1. A country music sin… Read Full Bio ↴Roger Miller is a name of at least two musicians:
1. A country music singer/songwriter from Oklahoma, USA
2. An alternative rock singer/songwriter from Massachusetts, USA
1) Roger Dean Miller (b. 2 Jan 1936 - d. 25 Oct 1992), was an American singer-songwriter, musician and actor, best known for his honky tonk-influenced novelty songs. His most recognized tunes included the chart-topping country/pop hits "King of the Road", "Dang Me" and "England Swings", all from the mid-1960s Nashville sound era.
After growing up in Oklahoma and serving in the United States Army, Miller began his musical career as a songwriter in the late 1950s, penning such hits as "Billy Bayou" and "Home" for Jim Reeves and "Invitation to the Blues" for Ray Price. He later started a recording career and reached the peak of his fame in the late-1960s, but continued to record and tour into the 1990s, charting his final top 20 country hit "Old Friends" with Willie Nelson in 1982. Later in his life, he wrote the music and lyrics for the 1985 Tony-award winning Broadway musical Big River, in which he also acted.
Miller died from lung cancer in 1992, and was posthumously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame three years later. His songs continued to be recorded by younger artists, with covers of "Tall, Tall Trees" by Alan Jackson and "Husbands and Wives" by Brooks & Dunn, each reaching the number one spot on country charts in the 1990s. The Roger Miller Museum in his home town serves as a tribute to Miller.
Although usually grouped with country music singers, Miller's unique style defies easy classification. Many of his recordings were humorous novelty songs with whimsical lyrics, coupled with scat singing or vocalese riffs filled with nonsense syllables. Others were sincere ballads, which also caught the public's fancy, none more so than his signature song, "King of the Road." The biographical book Ain't Got No Cigarettes described Miller as an "uncategorizable talent", and stated that many regarded him as a genius.
On his own personal style, Miller remarked that he "tried to do" things like other artists but that it "always came out different" so he got "frustrated" until realizing "I'm the only one that knows what I'm thinking." He commented that the favourite song that he wrote was "You Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd." Johnny Cash discussed Miller's bass vocal range in his 1997 autobiography. He commented that it was the closest to his own that he had heard.
1) Roger Miller (b. 1968), is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for co-founding the groups Mission of Burma and Birdsongs of the Mesozoic.
His main instruments are guitar and piano. Guitar Player magazine describes Miller's guitar playing as balancing rock energy with cerebral experimentation, while his keyboard work has earned comparisons to Béla Bartók and even Cecil Taylor.
Born in Boston, Miller was raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Detroit-area bands like the Stooges and the MC5, Miller formed several garage bands in his teens. With brothers Benjamin (Ben) Miller and Laurence B. (Larry) Miller, he formed Sproton Layer; their recordings were collected and released in 1992 as With Magnetic Fields Disrupted. Miller played bass guitar and was the primary singer and songwriter, and the ongoing collaboration M3. Attending CalArts in 1976, majoring in composition, Miller also studied piano and French Horn, and studied music by 20th century experimental composers like John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen. He would eventually drop out of college in favor of punk rock.
Relocating to Boston, Massachusetts, Miller was a member of the short-lived Moving Parts before co-founding Mission of Burma in 1979. The group was popular in and around Boston, but was unable to expand their audience. Miller played guitar and sang, and slightly edged out bassist/singer Clint Conley as the more productive songwriter. It was also Miller's idea to invite Martin Swope to join the group and add tape loop effects, giving the group an unusual, experimental sound.
Mission of Burma disbanded in 1983 due in large part to Miller's worsening tinnitus, attributed in large part to their notoriously loud live performances. In subsequent years, Mission of Burma's small body of recordings grew to be regarded as important and influential.
During the Burma years, Miller worked as a freelance piano tuner.
After Burma broke up, Miller turned his attention to playing piano with the more experimental, instrumental group Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic, which he left in 1987. Afterwards, Miller had several collaborations, solo efforts and film scores; many of these post-Burma albums were released by SST Records.
The King Of The Road
Roger Miller Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
Third boxcar, midnight train, destination Bangor, Maine
Old worn-out suits and shoes
I smoke old stogies I have found, short, but not too big around
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
I know every engineer on every train
All their children, and all of their names
And every hand out in every town
And every lock that ain't locked when no one's around
I sing, trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
"King of the Road" is a song by Roger Miller that describes the life of a wanderer who moves from place to place, with little more than the clothes on his back and a sense of freedom. In the first verse, the singer points out the lack of amenities that he has, such as no phone, pool, pets, or cigarettes. The refrain of the song highlights the repetition of his daily routine with the lyric, "trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents," and emphasizes the different means by which one can lead a contented life. However, despite his meagre possessions and humble lifestyle, the singer claims to be "a man of means by no means, king of the road."
In the second verse, the singer tells us about his journey on a midnight train heading towards Bangor, Maine, with the description of his raggedy suits and shoes. He glories in the fact that he doesn't pay union dues and enjoys smoking old stogies that he's found, but he still considers himself "a man of means by no means, king of the road." The song's bridge gives us a hint at how social and well-connected the singer is despite his vagabond life. He knows every engineer on every train and all of their families and knows what's happening in every town. His final declaration of the chorus cements his claim as the "king of the road," which has become a memorable tagline.
Line by Line Meaning
Trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents
The singer is singing about the options for cheap housing and lodging, in particular trailers and rooms for rent at a very low price.
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
The singer is highlighting that he doesn't have any luxuries or comfort items such as pets, a pool or phone, and he also doesn't have any cigarettes to smoke.
Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Despite his financial situation, the singer takes pride in working hard and does not shy away from menial jobs like cleaning with a broom.
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
The singer explains that with two hours of hard work, he can afford a small room to live in which costs only a few cents.
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
The singer is proud of his self-sufficient nature, even though he doesn't have a lot of money, he has learned to live frugally and considers himself the 'king of the road.'
Third boxcar, midnight train, destination Bangor, Maine
The singer describes his life as a wanderer, hopping from one train to another to explore different parts of the country.
Old worn-out suits and shoes
The singer wears shabby clothing and shoes as he is always on the move and cannot afford new ones.
I don't pay no union dues
The singer is not bound by any obligations or restrictions, he is free to move as he pleases, and doesn't need to pay for any memberships or affiliations.
I smoke old stogies I have found, short, but not too big around
To relax, the singer smokes cigars he's picked up along his journey, which may not be of high quality, but still provide him some comfort.
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
The singer reiterates his self-sufficient nature, proud of his unconventional lifestyle.
I know every engineer on every train
The singer is well versed with train travel, having interacted with many train conductors and engineers.
All their children, and all of their names
The singer has an intimate knowledge of the families of train personnel, including their children and names.
And every hand out in every town
Because of his wanderings, the singer knows the ins and outs of every town, including the locals and their daily lives.
And every lock that ain't locked when no one's around
The singer knows of the many unlocked doors and gates on his travels that are open when no one is around, signaling a sort of trust in his lifestyle.
I sing, trailers for sale or rent, rooms to let, fifty cents
The singer repeats the same lines from earlier to remind listeners of his wandering lifestyle and the ease with which he can find short-term lodgings for cheap.
No phone, no pool, no pets, I ain't got no cigarettes
The singer reinforces the same idea that he doesn't have any luxuries or comfort items, but instead focuses on living off the land and his own abilities.
Ah, but, two hours of pushin' broom
Once again, the singer highlights his willingness to work hard despite his unconventional life.
Buys an eight by twelve four-bit room
He follows up with the fact that these two hours of hard work can lead to an affordable shelter for himself.
I'm a man of means by no means, king of the road
The fact that the singer can use his own abilities and hard work to live the way he wants without relying on status or wealth highlights him as a 'king of the road.'
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Roger Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lindaplant6134
Who is still listening in 2024?
@johnmcvideo
This one and The Proclaimers one.
@dmeachy
I love this song. I cover it now. Fun stuff.
@toniblackwell6580
Listening to this song since the 70s.
@nessuno1948
From Italy.
@cablenelsonbabygrandpiano842
Nice song 🎵 👌
@trinitychambers8123
My dad loved this song. He passed away a few hours ago, and I was the one to find him. This one is for you, my hero 💜 please watch over me, i love you more than I could ever say.
@jayhogan1166
So sorry for your lose, God bless you and Merry Christmas!!
@sifarcher
Condolences. We will all meet again in the next life.
@mevinscott948gmail
Happy new year friends 🎉 🎉 🎊 🎊 🎊 🍾 🎈🎈🎈🎉🎉🎉🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄💃💃💃💃🌹🌹🌹💐💐💐