Call him the next Duane Allman or Jimi Hendrix, but whatever you do, don’t call Marcus King a child prodigy. Sure, the guitar shredder’s talent shimmers with the same resonance as his heroes, but he’s been wielding an axe since he learned to talk – he started playing when he was 2.
King was born into music, gifted with steel-string DNA and two generations of men before him who nurtured the boy’s musical nature. King’s dad, the slyly talented Marvin King, has been a force in Upstate South Carolina’s music heritage for as long as anyone can remember. Marvin’s father and Marcus’s granddad, Bill, played a big part, too.
It was only natural, then, that the boy who got his first guitar (a Squier Strat) at age 7 would land his first paying gig a year later. When he was 11, he joined his father’s Marvin King & The Blues Revival to open for Muddy Waters’s onetime bassist Mac Arnold at The Handlebar, the storied venue in their Greenville, S.C., hometown. Around that time, he also played on his dad’s critically acclaimed album, Huge in Europe. And when he was 15, the Marcus King Band opened for the legendary Johnny Winter.
A particular MKB achievement came with the September 2014 release of Soul InSight. The album’s 12 original tunes, including three instrumentals, showcase a literal lifetime of virtuosity, along with vocals as clear and as soulful as Marvin Gaye’s and as nuanced as Amy Winehouse ’s.
Adding to all that, King knows jazz. That’s because he built on his Southern-rock foundation with lessons from one of the best instrumentalists around: Steve Watson, the formidable guitarist renowned for his performance on TV’s seminal Hill Street Blues theme song.
King still continues to grow, to experiment, to share his passions, although he’s not much of a talker. He lets his guitar do that, using it to tell the same story we all tell, to share emotions we all feel.
“I can say more truthfully in song what I can say in words,” he says. “Music breaks down the awkward barrier.” (For the record, whenever he hears the shopworn “teen angst,” Marcus recoils with the same allergic reaction that he has to “child prodigy.”)
Of the band, Jack Ryan plays drums with a musicianship that brings to mind Ginger Baker and Charlie Watts. Bassist Stephen Campbell drives MKB the same way that Garry W. Tallent keeps Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band on course. Through it all, King gives his mates plenty of breathing room to jam.
The result is a fusion of wildly eclectic genres, offering a live experience as mesmerizing as it is dance-inducing.
King himself lists an intriguing roster of favorites and influences: Duane Allman, of course, as well as Warren Haynes, Little Feat and Aretha Franklin, to name a few, and his band on any given night plays covers from Bob Marley to Lauryn Hill and from Les McCann to Black Sabbath.
That’s King – an engaged and engaging young man with a lifetime of experience, still coming into his own, still carrying his guitar with him, and promising us all a promising future.
Ain’t Nothin’ Wrong With That
The Marcus King Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One, two, yeah!
Said the rain was fallin' all around
Won't you roll my windows up for me?
Didn't wanna wake me from the slumber I was in
Stand to just let me be
Ain't nothing wrong
Ain't nothing wrong with that, baby
Ain't nothing wrong
Then I lit a rose to the sound of music in the air
You're gonna singing me a melody so sweet
Kiss your lips as you sail away through my tears
Still about to let the rain fall on me
Ain't nothing wrong with that
Ain't nothing wrong
Ain't nothing wrong with that, baby
Ain't nothing wrong
I wanna be back in that moment
Feel the joy that I felt right there
Tell me you remember that moment
Tell me that you still care
Ain't nothing wrong with that
Ain't nothing wrong
Ain't nothing wrong with that, mama
Ain't nothing wrong
Ain't nothing wrong with that
Ain't nothing wrong with that, mama
Ain't nothing wrong with that
Ain't nothing wrong
Wanna be back in that moment
Feel the joy that I felt right there
Tell me you remember that moment
Tell me that you still care
The Marcus King Band's song "Ain't Nothin' Wrong With That" can be interpreted as an ode to the simple pleasures in life. In the beginning of the song, the singer describes how they are at peace in a state of slumber, and simply requests that their companion roll up the windows to protect them from the rain. The singer then talks about the joy of listening to music and being kissed by their lover. This line "Kiss your lips as you sail away through my tears" can be interpreted as a bittersweet memory where they continue to feel the joy of the moment despite the pain of separation. The singer yearns to go back to that moment and asks if their lover remembers it as well.
The chorus describes how there is nothing wrong with enjoying the simple pleasures in life, and how there should be no shame in pursuing them. This can be interpreted as a reminder to live in the present and savor the moments that bring us joy, rather than getting caught up in the complexities and demands of life. It's a reminder to appreciate the beauty in the world around us and to be grateful for the moments we share with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Said the rain was fallin' all around
The rain was falling everywhere around me
Won't you roll my windows up for me?
Can you please roll up my car window for me?
Didn't wanna wake me from the slumber I was in
I was sleeping so well, I didn't want to be disturbed
Stand to just let me be
Just stand there and let me continue sleeping peacefully
Ain't nothing wrong with that
There's nothing wrong with wanting to sleep and be left alone
Then I lit a rose to the sound of music in the air
I lit a candle and listened to the soothing music
You're gonna singing me a melody so sweet
You're going to sing me a very sweet song
Kiss your lips as you sail away through my tears
I kissed you goodbye as you left, tears streaming down my face
Still about to let the rain fall on me
I'm still standing in the rain, letting it fall on me
I wanna be back in that moment
I want to go back to that time and place
Feel the joy that I felt right there
Feel the same happiness and joy that I felt before
Tell me you remember that moment
Tell me that you also remember that special moment
Tell me that you still care
Tell me that you still love and care for me
Writer(s): MARCUS KING
Contributed by Charlotte F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@quattr_o5279
One, two
One, two, yeah!
Outside the rain was fallin' all around
Won't you roll my windows up for me?
Didn't wanna wake me from the slumber I was in
Instead you just let me be
Ain't nothing wrong with that
Ain't nothing wrong
Ain't nothing wrong with that, baby
Ain't nothing wrong
Then I later rose to the sound of music in the air
Your voice singing me a melody so sweet
Kissed your lips as you sailed away through my tears
Step out, let the rain fall on me
Ain't nothing wrong with that
Ain't nothing wrong
Ain't nothing wrong with that, baby
Ain't nothing wrong
I wanna be back in that moment
Feel the joy that I felt right there
Tell me you remember that moment
Tell me that you still care
@quattr_o-rosenboom3904
Said the rain was fallin′ all around Won't you roll my windows up for me? Didn′t wanna wake me from the slumber I was in Stand to just let me be
Feel the joy that I felt right there
Ain't nothing wrong with that
Ain't nothing wrong Ain′t nothing wrong with that, baby Ain′t nothing wrong Then I lit a rose to the sound of music in the air You're gonna singing me a melody so sweet Kiss your lips as you sail away through my tears Still about to let the rain fall on me Ain′t nothing wrong with that Ain't nothing wrong Ain′t nothing wrong with that, baby Ain't nothing wrong I wanna be back in that moment Feel the joy that I felt right there Tell me you remember that moment Tell me that you still care Ain′t nothing wrong with that Ain't nothing wrong Ain't nothing wrong with that, mama Ain′t nothing wrong Ain′t nothing wrong with that Ain't nothing wrong with that, mama Ain′t nothing wrong with that Ain't nothing wrong Wanna be back in that moment Feel the joy that I felt right there Tell me you remember that moment Tell me that you still care
Written by:
@JamintheVan
Have you seen our session with The Marcus King Band from Austin, TX!? Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cROZA3hF9Ck&list=PL2WI4mMDDI_-jO3wmeDAT5zljc5kT3Q6Z&index=2&t=0s
@swangodesigns
I FUCKING LOVE YOUR MUSIC!!!!!
@RTKFilms
Ummmm everyone in that bus is more talented than the entire ensemble of the Grammy's this year....and basically every year for the past 15 yrs. Keep it going Marcus & friends!!!
@johnyvanweert6967
I agree
@williambennett6866
absolutely
@guitarocd9984
There was guitars at the Grammys this year but they were just used as props.
@ericholdsworth6611
You got that right my friend!!
@AslanW
The outro is fucking phenomenal both here and on the album version. Can't get enough!
@RickieBickie
Always thought it should be a song by itself it’s that good
@blakelangley7085
I agree. I wish it was a song of its own!