King Of The Road Lyrics

Lyric discussion by kevin11476 

Cover art for King Of The Road lyrics by Roger Miller

My question is where the comma should be... is he saying a man of means by no means.... or is he saying a man of means (being his skill to get along).. by no means King of the Road... in that he is not living the fancy lifestyle of a King on the road... I guess the way it is written above on this website makes the most sense..

I think the comma is correct above. "King of the Road" is a title he's given himself that's somewhere between self-deprication and a glorification of his humble existence. He isn't a man of means, but he has the one thing that's important to himself--freedom--so that makes him a King in his own mind.

Similarly, my grandfather would proudly state he worked as a Pearl Diver when he was younger. "Pearl Diver" meant he was a dishwasher. Diving into those pearly suds every day had to have been a crappy job, but he did it with pride.