Growing up in Shelton, Connecticut, frontman Coley O'Toole cited the rock music of Neil Young, Elton John, Supertramp, and the Doors along with the energy of the mid- to late-1990s Connecticut music scene as having a great influence on him.
In 2006, after a decade of playing in various projects based in Connecticut, O'Toole formed the Queen Killing Kings with drummer Jon Scerbo. The duo was met with praise in the local venues and media.
With performances in Los Angeles and New York City, the band's initial success was extended beyond the local area, gaining them industry attention. After entering the Manhattan's Pyramid Studios to record what would become their debut album, former Hot Rod Circuit member and O'Toole's childhood friend Joe Ballaro joined the band on bass. Scerbo left the band early in the recording process, prompting O'Toole to bring in former Hot Rod Circuit drummer Dan Duggins. After signing to Wind-up Records, Zac Clark joined to play Fender Rhodes and organ, making the band a quartet.
The band's debut album, Tidal Eyes, was released digitally by Wind-up Records on July 14, 2009.[1]
Warden
The Queen Killing Kings Lyrics
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We’re all innocent men
Tell the state we need pardon
For many things we never did
Tell my wife I’m waiting for parole
Tell my kids I’m not a criminal
Take me on a walk out in the yard
Where talking with the Priest and the Doctor, the Warden and the Driver from the Coroner’s office
Same old story from the warden
Your conviction still stands
Don’t tell me you have forgotten
You killed your wife and your kids
All my nights I’ve waited for their ghosts
To tell them I am not a criminal
And did I go crazy in the dark?
How many years have I been locked up in this place?
Where talking with the Priest and the Doctor, the Warden and the Driver from the Coroner’s office
And the Guards are taking me to a chamber, room full of strangers
What could this mean?
Everyone was looking ‘round, they watched the clock counting down
What could this be?
Suddenly I start to choke, the room is filling up with smoke
What could this mean?
The Queen Killing Kings's song Warden is a haunting and emotional exploration of the experience of imprisonment, and the ways in which the justice system can fail those who are caught in its grip. The song centers around the story of a man who is locked up in prison, despite his claims of innocence. He speaks of the same old story from the warden, who insists that his conviction still stands and that he is guilty of killing his wife and kids. However, the man insists that he is not a criminal and that he has been waiting for his family's ghosts to come and tell him so.
Throughout the song, the man speaks of the ways in which he is cut off from the world outside of prison. He asks his wife to tell their kids that he is not a criminal, and wonders how many years he has been locked up in this place. He also describes a chilling scene in which he is taken to a chamber full of strangers and begins to choke on smoke, leaving the listener to wonder what is happening and what it all means.
Line by Line Meaning
Same old story for the Warden
The Warden has heard similar stories many times before
We’re all innocent men
We claim to be innocent
Tell the state we need pardon
We demand justice and exoneration
For many things we never did
We are falsely accused of committing crimes
Tell my wife I’m waiting for parole
Inform my spouse that I am anticipating early release
Tell my kids I’m not a criminal
Assure my children that I am not guilty of the charges against me
When the guards come and pull me from the dark
When the prison authorities extract me from my cell
Take me on a walk out in the yard
Escort me outside for some fresh air
Where talking with the Priest and the Doctor, the Warden and the Driver from the Coroner’s office
We are conversing with various personnel associated with the prison
Same old story from the warden
The Warden repeats his previous statement
Your conviction still stands
You have not been exonerated or cleared of wrongdoing
Don’t tell me you have forgotten
Do not assert that you did not commit the criminal offenses
You killed your wife and your kids
You are convicted of double homicide
All my nights I’ve waited for their ghosts
I have been anticipating visions or apparitions of my slain family
To tell them I am not a criminal
To convince them that I am not guilty
And did I go crazy in the dark?
Did I become mentally unstable due to my confinement in solitary confinement?
How many years have I been locked up in this place?
What is the span of time that I have been incarcerated here?
And the Guards are taking me to a chamber, room full of strangers
The prison guards are escorting me into a room occupied by unknown people
What could this mean?
What is the significance of this event?
Everyone was looking ‘round, they watched the clock counting down
The onlookers were observing their surroundings and watching the clock's ticking
What could this be?
What is the nature of this occurrence?
Suddenly I start to choke, the room is filling up with smoke
I abruptly begin to wheeze, and the space is becoming polluted by smoke
What could this mean?
What is the significance of this event?
Contributed by Isabella P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.