King of the Road
Dean Martin Lyrics

Trailer for sale or rent
There is a trailer that the singer is trying to sell or rent out

Rooms to let, fifty cents.
The singer has rooms for rent and they cost fifty cents.

No phone, no pool, no pets
Renters need to be aware that there isn't a phone, pool, or any pets allowed in the premises.

I ain't got no cigarettes
The artist doesn't have any cigarettes.

Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
The artist has to work hard in order to survive.

Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
After two hours of work, speaker gets to stay in a small 8x12 room.

I'm a man of means by no means
Although the singer is able to make ends meet, they don't have any extra money for luxuries.

King of the road
The artist is independent and living life on their own terms

Third boxcar, midnight train
The artist is traveling by train in the third boxcar at midnight.

Destination, Bangor, Maine.
The artist's train is headed to Bangor, Maine.

Old worn out suit and shoes
The singer is wearing an old and worn out suit and shoes.

I don't pay no union dues
The artist isn't a member of any union and therefore doesn't have to pay any dues.

I smoke old stogies I have found
The singer smokes cheap and old cigars that they find.

Short, but not too big around
The singer smokes cigars that are small in length but not too thick.

I'm a man of means by no means
Even though the singer can afford to travel and smoke, they don't have any excess wealth.

I know every engineer on every train
The artist has a lot of train knowledge and is familiar with every train engineer.

All of their children, and all of their names
The artist even knows the names of every engineer's children.

And every handout in every town
The singer is familiar with all of the food and aid that's offered in every town they visit.

And every lock that ain't locked
The singer knows about every unlocked door or gate in town that can be accessed.

When no one's around
The artist takes advantage of unlocked doors when there's no one around, showing their resourcefulness.

I sing,
The artist starts to sing the chorus again.

Trailers for sale or rent
The artist repeats the information about the trailer for sale or rent.

Rooms to let, fifty cents
The singer repeats the availability of rooms and their cost.

No phone, no pool, no pets
The artist reiterates the lack of phone, pool, and pet policies.

I ain't got no cigarettes
The singer still doesn't have any cigarettes.

Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
The singer is still working hard to get by.

Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
Two hours of work means getting to stay in a small room again.

I'm a man of means by no means
The artist's financial situation hasn't changed since the beginning of the song.

King of the road
The artist once again affirms their independence and self-sufficiency.