How long can you stand
Tightening up
Avoiding the fight
Avoiding the truth
Tighten the smile
Tighten the lie
Will you get what you want
To be cursed with your dreams
I hope for your sake
Something gets in the way

How long can you stand
Living under the lens
The kiss of success
The ensuing, all consuming, mess

Message of love
They arrive everyday
People you touch
Wasting away
People you don't know
Give you no choice

And you're sick to your stomach
At the sound of your voice
And the shape of your face
And the sound of your name
They send you pictures of yourself
It's someone you don't know
And they call you a genius
Cause you're easier to sell
But the fire in your belly
That gave you the songs
Is suddenly gone
And you feel like a fake
Is that what you want?

I hope for your sake
You've got what it takes
You've got what it takes
To be spoilt to death.


Lyrics submitted by Idan

King Lyrics as written by Mark Kelly Steven Thomas Rothery

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

King song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

4 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    I take this to be about Elvis, and as the previous post says - ...and others like him. The title lends a clue, and the passage in the middle "People you touch... People you don't know..." Seems to protray a long career where your old fans fade away and new ones have an expectation that you can't escape. A longer career than Kurt Cobain had. In the context of Elvis, the line "They send you pictures of yourself, It's someone you don't know" - takes on a double-meaning - Elvis impersonators, and becoming such a caricature that you don't even see yourself anymore.

    detractuson August 16, 2005   Link

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

Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Holiday
Bee Gees
@[Diderik:33655] "Your a holiday!" Was a popular term used in the 50s/60s to compliment someone on their all around. For example, not only are they beautiful, but they are fun and kind too ... just an all around "holiday". I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Magical
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.