King of the Road
Randy Travis Lyrics

Trailers for sale or rent
The suave attitude towards cheap accommodations and the idea of living without the typical luxuries that come with rented housing options.

Rooms to let, fifty cents
The availability of renting very cheap rooms that cost only two quarters.

No phone, no pool, no pets
The primitiveness of the living situation - there are no phones, no pools, and no pets allowed.

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

Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
The artist is willing to work hard, even if it means working a mundane job of sweeping floors.

Buys a eight by twelve four-bit room
With two hours of work, one can afford a small, simple room sized at eight by twelve feet in exchange for four bits of cash.

I'm a man of means by no means
The singer is self-sufficient, able to make their own living, but not wealthy.

King of the road
Despite having nothing in terms of physical goods or wealth, the artist feels very much in charge and in control of their own life, like a king.

Third boxcar, midnight train
The artist leads a transient lifestyle, hopping between trains and traveling quarters.

Destination, Bangor, Maine
The artist's current travel route for this song is headed towards Bangor, Maine.

Old worn out suit and shoes
The singer's clothing shows signs of wear due to long-term use and likely poverty.

I don't pay no union dues
The artist is not a member of any unions.

I smoke old stogies I have found
The singer smokes found cigars rather than purchasing their own.

Short, but not too big around
The cigars that the singer finds are not long, but still thick enough to smoke.

I know every engineer on every train
The singer is very familiar with railroad staff and recognizes them by name.

All of their children and all of their names
The artist is familiar with the families of the railroad staff and knows each of the children by name.

Every handout in every town
The artist knows where to get free things in every town they visit.

And every lock that ain't locked
The singer knows which locks to pick or tamper with to gain access.

When no one's around
The singer's familiarity with locks and lack of restraint lets them take advantage of other peoples' possessions when no one is there to see them do it.