Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Graham Parker
Canonical path: /graham-parker/when-i-was-king
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
When I Was King
Read When I Was King lyrics by Graham Parker on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
When I Was King
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When I was King I was not really the man I am now
I was like anyone sitting on a throne made out of china
When I was king I had already abdicated
Already melted my crown down to sell as scrap
But they'd run the first run of stamps
People had cashed in their post office savings
To buy some and lick the back of my neck
I just let them get on with it arrange the coronation
I just didn't turn up, I just didn't turn up
You became Queen to a regime of fixed ideas
The subjects just outlines like figures in a shadow cabinet
And then we ruled over some green and pleasant land
With a frog and a princess not necessarily in that order
But if you want it to be What you want it to be
You'll have to dethrone me or have me decapitated
I didn't want to be King anyway I always preferred to hang out
With the servants, the servants
When I was King
When I was King there was no country left to rule
Jesters and fools were leaders all of them a royal pain
Now I'm a serf but I'm still trying to be a king
But putting the crown on is like putting a silk purse on a sow's ear
And if I want it to be Like I want it to be
I'll have to assassinate someone with a guitar as a gun
On it's good to be King I know that I've been there
Many, many, many, many kingdoms ago When I was King
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Who performs "When I Was King"?
Graham Parker performs "When I Was King", and this lyric page sits inside the Graham Parker catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "When I Was King"?
Yes. The related section below points to Hard Side Of The Rain and A Brand New Book with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Graham Parker?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Graham Parker's lyric pages.
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