This became the opening line of the song. He finished the song nearly six weeks later in Boise, Idaho after seeing a homeless looking man in an airport gift shop, hence the song’s character being a trainhopper.
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King Midas in Reverse
Hollies
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Video:
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Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
If you could only see me
I know exactly where I am
You wouldn't want to be me
Oh, I can assure you of that
[Verse 2]
I'm not the guy to run with
'Cause I'll throw you off the line
I'll break you and destroy you
Given time
[Chorus]
He's King Midas with a curse
He's King Midas in reverse
He's King Midas with a curse
He's King Midas in reverse
[Verse 3]
It's plain to see it's hopeless
Going on the way we are
So even though I'd lose you
You'd be better off by far
See upcoming rock shows
Get tickets for your favorite artists
[Bridge]
He's not the man to hold your trust
Everything he touches turns to dust
In his hands
Nothing he can do is right
He'd even like to sleep at night
But he can't
[Instrumental Break]
(All he touches turns to dust)
(All he touches turns to dust)
(All he touches turns to dust)
(All he touches turns to dust)
[Verse 4]
I wish someone would find me
And help me gain control
Before I lose my reason
And my soul
[Chorus]
He's King Midas with a curse
He's King Midas in reverse
He's King Midas with a curse
(All he touches turns to dust)
He's King Midas in reverse
(All he touches turns to dust)
[Chorus/Outro]
He's King Midas with a curse
(All he touches turns to dust)
He's King Midas in reverse
(All he touches turns to dust)
He's King Midas with a curse...
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"King Midas in Reverse" is a song by English pop group the Hollies, written by Graham Nash but credited to Allan Clarke, Nash and Tony Hicks. It was released as a single in September 1967 in anticipation of the band's album Butterfly.
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The track was a departure in style and influenced by Graham Nash's visits to America. Nash wanted to take the band in a new direction which was resisted by other members of the band, and this led to his departure and move to the United States.
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While a critical success, the song was a commercial failure by the Hollies' standards, prompting them to write and record the more commercial song "Jennifer Eccles" for their next single.
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From:
It certainly wasn’t a typical release for The Hollies, who were known for cheery ditties like “Carrie Anne” and “On A Carousel.” Graham Nash, who penned the song for the band, caused the drastic change in mood by reflecting upon some personal doldrums, as he told Richmond Style Weekly in 2014. “It’s an autobiographical song,” he remembered. “My world was turning to shit at that point. I was on top of the world, we had 16 or 17 top ten hits, but I was feeling shitty. We made a great record of that song but it only got into the top 30, and the Hollies were always expecting their songs to go into the top 10. So they started to not trust me and not record my songs, ‘’Marakesh Express’’ being one of them. So I wasn’t feeling that great about my life. It was all turning to shit, it wasn’t turning to gold, it was turning to rust.”
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From:
"King Midas in Reverse" by The Hollies explores themes of self-doubt, isolation, and the fear of destructive relationships. The central character expresses a sense of worthlessness and caution, likening himself to the mythical King Midas, who was granted the ability to turn everything he touched into gold, but in this song, that gift becomes a burden. This reversal highlights the idea that what seems like a blessing can actually lead to ruin. The narrative captures the complexity of emotional struggle, where the protagonist recognizes his own flaws and warns others against getting too close, suggesting a deep sense of inadequacy and despair.
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King of the Mountain
Midnight Oil
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Video:
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Lyrics:
Walking through the high dry grass
Pushing my way through slow
Yellow belly black snake
Sleeping on a red rock
Waiting for the stranger to go
Sugar train stops at the crossing
Cane cockies cursing below
Bad storm coming
Better run to the top of the mountain
Mountain in the shadow of light
Rain in the valley below
Mountain in the shadow of light
Rain in the valley
Well you can say you're Peter, say you're Paul
Don't put me up on your bedroom wall
Call me king of the mountain
Blacksmith fires up the bellows
Cane cutters burning the load
Workers of the world
Run to the top of the mountain
Mountain in the shadow of light...
I can't take the hands from my face
There are some things we can't replace
Mountain...
Over liquid tarmac wastelands of cactus and heat
Down cobblestone alleyways of washing day sheets
Up ghost prairie mountains of sunset and space
Down the road a familiar face
Across the wilderness
Out further than the bush
I will follow you
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"King of the Mountain" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil, released in 1990 as the third single from their seventh studio album, Blue Sky Mining (1990).
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The music video was partly filmed in front of the Exxon Building in Manhattan, New York City. This portion of the video shows the band performing in front of a banner that reads "Midnight Oil makes you dance, Exxon oil makes us sick."
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Although some people think the song is a reference to Peter Brock and the Bathurst 1000 held at Mount Panorama, drummer Rob Hirst said the song is actually inspired by the footrace up Mount Cooroora and the surrounding natural beauty and unique history of the Noosa hinterland.
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From:
The lyrics of "King of the Mountain" paint a vivid picture of the Australian landscape and the lives of its workers. The opening lines, "Walking through the high dry grass / Cane cockies cursing below," set the scene in a rugged environment, highlighting the harsh realities faced by those who work the land. The mention of 'cane cockies' refers to sugarcane farmers, symbolizing the everyday struggles of blue-collar workers who toil under difficult conditions.
As the song progresses, it shifts focus to the resilience of these workers. Lines like "Blacksmith fires up the bellows / Cane cutters burning the load" illustrate the hard work and dedication required to make a living in such an unforgiving landscape. The imagery evokes a sense of community among these workers, who are often overlooked and underappreciated.
The refrain, "Call me king of the mountain," serves as a powerful declaration of self-empowerment. It reflects a yearning for recognition and respect, not just for individual achievements but for the collective efforts of all those who labor in the shadows. This desire for acknowledgment is further emphasized in the line, "Don’t put me up on your bedroom wall," which contrasts the glorification of public figures like Peter Brock with the humble reality of everyday workers.
The song also touches on the natural beauty of Australia, as noted by Rob Hirst, one of the song's writers. The reference to the Pomona King of the Mountain Festival and the footrace up Mount Cooroora connects the struggles of the workers to the landscape itself, suggesting that the challenges they face are intertwined with their environment. The mountains and storms mentioned in the lyrics symbolize the obstacles that must be overcome, reinforcing the theme of resilience.
Overall, "King of the Mountain" is a poignant reflection on the lives of blue-collar workers in Australia, celebrating their strength and connection to the land while critiquing the societal tendency to overlook their contributions. The song captures a mood of determination and solidarity, emphasizing the importance of community in the face of hardship.
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Released in 1997, "King of the Mountain" reflects the socio-economic landscape of Australia during the late 1990s, a time when issues of workers' rights and environmental concerns were increasingly prominent. Midnight Oil, known for their activism and advocacy for indigenous rights and environmental issues, used their music to address these themes, resonating with a generation that valued social justice and community solidarity. The song's references to the rugged Australian landscape and the struggles of its workers highlight the ongoing challenges faced by many in the country, making it relevant to contemporary discussions about labor and environmentalism.
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