Mouth Of The King

Album: King's Mouth (2019)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • King's Mouth is a concept album about a giant king whose head absorbs the universe. This song is a gentle acoustic rumination on mortality, rebirth and the vastness of the universe.
  • Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne's lyrics are fantastical, and the storyline running through the record makes little literal sense. Speaking with Uncut magazine, he compared his "Mouth Of The King" tale to fantasy movies such as Star Wars.

    "I don't know where these people live. I don't know what dimension their little village is in, but I think you just have to go ahead and accept it," Coyne said. "Like Star Wars, it just puts you in there, you don't really need to answer too many questions. Like, why is Chewbacca one of these characters with these humans in space?"
  • The Clash guitarist Mick Jones provides narration in his cockney tones on several tracks. Wayne Coyne told Uncut: "We all absolutely love him, and when I started to consider that it wasn't going to be one of the Flaming Lips doing this narration, I can't quite explain why but Mick was the only person I had in my mind."

    It was fellow punk legend Don Letts who got Jones on board. Coyne recalled: "I spoke to Don about it and he said, 'Mick won't want to do it but I'll get him to do it.' Ha!"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Bryan Adams

Bryan AdamsSongwriter Interviews

What's the deal with "Summer of '69"? Bryan explains what the song is really about, and shares more of his songwriting insights.

Rufus Wainwright

Rufus WainwrightSongwriter Interviews

Rufus Wainwright on "Hallelujah," his album Unfollow The Rules, and getting into his "lyric trance" on 12-hour walks.

Pete Anderson

Pete AndersonSongwriter Interviews

Pete produced Dwight Yoakam, Michelle Shocked, Meat Puppets, and a very memorable track for Roy Orbison.

Francesca Battistelli

Francesca BattistelliSongwriter Interviews

The 2011 Artist of the Year at the Dove Awards isn't your typical gospel diva, and she thinks that's a good thing.

Butch Vig

Butch VigSongwriter Interviews

The Garbage drummer/songwriter produced the Nirvana album Nevermind, and Smashing Pumpkins' Gish and Siamese Dream.

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors Examined

Deconstructing Doors Songs With The Author Of The Doors ExaminedSong Writing

Doors expert Jim Cherry, author of The Doors Examined, talks about some of their defining songs and exposes some Jim Morrison myths.