The Once and Future King

such an awesome track :) best by BP imho. i think the (You're making all the noises whenever he wants) is actually - "he lives above the law, he says whatever he wants" just a suggestion :)

Simply awesome. A song about being cut down from a position of power and fame (the boy who was once king), but vowing to make a social comeback (the future king).

Seems to be specifically about a band that isn't popular anymore - "I heard your song on the radio/like a fire-brand on my skin". Especially ironic since Bloc Party aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

One gets the sense, however, that the narrator should concern himself more with his craft and improving himself than caring about admiration from others. The fact that "[he] will wait for [his] turn to come around again" suggests a certain kind of unhealthy apathy and emotional neediness.

by far the best of all the "a weekend in the city" b-sides... possibly the best bloc party song to date.

i agree with cj 17 about the song being"...about being cut down from a position of power and fame (the boy who was once king), but vowing to make a social comeback (the future king)." and that it is about a band.

"Well I guess. This will be dismissed. As bitterness. And sour grapes" is about how the singer is talking down "the present king" or however you'd like to put it, and people are passing it off as him being bitter because no one likes him anymore. and he thinks he is better and that his name should be on their lips = "It should be my name on their lips. But it's not"

"And I will wait For my turn to come round again And I will wait However long it takes However long it takes" is him talking about how he will be #1 again and he'll wait however long it takes for that to happen.

"See you're gonna; Be the next big thing; All the young girls; You could ever want. I heard your song on the radio; Like a fire-brand on my skin; So the war has begun; A pox on your houses" is about the other band/ person being the best and how it annoys the singer and he wants to be the best again/ get back at whoever is better than him.

and the end of the song "I say round of applause (Objection, overruled)" i think is about how the singer is trying to come back and wants people to "applaud" for him but he is still no good. so in that sense "Success has been cruel to [him]" but he says that in the end "[his] time will come again" and that he will still wait for however long it takes.

i think the second part should be:

"champion garage band with too much time with my own thoughts"

and after the first two "round of applause" it could be:

"you're making all the noises whenever he wants"

at least these two ideas definitely fit with the theme of the song overall, as discussed by the posters above (and with which i agree)

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Instead of "you're making all the noises whenever he wants", I think it's "you're making up the law he says whatever he wants

This song is about Kele disliking of Billie-Jo Armstrong and Green Day

I adore the tune. How is this fucking great tune done? It's nearly as good as the one from Gang of Four's Damaged Goods

I'm pretty sure it's about a kid, watching some lame musician getting all this recognition, and that the kid will wait for his turn to be known as the greatest musician ever. He soon gets discovered, and then the " war begins ", which is a metaphor for a rivalry with the other musician he envied.

Kele vs. Billie Joe basically.

The Once And Future King is a referance to King Arthur who's meant to be ready to come back and save England in it's darkest hour, a few books on the legends have been written called that.

It sounds quite bitter and in a way scared, feeling threatened by other bands. I dunno if it's about Billie Joe though, just any artist who's big and "passive yet aggressive" - mouthing off in songs but not really meaning it?

"This song is about Kele disliking of Billie-Jo Armstrong and Green Day"???

As if Kele would even put pen to paper in regards to that dick.