Roger, along with the other Byrds members, was honored with an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.
King Of The Hill
Roger McGuinn Lyrics
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The night air is cold, the freeway is clear
In a green Gucci bag, are your prized possessions
The jewels of your mind, to hold back the fear
And when Monday comes round, there's a high lonesome sound
And she follows you down for the kill
And a white blinding light, makes it all seem so right
The driveway is long, your princess is lovely
And the servants all wait, for your knock on the door
How many years, will you crawl through this castle?
So satisfied, and still wanting more
And when Monday comes round, there's a high lonesome sound
And she follows you down for the kill
And a white blinding light, makes it all seem so right
And you feel like the king of the hill, yeah
The guests have arrived, with all the right faces
But you miss the ball, in that room down the hall
It's sunrise again, the driveway is empty
The crystal is cracked, there's blood on the wall
And when Monday comes round, there's a high lonesome sound
And she follows you down for the kill
And a white blinding light, makes it all seem so right
And you feel like the king of the hill
Yeah, you feel like the king of the hill
Oh, you feel like the king of the hill
The song “King of the Hill” by Roger McGuinn starts with a description of a late-night drive in a deserted Los Angeles. The singer, whose prized possessions are in a green Gucci bag, seems to be on the run from something. There is a sense of fear that he is holding back with the jewels of his mind. When Monday comes around, there is a “high lonesome sound” that follows him down “for the kill.” He feels like the king of the hill, but the sense of fear and unease never quite goes away.
The second verse describes the singer’s princess and his castle, with servants waiting for him at his knock on the door. He is satisfied but still wants more. The guests at his party all have the right faces, but he misses the ball in a room down the hall. The song ends with a description of a sunrise and a cracked crystal with blood on the wall. And still, the singer feels like the king of the hill.
The lyrics to “King of the Hill” can be interpreted in different ways, but one common theme is the loneliness and isolation that come with success and material wealth. Even in a life of luxury, the singer can’t escape the fear and unease that haunts him. The song was written by McGuinn along with Tom Petty and Elvis Costello and was included on McGuinn’s 1991 album “Back from Rio.”
Line by Line Meaning
L.A.'s asleep, you roll up your window
You're driving through a deserted L.A. as night falls, feeling the chill in the air and closing your window.
The night air is cold, the freeway is clear
It's a cold night, but the freeway is empty, enabling you to drive faster.
In a green Gucci bag, are your prized possessions
Your valuable possessions are kept in a green Gucci bag.
The jewels of your mind, to hold back the fear
You hold onto these possessions to ease your fears, like precious gems in your mind.
And when Monday comes round, there's a high lonesome sound
You feel empty when Monday comes, as if you're missing something.
And she follows you down for the kill
Life can be like a predator hunting its prey, stalking you and waiting for its chance to get you.
And a white blinding light, makes it all seem so right
You can have a moment of clarity, like a white light piercing the darkness, where everything seems right and makes sense.
And you feel like the king of the hill
You feel powerful and triumphant, like you're on top of the world.
The driveway is long, your princess is lovely
Your home is opulent and your partner is attractive.
And the servants all wait, for your knock on the door
You have people waiting to cater to your every need.
How many years, will you crawl through this castle?
You wonder how long you'll be stuck in this unfulfilling, lavish lifestyle.
So satisfied, and still wanting more
Despite having everything money can buy, you're still longing for more.
The guests have arrived, with all the right faces
You have high society guests that fit in with your opulent lifestyle.
But you miss the ball, in that room down the hall
You're disconnected from meaningful human relationships, despite being surrounded by people.
It's sunrise again, the driveway is empty
Morning comes and your opulent home is empty, highlighting your loneliness.
The crystal is cracked, there's blood on the wall
The luxurious facade you've carefully crafted is cracked, revealing a dark side or a painful past.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Tom Petty, Roger McGuinn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ron Stewart
John Jorgenson on lead guitar. He has always been one of the best guitarists in America.IMHO
Gary Diamond
Interesting to have the virtuoso John Jorgenson together (at separate times) with both Roger's band & Hillman's fabulous Desert Rose band!
Ron Stewart
This album caught some attention and for awhile Roger seemed to be back big time, but it never really took off. Loved this song and the album was good also.
jennifersman
I think Roger just wanted to do things on his own terms and avoid the R’n R grind he had with the Byrds. Since then he’s gotten back into acoustic folk music and computer technology so he does a lot of music online. He still tours occasionally and He’s not lacking for $$$, he bought the rights to all the Byrds music years ago
John Stulpin
I AGREE RON
Clayton Goines
+Ron Stewart hes on top now regardless,he was the highest paid musician in the world a couple years ago.seems like forbes had him bringing in 60 million in 2012-2013
Skinzz
Love this song!! Big Stan Lynch on drums!!!
Robert S
Bought this album when it first came out. This song was the obvious standout, although there are other ones worth hearing.
Rock and Roll Geerage
The whole album was great
Alex Tucker
This is a great performance of an excellent song!