As he travels on the
Beast of burden,
Moving up along the mountainside,
As he gazes looking down the
Valley,
No regrets but his pride.
As he journeys across
Mountain passes
Insignificance sweeps over him.
His reflection of the beauty
Round him.
Feeling empty inside.
He is running from his
Wildest thoughts.
He is running from his everything.
He is looking now to
Find something,
Hoping he could be saved.
He's searching for the answer now.
It's something that he's managed to
Avoid up 'til now.
Real conviction, that he craves.
He needs to find the answer
Sooner than later.
Pushed himself to the limits.
He had to strive for all the harder
Things in life,
But what the cost of giving now?
His life and his time are the only things
That he has.
Life is is not a rehearsal.
All he has is the one chance
To get it right.
Leaving really is the only
Way to know.
Maybe one day they'll forgive him
What he's done,
But now the pain of lying too
Early in the grave.
Destiny, no good to hide away.
Penance now will be his only way.
Understand, no good to run away.
Penance now will be his saving
Grace.
He tries to make his peace
With God.
All is forgivable but it's left
A little late.
Trying something that he's not.
Is it possible to change such a lot?
He's taken someone's life away.
There's not a day goes by.
He regrets what he's done.
He should have found another way
But the good book says:
An eye for an eye.
In reflecting on decisions
That were made.
On the judgments that will
Haunt him 'til his grave.
No one has the right to
Take another life
But in his mind he had no choice.
So be it.
Destiny, no good to hide away.
Penance now will be his only way.
Understand, no good to run away.
Penance now will be his saving
Grace.
Destiny, no good to hide away.
Penance now will be his only way.
Understand, no good to run away.
Penance now will be his saving
Grace.
Far, far away, the man
Who would be king.
Far, far away, the man
Who would be king.
So far away, the man
Who would be king.
So far away, the man
Who would be king.
Far, far away, the man
Who would be king.
Beast of burden,
Moving up along the mountainside,
As he gazes looking down the
Valley,
No regrets but his pride.
As he journeys across
Mountain passes
Insignificance sweeps over him.
His reflection of the beauty
Round him.
Feeling empty inside.
He is running from his
Wildest thoughts.
He is running from his everything.
He is looking now to
Find something,
Hoping he could be saved.
He's searching for the answer now.
It's something that he's managed to
Avoid up 'til now.
Real conviction, that he craves.
He needs to find the answer
Sooner than later.
Pushed himself to the limits.
He had to strive for all the harder
Things in life,
But what the cost of giving now?
His life and his time are the only things
That he has.
Life is is not a rehearsal.
All he has is the one chance
To get it right.
Leaving really is the only
Way to know.
Maybe one day they'll forgive him
What he's done,
But now the pain of lying too
Early in the grave.
Destiny, no good to hide away.
Penance now will be his only way.
Understand, no good to run away.
Penance now will be his saving
Grace.
He tries to make his peace
With God.
All is forgivable but it's left
A little late.
Trying something that he's not.
Is it possible to change such a lot?
He's taken someone's life away.
There's not a day goes by.
He regrets what he's done.
He should have found another way
But the good book says:
An eye for an eye.
In reflecting on decisions
That were made.
On the judgments that will
Haunt him 'til his grave.
No one has the right to
Take another life
But in his mind he had no choice.
So be it.
Destiny, no good to hide away.
Penance now will be his only way.
Understand, no good to run away.
Penance now will be his saving
Grace.
Destiny, no good to hide away.
Penance now will be his only way.
Understand, no good to run away.
Penance now will be his saving
Grace.
Far, far away, the man
Who would be king.
Far, far away, the man
Who would be king.
So far away, the man
Who would be king.
So far away, the man
Who would be king.
Far, far away, the man
Who would be king.
Lyrics submitted by revanchist, edited by ironman14
"The Man Who Would Be King" as written by Stephen Percy Harris David Michael Murray
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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As for the song, I think it's about a man who is reflecting on his life and is trying to find himself. He's done things that he regrets (Judging from the lyrics it seems he killed another person, or deprived that person of his life in some way), and he realizes that all the things he has struggled for in his life really aren't any significant. The only way for him to make up for his actions is to face himself.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…
Leaving really is the only way to know
should instead say:
Living really is the only way to know
And as of the meaning of the song, I interpret it as someone who was forced to kill, maybe in self defence or maybe for some other reason. He then had to flee and is now hated by everyone, especially himself. He is now trying to rebuild his life and knows he has to stop hiding, assume the consequences of what he did, recieve whatever punishment comes and then start his life over again.
The title and the final phrase: "The man who would be king" at least for me, doesn't mean he would be the head of a kingdom, but rather, that he would be in total control of his own life and destiny, had he not killed.