All The King's Men

I always thought (and hoped) that this was a satire on ideas of masculinity.

"throw out your shoes"? "you're birthing machines"?

From the Wikipedia article "Barefoot and Pregnant":

"Shinine Antony[...]said[...]"Barefoot And Pregnant is a phrase that pokes fun at chauvinists who want their women barefoot (so that they are unable to socialize) and pregnant (helpless)""

Sounds about right for this song.

Despite its disturbing undercurrents ("birthing machines"?!), there's something about this song which I find kind of sweet. At first he just seems to be being incredibly honest about wanting lots and lots of sex, then a kind of domestic enslavement scenario raises its head: "cut off your hair/ and throw out your shoes/ cause baby, you won't need them where you'll be".

But at the end he seems to realise that the whole thing is being driven by a child-like wish to be looked after, which seems to me a very truthful insight into relationships, even megalomaniacal ones like this.

The title 'All The King's Men' implies soldiers, royalty, boys who are used to getting what they want, which suggests reason for the generally quite derogatory terms used to describe the girls.There is frequent reference to wealth with the 'shiny shoes' and 'draping in jewels' and their power: 'cut off your hair.' With reference to 'candied queen' describing her as a queen suggests the best girl perhaps reflecting the song title she is 'fit for a king'? However 'candied' implies almost like she's prepared; no more than just a meaningless treat to the boys. 'Watch me, the belle of the ball' could be referring to the perfect girl or equally to the nobleness and self-pride of the boys; a reflection of their arrogance of how they believe themselves to be the best. However there is a subtly sinister backdrop to this song also, making itself apparent in the very last line 'number my babies and my broken body.' 'Broken body' showing that the narrator has an unknown problem: perhaps this is why he is the 'belle of the ball,' he is in fact the centre of attention because of his problem and it is a metaphor for the freakshow that is himself. While the 'problem' could be a physical disability the song shows his jealousy towards 'the king's men' who perhaps he wishes to be like. Alternatively 'number my babies' could show his 'broken body' is perhaps his infertility and he longs for these girls as he longs perhaps for a son which he cannot have. On the other extreme he could be an addict who cannot control his sexual nature and wanting so many girls hence 'number my babies' showing how many girls he's had. As in that last verse he even dreams about them and has realised 'it turns out I'm evil' because it appears he has no sense of morality he just wants and, despite coming to the realisation that he has a problem, can't control himself.

Hmmm, wow I have a lot of time, sorry about the essay :)

i think this is just a warning to the young girls out there.

guys make it seem as if they should be honoured to be ravaged

"we've seen them all and we've chosen you"

but beneath it all, all they want to do is have sex with them. the girl thinks he loves her but as he says...in fact he's actually 'evil'

He says 'cut off your head' obviously because he has no use for it, just the body.

and the spooky 'ooooOos' i think those are the many souls of the girls he's killed (through heartbreak) after each verse they intensify, ie he's done it again!

ALSO when he screams 'watch me watch me' he sounds like a baby... his promiscuous behaviour is just to shield a childlike urge to be noticed. it's all about him!

girls astride me girls beneath me girls before me girls between me

notice there are no girls above him! he's the man and he is in control.

"a mans world" so to speak

Always thought the last line "number my babies and my broken body" was a refernece to males back in the day, passing on their names (i.e. John Paul George, John Paul George II, John Paul George III).

I think (cut and dry) it's about going out in England, specifically the North since the towns he describes are around that area but like most Wild Beasts song it's told in an archaic way. Usually, the main goal for a man when he goes out is to eventually go home with a girl. The narrator in this story is your average 20 something man who wants just that.

actually this song it's about England (or their life in England), at least thats what Thorpe said last night in their show

I agree with Pretty pants. Its alot more though, its starts out with a sexy and beautiful girl the "belle of the ball" she offering "my heart, my hand and everything I own" and they are chosing her.....for now. They been with girls all over europe "girls from Roedean girls from Shipley girls from Hounslow girls from Whitby" we'll 'drape you jewels' and 'cutting off (style) your hair' means they are going to fix her up, get her dolled up. why are they throwing out her shoes? "cause baby, you won't need them, where you'll be" on her back in bed. He's had orgys and girls in every position He says "hatch me hatch me" a few times. One The definations of hatch is to cause to produce young. Which all makes sense because back in the day the mans goal was to impregnate as many woman as he can to spread his seed, so he viewed woman as "birthing machines". "turns out I'm evil in all my dreams" could mean his dreams are telling him that he is doing bad things, maybe his conscience is starting to talk to him but its too late. Him saying 'number my babies and my broken body' could mean look after my offspring because im dying, could be of a STD or something along those lines.

I always understood 'my broken body' to describe the drained feeling for a man after sex (in ancient Chinese medicine, the ejaculation is an extreme loss of essential male strength). I think that by ending the song with this line, the female is the ultimate victor, as 'all the kings men, couldn't put humpty dumpty together again': i.e. his broken body. It's the woman who has broken him, and no man can put him together again.

I second wisper: For a woman (or me at least) it's definitely a hot song, as it displays all the aggressive and primal male desire (I mean, really, what's more sexy than creating a child?), as well as ultimately worshipping the female as the thing that can undo a powerful and vital man.