B-side "Atta Boy Girl" Recorded 1964 Length 2:28 | Released January 1965 Genre Country Label Smash | |
"King of the Road" is a 1964 song written and originally recorded by country singer Roger Miller. The lyrics tell of the day-to-day life of a vagabond hobo who, despite being poor (a "man of means by no means"), revels in his freedom, describing himself humorously as the "king of the road". It was Miller's fifth single for Smash Records.
Contents
History
The popular crossover record hit No. 1 on the US Country chart, No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 on the Easy Listening surveys. It was also No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart, and in Norway. 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 would become the opening line of the song.
The song has been covered by many other artists, including George Jones, Dean Martin, Val Doonican, Jack Jones, James Booker, The Fabulous Echoes, Boney M., R.E.M., Johnny Paycheck, Glen Campbell, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Boxcar Willie, Randy Travis, Rangers, James Kilbane, John Stevens, the Statler Brothers, Rufus Wainwright & Teddy Thompson, Giant Sand, Peligro, The Proclaimers, Ray Conniff Singers and The Reverend Horton Heat, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Joe Strummer during live performances. James "The King" Brown (an Elvis impersonator) performed the song for a 2001 Audi commercial on German TV. Of R.E.M.'s version, a shambolic, drunken, offhand rendering, guitarist Peter Buck would later comment, "If there was any justice in the world, Roger Miller should be able to sue for what we did to this song."
The song is featured in Wim Wenders' 1976 film Im Lauf der Zeit (In the Course of Time; English title Kings of the Road). It is also played at the beginning of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Brokeback Mountain, Into the Wild (2007), Traveller (1997), and Swingers (1998). Miller performs it in the concert film The Big T.N.T. Show. The recording by The Proclaimers is included in the film The Crossing (1990). Near the end of their official music video, the pair are shown reading a newspaper whose headline is "Roger Miller, King of Plugs".
After the major success achieved by "King of the Road", Dean Martin recorded the tune "Houston" (1965), which is similar in both lyrics and feel.
A send-up version by English entertainer Billy Howard was a British chart hit in 1976.
A German version by the band Wise Guys exists.
In both the English and German versions of Animals United, Billy the Meerkat sings the short rendition of this song, while walking past the other animals and carrying the gourd.
This song is featured in Mafia 3.
Houston
After the major success achieved by "King of the Road", Dean Martin recorded the tune "Houston" (1965), which is similar in both lyrics and feel.
"Queen of the House"
Country music singer Jody Miller (no relation) answered "King of the Road" with "Queen of the House" (1965). The song used Roger Miller's music while changing the lyrics to describe the day-to-day life of a stay-at-home mom. The words were written by Mary Taylor.
Singer Connie Francis later recorded the song on her 1966 album Live at the Sahara (1966).
The Supremes performed the song in their nightclub act. It can be heard on their The Supremes at the Copa (1965) album and I Hear A Symphony remastered CD, which includes their September 1966 appearance at the Roostertail in Detroit, on the second disc..