The Most Serene Republic released its debut album, Underwater Cinematographer, in 2005 on the Arts & Crafts label. They are the first band on the A&C label that isn't related in one way or another to Broken Social Scene (though Ryan and Adrian perform sometimes in their live shows). They later released a tour EP in spring/summer of 2006, titled Phages, capturing more of the sweep of their live performances.
Originally formed in mid-2003 as a duo (Lenssen and Jewett) known as Thee Oneironauts (O-nye-rawn-nauts). The pair would quickly record and self-release an EP entitled Night of the Lawnchairs on Lenssen's GROK Studios imprint. The Oneironauts grew to trio status with the addition of Greaves on keyboard and guitar.
Their live shows are known for being extremely entertaining, and intense with dancing, and cramming so many sounds to overload the senses.
King Of No One
The Most Serene Republic Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Even in my sleep
Why don't they go away?
My reign ended a while back, a while back
Oh, my reign ended a while back, a while back
Oh, my reign ended
Running down the street
Before the front door takes a beat
Yelling, ?I am the king of no one?
The lyrics of "King Of No One" by The Most Serene Republic portray a sense of losing one's identity and feeling overwhelmed by the outside world. The opening lines, "Crowds of people are invading my mind / Even in my sleep / Why don't they go away?" suggest that the singer is being bombarded by thoughts and emotions from others, causing them to feel like they are losing control of their own mind.
The chorus, "My reign ended a while back, a while back / Oh, my reign ended a while back, a while back / Oh, my reign ended," reflects a sense of defeat and a loss of power that the singer once had. The repetition of "a while back" suggests that this loss has been ongoing for some time and has left the singer feeling lost and aimless.
In the second verse, the singer tries to break free from their internal struggles by taking action and "Running down the street / Before the front door takes a beat." The line "Yelling, 'I am the king of no one'" could be interpreted as a defiant statement, reclaiming some sense of power and identity despite feeling overwhelmed and defeated.
Overall, the lyrics of "King Of No One" explore themes of mental health, loss of identity, and the struggle to assert oneself in a world that can feel chaotic and overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
Crowds of people are invading my mind
My thoughts are swarmed by a multitude of voices and ideas
Even in my sleep
These thoughts persist even when I am unconscious
Why don't they go away?
I wonder why these thoughts refuse to leave me alone
My reign ended a while back, a while back
My time of power and control over my own mind has long passed
Oh, my reign ended a while back, a while back
I repeat and acknowledge that my ability to rule over my own thoughts has been lost for quite some time
Oh, my reign ended
The statement is repeated to emphasize the finality of the loss of control
I get up like it always does then I take it off
I go about my routine as usual, but I attempt to remove the burden of these unwanted thoughts
Running down the street
I am desperate to escape the thoughts that plague me
Before the front door takes a beat
I leave before anyone or anything can stop me
Yelling, ?I am the king of no one?
In a moment of frustration, I exclaim that I have lost the ability to rule over my own mind
Lyrics © ARTS & CRAFTS MUSIC INC DBA GALLERYAC MUSIC
Written by: ADRIAN JEWETT, RYAN LENSSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@royalavon
i remember when this came out! what an amazing cd....phages was a good ep too.... adore this song as well :)