The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
There's a little black spot on the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday
There's a black hat caught in a high tree top
There's a flag-pole rag and the wind won't stop
I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
There's a little black spot on the sun today
That's my soul up there
It's the same old thing as yesterday
That's my soul up there
There's a black hat caught in a high tree top
That's my soul up there
There's a flag-pole rag and the wind won't stop
That's my soul up there
I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
There's a fossil that's trapped in a high cliff wall
That's my soul up there
There's a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall
That's my soul up there
There's a blue whale beached by a springtime's ebb
That's my soul up there
There's a butterfly trapped in a spider's web
That's my soul up there
I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
There's a king on a throne with his eyes torn out
There's a blind man looking for a shadow of doubt
There's a rich man sleeping on a golden bed
There's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread
King of pain
There's a red fox torn by a huntsman's pack
That's my soul up there
There's a black-winged gull with a broken back
That's my soul up there
There's a little black spot on the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday
I have stood here before in the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I always thought you could end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
King of pain
King of pain
King of pain
I'll always be king of pain
It's the same old thing as yesterday
There's a black hat caught in a high tree top
There's a flag-pole rag and the wind won't stop
I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
There's a little black spot on the sun today
That's my soul up there
It's the same old thing as yesterday
That's my soul up there
There's a black hat caught in a high tree top
That's my soul up there
There's a flag-pole rag and the wind won't stop
That's my soul up there
I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
There's a fossil that's trapped in a high cliff wall
That's my soul up there
There's a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall
That's my soul up there
There's a blue whale beached by a springtime's ebb
That's my soul up there
There's a butterfly trapped in a spider's web
That's my soul up there
I have stood here before inside the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
There's a king on a throne with his eyes torn out
There's a blind man looking for a shadow of doubt
There's a rich man sleeping on a golden bed
There's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread
King of pain
There's a red fox torn by a huntsman's pack
That's my soul up there
There's a black-winged gull with a broken back
That's my soul up there
There's a little black spot on the sun today
It's the same old thing as yesterday
I have stood here before in the pouring rain
With the world turning circles running 'round my brain
I guess I always thought you could end this reign
But it's my destiny to be the king of pain
King of pain
King of pain
King of pain
I'll always be king of pain
Lyrics submitted by anieloo, edited by digitalman
King of Pain Lyrics as written by Gordon Sumner
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Son Şansın - Şarkı Sözleri
Hayalperest
Hayalperest
This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
This song is about Sting's cheating on his wife Francis and the aftermath as he's seeking forgiveness and reconciliation. They had a great marriage (this is metaphorically the "sun") but it was marred by him cheating one time with his wife's best friend (this is the "little black spot" one day). Now that it's out and they've separated, he's seeking forgiveness for the pain that he's caused her. This is why he feels like he's the "King Of Pain". But the only one who can take that away is his wife - if she forgives him - hence "ending his reign". Several other songs reference the feelings and sequelae of his initial cheating and separation/divorce - notably Every Breath You Take, If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free, and Fortress Around Your Heart.
The "flag pole rag" reminds me of "beneath that tattered flag we made" from Fortres Around Your Heart - he probable took this motif from here. Byt, anyway, I heard he once said that he viewed this song with irony. Maybe I didn't see right when I read that, cause this song always gets me "driven to tears". I wish I could interpret it more in detail (like, every verse), cause it's all one mataphore after another, but I just can't brek through what he means generally.
[Question]: What or who does the "King of Pain" represent?
[Sting]: Beats me. I think I was being ironic. It's now become my unofficial title.
"There's a little black spot on the sun today That's my soul up there"
I think this is illustrating the darkness of his soul in the midst of other people's happiness (the black spot's his soul, and the sun is the joy from which it stands apart).
"There's a fossil that's trapped in a high cliff wall There's a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall There's a blue whale beached by a springtide's ebb There's a butterfly trapped in a spider's web"
"I guess I always thought you could end this reign But it's my destiny to be the king of pain"
He thought this particular person could end his "reign" as the "king of pain" (i.e. he had hoped this person could make him happy, or at least take away his sorrow).
I think that the reason "King of Pain" is an ironic title is because when we think of kings (regal, ruling, and basically together), we do not associate them with negative experiences. Kings are praised, exalted, and sleep on "golden bed[s]", as Sting has put it. To be king of something horrible, like pain, is ironic.
It must have chopped off my comment on this part:
"There's a fossil that's trapped in a high cliff wall There's a dead salmon frozen in a waterfall There's a blue whale beached by a springtide's ebb There's a butterfly trapped in a spider's web"
All of the things listed are trapped in conditions from which they can't escape, much like Sting is trapped in the condition of pain.
To those born with their heads laid low. To those whose vision cuts through the beautiful facade of life to its underlying pain. For every person that feels the pain of the butterfly in the spider's web or the blue whale beached by the springtide's ebb. This song is for you.
This song is for the extreme altruist that feels for all living things....and how futile life is when understanding that this pain is part of the grand scheme of things. How can you not see the black spot on the sun when it is very soul?
It's about greek predestination with a heavy reference to Oedipus Rex. It discusses the fact that, in that system of belief, no matter who you are or how hard you try, your fate is your fate, your destiny is your destiny, and even then most beautiful butterfly is trapped by a web, even a great and powerfull whale is beached by a simple ebb of the tide.
hmmm. idk but i first heard of this song from my ex-boyfriends profile playlist on myspace and i think he might have meant it as his song to me, because all he ever did was cause me pain. so to me "king of pain" means he causes other people pain? idk just what i might think, or maybe i'm over-analyzing.
This is not by Sting it is on The Police's Synchronicity album. Although he did write the song.
this song is so lyrically beatiful and sorrowful u can just really feel the emotion in it