Harper grew up listening to blues, folk, soul, RnB, and reggae. Harper's blend of groove-laden funky soul and folky handcrafted acoustics helped him to gain cult status during the course of the 1990s and widespread attention toward the end of the decade. Harper combines elements of classic folk singers, blues revivalists and jam bands and is embraced by critics and college kids alike. Harper's body of work sells consistently and he tours constantly, building a solid, dedicated fan base.
Harper began playing guitar as a child in his hometown of Claremont, California (in California's Inland Empire). He eventually specialized in the acoustic slide guitar (Weissenborn guitars). As a young man, he recorded an LP (Pleasure and Pain) with fellow folk guitarist Tom Freund. After this limited edition record, Harper got a record deal with Virgin Records, who released his debut album, Welcome to the Cruel World (1994).
This was followed by the incendiary Fight For Your Mind (1995) which became a college radio favorite and generated an abundance of songs which still fill his set list to this day.
In 1999 at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Harper met Jack Johnson, who was unknown at the time and had not recorded. Harper obtained a demo tape of 12 of Johnson's songs that he forwarded to his producer, J.P. Plunier, with whom Johnson recorded his first album.
From early on in his career, his music received more attention in Europe than it did in his home country. While he was a well-known and respected figure in the States, in countries like France, Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, and The Netherlands he was a star, receiving a great deal of airplay and critical acclaim. His popularity in Europe is such that he was French Rolling Stone Magazine's "Artist of the Year" (Artiste De L'Année) in 2003, and his tour that year for Diamonds on the Inside played to packed arenas across the continent.
In 2004, Harper recorded the album "There Will Be a Light " as the collaboration Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama.
In October 2004, Harper participated in the Vote for Change concert tour organised to benefit Moveon.org and encourage people in the swing states to vote during the 2004 U.S. presidential election.
Over the summer of 2005, when the Zooma tour scheduled with Trey Anastasio and various side stage performers was cancelled, Harper took on a tour of more private clubs/venues such as the Avalon Ballroom in Boston, the Tabernacle in Atlanta, and a full-band acoustic performance at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. This series of concerts saw the debut of a number of new Harper songs, such as "Get It Like You Like It" and "Dressed In Black."
In 2006, Harper released the double album Both Sides of the Gun which debuted at #7 on the Billboard charts.
Next Harper did a worldwide tour, with support from Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley on the North American leg.
In 2007, Harper released the album Lifeline, recorded in Paris just after his tour.
In 2009, Harper recorded the album "White Lies for Dark Times", as the collaboration Ben Harper and Relentless7.
In 2014, Harper recorded the album "Childhood Home" as the collaboration Ben & Ellen Harper.
In 2018, Harper recorded the album "No Mercy in This Land" as the collaboration Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite. At the 40th Blues Music Awards ceremony, Harper's joint composition with Charlie Musselwhite, "No Mercy In This Land", was named as 'Song of the Year'.
Like A King
Ben Harper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Has become Rodney's worst
Nightmare
Can't walk the streets
To them we are fair game
Our lives don't mean a thing
Like a king, like a king, like a king
Rodney King, Rodney King, Rodney King
How I wish you could help us Dr. King
Make sure it's filmed
Shown on national T.V.
They'll have no mercy
A legal lynch mob
Like the days strung up from the tree
The L.A.P.D.
Like a king, like a king, like a king
Rodney King, Rodney King, Rodney King
Like a king, like a king, like a king
How I wish you could help us Dr. King
So if you catch yourself
Thinking it has changed for the best
You better second guess
Cause Martin's dream
Has become Rodney's worst
Nightmare
Like a king, like a king, like a king
Rodney King, Rodney King, Rodney King
Like a king, like a king, like a king
How I wish you could help us Dr. King
In this song, Ben Harper references the tragic beating of Rodney King by the LAPD in 1991. He makes an allusion to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of racial equality, which has become Rodney King's worst nightmare. Harper asserts that the black community is unable to walk the streets safely and are deemed "fair game" by the police. They are stripped of their basic human rights and dignity, as their lives seem to mean nothing in the eyes of those in power. The reference to being "like a king" is both poignant and ironic, as Rodney King was beaten mercilessly by the LAPD, despite being unarmed and outnumbered. Ben Harper laments that the justice and peace that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fought for are still elusive, and the black community is still grappling with issues of inequality and police brutality.
The use of the phrase "legal lynch mob" in the song is particularly powerful. In many ways, it evokes the dark history of lynching of black people in America, a practice that was used as a tool of racial terror and control. The song highlights the fact that despite the passage of time and the civil rights movement, the racist attitudes and structures of oppression still persist in American society.
Line by Line Meaning
Well Martin's dream
The aspirations of Martin Luther King Jr. and his efforts towards civil rights for African Americans.
Has become Rodney's worst Nightmare
The brutal beating of Rodney King by the Los Angeles Police Department in 1991, which became a symbol of police brutality and racial injustice.
Can't walk the streets
African Americans have to live in fear due to the increasing racial discrimination and police brutality against them, making it impossible for them to lead a normal life.
To them we are fair game
The society views African Americans as vulnerable and easy target for police officers to harass, abuse, and discriminate against.
Our lives don't mean a thing
African Americans are disposable in society and their lives are not valued, as can be seen from the lack of accountability for police officers who commit atrocities against them.
Like a king, like a king, like a king
The irony of how Rodney King was beaten like a criminal and yet called out ‘like a king’ by the public shows how African Americans are treated as subhuman by society.
How I wish you could help us Dr. King
The plea of African Americans for an end to racial injustice and equality that Dr. King fought for during his lifetime but could not make a reality.
Make sure it's filmed
The need for videos and media coverage to document the brutality of police towards African Americans and hold them accountable, as seen in the case of Rodney King.
Shown on national T.V.
The importance of making the police brutality against African Americans a national issue, to bring attention to the ongoing racial inequality and discrimination.
They'll have no mercy
The ruthlessness and brutality shown by police towards African Americans, with little or no accountability for their actions.
A legal lynch mob
The police force, which is supposed to protect and serve, has become a group that perpetuates systemic racism and state-sanctioned violence against African Americans.
Like the days strung up from the tree
A reference to lynching, where African Americans were hung from trees by white supremacists and racists in the past, is still happening today in the brutal treatment of African Americans by police officers.
The L.A.P.D.
The Los Angeles Police Department, the law-enforcing agency responsible for the brutal beating of Rodney King and many other African Americans over the years.
So if you catch yourself
Aforementioned statements suggest that little progress has been made towards an end in racism, and it is time to reassess our beliefs and actions.
Thinking it has changed for the best
The misconception many have that racial inequality and injustice have been eradicated or reduced, which is far from the truth.
You better second guess
It is essential to be mindful and question our views and actions concerning racial inequality to create a better future for all.
Lyrics © Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: BEN HARPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind