Released 2005 Recorded 2004 | Format Vinyl, CD single Label JDub | |
Genre Reggae, alternative, reggae fusion Length 5:19 (Shake Off the Dust... Arise version)
4:48 (Live at Stubb's version)
3:42 (Youth version) | ||
"King Without a Crown" is a song by Hasidic reggae singer Matisyahu. The song was originally from his 2004 debut studio album Shake off the Dust... Arise and then a shorter edited version was released as an official single in late 2005 in support of his second studio album, Youth. A live version of the song also appeared on his album Live at Stubb's (in Austin, Texas). The live version from Austin is the radio version. The song hit #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, making it Matisyahu's biggest hit of his career. On some limited editions of Youth and on the "King Without a Crown" three-track EP, there is a bonus track of "King Without a Crown" remixed by Mike D of the Beastie Boys. Along with the song "Youth", "King Without a Crown" is different from other songs on the album Youth, in that it has a lengthy guitar solo more in the spirit of rock than of reggae. "King Without a Crown" was also played in the movie Knocked Up.