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.
Devil’s Land
The Marcus King Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Father, said he's here to take my land
Half of my whole life
trying to keep my head above water
look of this man
lord he's here for my slaughter
But i wont have to feel no pain,(7)
if I dont wait for tomorrow(8)
I met the devil this morning
he came knocking at my front door
he had a bible in his left hand
asked me what my life was worth living for
I'm just a honest man
trying to live off my land
keep on feeding my family
look at this man
trying to take it from me
(repeat 2nd verse)
The Marcus King Band's song Devil's Land is a story about a man who is confronted by a stranger who claims to be there to take his land away. The man is hesitant and confused as to who this person is and why he wants his land. He has worked hard to keep his head above water but is now being threatened with the loss of the source of his livelihood. The man feels like this is the end of the line for him and accepts that he might die, but he is not going to wait for tomorrow to face his fate. The chorus of the song talks about how the devil has come to take his land away and the man is terrified by the thought of it. The devil asks him what his life is worth living for and the man, being an honest and hardworking person, says he wants to live off his land and feed his family. The man feels that the devil is trying to take away everything that he has worked for, and it is a scary and uncertain time for him.
The song is a powerful commentary on the struggles of the ordinary man and how hard it is for them to keep their livelihoods intact. The man in the story is confronting a situation that is beyond his control, and he has to face the reality of the situation. He fears losing everything he has worked for, but he is not giving up without a fight. The lyrics are a reminder that sometimes we have to fight for what we believe in, and that we should never give up hope in times of difficulty.
Line by Line Meaning
Father, who is this man?
The singer is asking their father to identify the man who has arrived to take their land.
Father, said he's here to take my land
The father confirms that the man has come to take their land, causing distress to the singer.
Half of my whole life
The singer has spent a significant portion of their life struggling to survive.
trying to keep my head above water
The artist is working hard to stay afloat financially and maintain their way of life.
look of this man
The artist is noticing the man's appearance and demeanor, potentially feeling intimidated or wary.
lord he's here for my slaughter
The singer fears that the man is there to completely destroy and ruin their life.
But i wont have to feel no pain,
The singer believes that they can avoid pain and suffering by taking action against the man.
if I dont wait for tomorrow
The artist believes that taking immediate action is key to avoiding future pain and loss.
I met the devil this morning
The artist encountered someone who they see as evil and threatening, potentially referring to the man who arrived to take their land.
he came knocking at my front door
The artist encountered the devil or the man at their home, causing alarm and disruption.
he had a bible in his left hand
The man who arrived to take the singer's land is posing as a righteous or moral authority, potentially using religion to justify his actions.
asked me what my life was worth living for
The man questioned the artist's existence and values, possibly in an attempt to break down their resistance and gain control.
I'm just a honest man
The singer sees themselves as truthful and transparent, trying to live a good life.
trying to live off my land
The singer's livelihood and sustenance are tied to their property, making the threat of losing it even more significant.
keep on feeding my family
The singer is motivated by the need to provide for their loved ones, adding an emotional layer to their response to the man's arrival.
look at this man
The artist is still observing and studying the man's behavior, trying to understand him and his intentions.
trying to take it from me
The artist believes that the man is attempting to rob them of their property and everything they hold dear.
Contributed by Aubrey W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.