The Dancing King
Damon Albarn Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

We pause and judge upon the reigning queen
Who looks like a ghost upon the money most
People would agree
Oh, the soulless dance upon the English dew

Across the green fields a procession grows
We are the out-of-time people of the rose, sing
We are the out-of-time people of the rose

The nightingale rejoices
The hour disapproves, the morning unrequited




The moon my heart did choose
Now the dancing king is the sun

Overall Meaning

"The Dancing King" is a song written by Damon Albarn. The lyrics of this song express a deep societal critique as well as an introspective look at oneself. The first verse describes the singer observing and judging the "reigning queen" who is on a currency note. The use of the phrase "looks like a ghost" suggests the corollary between life and death or essence and outward appearance. The next line, "People would agree," builds on this idea by showing how society has accepted this as the norm. The meaning behind this verse becomes clear as the song continues since it is about society's preoccupation with the material or superficial aspects of life, neglecting and disregarding the spiritual essence of things.


The second verse is much more enigmatic than the first. The singer has taken to the "green fields" where the "out of time" people of rose sing. They seem to be defying the societal demands and expectations of time and instead are quite "happy" and "out of time" with themselves. The nightingale rejoices while the hour disapproves and as the sun comes out, the "dancing king" takes over from the moon of the night. It seems as though the singer is trying to find peace or acceptance in a world that values the artificial and superficial over the more profound or real things in life. The use of natural imagery such as roses, fields, and moon, suggest a return to something that is genuine and real.


Line by Line Meaning

We pause and judge upon the reigning queen
We halt and assess the current female monarch


Who looks like a ghost upon the money most
Whose appearance is akin to a spectral figure atop the currency of the realm


People would agree
Most individuals would concur with this assessment


Oh, the soulless dance upon the English dew
The unfeeling engage in a routine step upon the grassy blades of England


Across the green fields a procession grows
Through the verdant meadows a parade advances


We are the out-of-time people of the rose, sing
We vocalize that we are the anachronistic individuals associated with the flower emblem


We are the out-of-time people of the rose
Reiterating that we are the antiquated folk affiliated with the symbol of a rose


The nightingale rejoices
The night songbird expresses gladness


The hour disapproves, the morning unrequited
The time elapsed contradicts and the dawn remains unreciprocated


The moon my heart did choose
My heart selects the moon as its lover


Now the dancing king is the sun
Currently, the swaying sovereign is the sun




Contributed by Jayden A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

louisej124

great song and great album. Best cover of the year as well.

Gary B

Love this album, I preferred the older version of this song with the "left thou upon these melancholy shores" verse though.

lens2optic

great track

out of fcks to give

but what are the little drumsticks at the end?

out of fcks to give

oh and I mean...besides the very recognizable bird sounds of course

out of fcks to give

nah.. after some time I realized...
it's some kind of machinery like clocks or something related to the plot of the play... I dont remember well enough by now, but the first song is related also

Starman

They are not drumstick noises, they are bird sounds, and I think it is a starling!

GREENozepyDAY

Are you sure it's the eighth? Source?

More Versions