"King of the Road" is a song written by country singer Roger Miller, who first recorded it in November 1964.[2] 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". It was Miller's fifth single for Smash Records.[3] The song won Miller 5 Grammy Awards in 1966.
| "King of the Road" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 One of A-side labels of the US release | ||||
| Single by Roger Miller | ||||
| from the album The Return of Roger Miller | ||||
| B-side | "Atta Boy Girl" | |||
| Released | January 1965 | |||
| Recorded | November 3, 1964 [1] | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:28 | |||
| Label | Smash[2] | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Roger Miller[2] | |||
| Producer(s) | Jerry Kennedy[2] | |||
| Roger Miller singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "King of the Road" on YouTube | ||||
History
editThe crossover record reached No. 1 on the US Country chart,[4] No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and No. 1 on the Easy Listening surveys.[5] It was also No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart,[6] 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".[7] This became the opening line of the song.
R.E.M. covered the song, in a shambolic, drunken, offhand rendering. Guitarist Peter Buck later commented, "If there was any justice in the world, Roger Miller should be able to sue for what we did to this song."[8]
A comic version by English entertainer Billy Howard, "King of the Cops", was a British chart hit in 1976.[9]
In both the English and German versions of Animals United (2010), Billy the Meerkat sings this song while Across to “The Valley of Death”.[10]
"King of the Road" won Roger Miller 5 Grammy Awards at the 1966 8th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony. It won for Best Contemporary (R&R) Single, Best Contemporary (R&R) Vocal Performance - Male, Best Country & Western Single, Best Country & Western Vocal Performance - Male & Best Country & Western Song. He also won a Grammy for Best Country & Western Album "The Return Of Roger Miller".[11]
Critical reception
editIn 2024, Rolling Stone ranked the song at #60 on its 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time ranking.[12]
Personnel
edit- Roger Miller – vocals
- Buddy Killen – guitar
- Thumbs Carllile – finger snaps
- Bob Moore – double bass
- unknown – piano, drums, tambourine
Charts
editRoger Miller
edit| Chart (1965) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[15] | 1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart[16] | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Easy Listening | 1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 5 |
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 10 |
| Dutch Top40[17] | 14 |
| Dutch Official Chart[16] | 5 |
| German Official Chart[16] | 26 |
| French TEF/TMP[18] | 6 |
The Proclaimers
edit| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart[19] | 78 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 8 |
| UK Singles Chart[15] | 9 |
Randy Travis
edit| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[20] | 74 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[21] | 51 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[22] Roger Miller version |
Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
"Queen of the House"
editCountry 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.[23][24] The song was a hit, reaching number 12 on Billboard's Hot 100 and number 5 on the Hot Country Singles chart. It also won a Grammy for Female Country Vocal Performance.
Connie Francis later recorded this song on her 1966 album Live at the Sahara (1966).[citation needed]
The Supremes performed "Queen of the House" 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.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ Praguefrank
- ^ a b c d Rice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1st ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 92. ISBN 0-85112-250-7.
- ^ Mike Callahan; David Edwards; Patrice Eyries; Randy Watts. "Smash Records Story". Bsnpubs.com. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944–2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 231.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–2001. Record Research. p. 171.
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 178. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Roger Miller interviewed on the Pop Chronicles (1969)
- ^ Wethington, Kari (January 24, 2009). "Cowboy Junkies". Elle.
- ^ "Record Details". 45cat.com. Retrieved June 8, 2016.
- ^ "The Valley of Death". www.music.youtube.com. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
- ^ "Roger Miller". www.grammy.com. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "The 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 24, 2014.
- ^ Zaleski, Annie (March 27, 2023). "58 Years Ago: Roger Miller Hits No. 1 With 'King of the Road'". The Boot. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill (September 28, 2021). "Bob Moore, an Architect of the Nashville Sound, Dies at 88". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 440. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ a b c "Roger Miller - King of the Road". Dutchchsrts.nl.
- ^ "Roger Miller - King Of The Road". Top40.nl.
- ^ "Classement du 30 mai 1965". Tubesenfrance.com.
- ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 3235." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. June 16, 1997. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ^ "Randy Travis Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
- ^ "British single certifications – Roger Miller – King of the Road". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
- ^ "MusicMatch guide, 'Jody Miller'". Mmguide.musicmatch.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2008. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
- ^ "Digital Tradition Mirror, 'Queen of the House'". Sniff.numachi.com. Retrieved April 5, 2014.
External links
edit- Sample from the Roger Miller official site