King of Anything

Album: Kaleidoscope Heart (2010)
Charted: 32
Play Video
  • Keep drinking coffee, stare me down across the table
    While I look outside
    So many things I'd say if only I were able
    But I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by

    You've got opinions, man
    We're all entitled to 'em, but I never asked
    So let me thank you for your time
    And try not to waste anymore of mine
    And get out of here fast

    I hate to break it to you babe, but I'm not drowning
    There's no one here to save

    Who cares if you disagree?
    You are not me
    Who made you king of anything?
    So you dare tell me who to be?
    Who died and made you king of anything?

    You sound so innocent, all full of good intent
    Swear you know best
    But you expect me to jump up on board with you
    And ride off into your delusional sunset

    I'm not the one who's lost with no direction
    But you'll never see
    You're so busy making masks with my name on them in all caps
    You got the talking down, just not the listening

    And who cares if you disagree?
    You are not me
    Who made you king of anything?
    So you dare tell me who to be?
    Who died and made you king of anything?

    All my life I've tried to make everybody happy
    While I just hurt and hide
    Waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn to decide

    Who cares if you disagree?
    You are not me
    Who made you king of anything?
    So you dare tell me who to be?
    Who died and made you king of anything?

    Who cares if you disagree?
    You are not me
    Who made you king of anything?
    So you dare tell me who to be?
    Who died and made you king of anything?

    Let me hold your crown, babe Writer/s: Sara Beth Bareilles
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 1

  • The King Of This Right Here from Right HereThis song was not about getting love advice, and it's absolutely not an angst-ridden message about love. In fact, this may be the farthest thing from a "message about love" in Sara Bareilles' entire catalog. As stated in the quote from Billboard above, it was about her irritation with having to listen to all manner of people at the record company (possibly imagined) weighing in with their two cents about what she was writing for her second Epic album. The lyrics clearly place her in a conference room, dejectedly looking out the window as what she interpreted as negative criticism rolls.

    Vital context for this song was that Sara had reached a point of complete exhaustion from touring etc after her first album Little Voice went big, and felt that her creative energy had gone dry. She genuinely feared that she would never write another good song. She had lunch with Eric Rosse, the producer of her first Epic album, and he told her "You can't polish a turd" -- which she took as inspiration to take it easy and let the music come to her rather than letting anxiety drive her to overwork her ideas.

    In a series of videos about the making of Kaleidoscope Heart, Sara says that she went into the studio with just four songs: Uncharted, Gonna Get Over You, Basket Case, and King of Anything. That means that she was listening to nitpicking about three stunning musical works, which resulted in the creation of the fourth.

    Personally, I consider Kaleidoscope Heart to be her most significant album, in that her first hit album was largely a re-production of songs she had been singing for years -- she wrote Gravity and City when she was 18 or 19. With Kaleidoscope Heart Sara beat a serious sophomore slump and created an absolutely brilliant work, proving to the world and to herself that she was The Real Thing, and not just a one-hit wonder.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.