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King of the World Lyrics
At ten in the morning
I was laughing at something
At the airport terminal
At nine in the evening
I was sitting crying to you over the phone
Well passing the border from a state to another
Filled with people whom I couldn't help to relate to
And we stopped a while at a roadside restaurant
Where the waitress was sitting outside smoking in her car
She had that look of total fear in her eyes
And as we drove away from there she looked at me and
she smiled
I keep running around
Trying to find the ground
But my head is in the stars
And my feet are in the sky
Well I'm nobody's baby
I'm everybody's girl
I'm the queen of nothing
I'm the king of the world
And once you asked me well what's my biggest fear
That things would always remain so unclear
That one day I'd wake up all alone
With a big family and emptiness deep in my bones
That I would be so blinded, turn a deaf ear
And that my fake laugh would suddenly sound sincere
Now I wasn't born for anything
Wasn't born to say anything
Oh I'm just here now and soon I'll be gone
I'm nobody's baby
I'm everybody's girl
I'm the queen of nothing
I'm the king of the world
Now everyday there's a short intermission
While I sleep they start dimming the lights
But I've seen everything I ever want to see
Screaming "Fire!" in a theater people taking their seats
Watch it all go down like a stone in a stream
If you fall for your reflection you will drown in a dream
Tell me something real
Tell me something true
I just want to feel there's something left that I can do
But I'm nobody's baby
I'm everybody's girl
I'm the queen of nothing
I'm the king of the world
I was laughing at something
At the airport terminal
At nine in the evening
I was sitting crying to you over the phone
Well passing the border from a state to another
Filled with people whom I couldn't help to relate to
And we stopped a while at a roadside restaurant
Where the waitress was sitting outside smoking in her car
She had that look of total fear in her eyes
And as we drove away from there she looked at me and
she smiled
Trying to find the ground
But my head is in the stars
And my feet are in the sky
Well I'm nobody's baby
I'm everybody's girl
I'm the queen of nothing
I'm the king of the world
That things would always remain so unclear
That one day I'd wake up all alone
With a big family and emptiness deep in my bones
That I would be so blinded, turn a deaf ear
And that my fake laugh would suddenly sound sincere
Wasn't born to say anything
Oh I'm just here now and soon I'll be gone
I'm nobody's baby
I'm everybody's girl
I'm the queen of nothing
I'm the king of the world
While I sleep they start dimming the lights
But I've seen everything I ever want to see
Screaming "Fire!" in a theater people taking their seats
Watch it all go down like a stone in a stream
If you fall for your reflection you will drown in a dream
Tell me something true
I just want to feel there's something left that I can do
But I'm nobody's baby
I'm everybody's girl
I'm the queen of nothing
I'm the king of the world
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The narrator is establishing that she won't be bound by the traditional idea that women HAVE to be dependent on men.
Hence the lyrics "I'm nobody's baby/I'm everybody's girl" She doesn't belong to anyone and she intends to traverse the world as her own person.
When asked her greatest fear she says,
"That things would always remain so unclear That one day I'd wake up all alone With a big family and emptiness deep in my bones That I would be so blinded, turn a deaf ear And that my fake laugh would suddenly sound sincere"
This certainly could apply to the aforementioned analysis that she's escaping the womanly role; she's afraid she'll one day settle down, have a family, and feel unfulfilled. I suppose her fake laughter would sound sincere because she'd begrudgingly accept it eventually. But this definitely isn't only applicable women; the idea of settling down (or having anything forced upon you that you don't want) and not feeling happy and fulfilled can be a scary notion for anyone, which is why I like the universality of this song so much.
She further adds on to the theme of being free of any expectations with:
"Now I wasn't born for anything Wasn't born to say anything Oh I'm just here now and soon I'll be gone"
and the longing for self-discovery and purpose with,
"Tell me something real Tell me something true I just want to feel there's something left that I can do"
She creates and discovers her own meaning in her world. She's the queen of nothing because she won't be held down by what is generally expected of a woman; she's king of the world!
Just a really great song. Conor's addition is lovely, too.
@wordsaslight One of their very best both musically and lyrically. Lovely analysis, thank you for sharing!
@wordsaslight One of their very best both musically and lyrically. Lovely analysis, thank you for sharing!
That's my boy Conna!!
The song its self is almost a laugh that sounds sincere. The tune is so happy you almost have to smile along to it even tho the lyrics themselves are so heartbreaking.