All The Kings Men
The Wild Beasts Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Watch me! watch me!
The belle of the ball
My heart, my hand and everything I own

And we are the boys
With new shiny shoes
We've seen 'em all
And we've chosen you
Now no one will find your limit

Girls from Roedean
Girls from Shipley
Girls from Hounslow
Girls from Whitby
You're a candied queen
And let me show my darling what that means

Watch me! watch me!
Hatch me! hatch me!
A girl before
Bouncing round behind the bedroom doors

And we are the boys
Who'll drape you in jewels
Cut off your hair
And throw out your shoes
Cause baby, you won't need them, where you'll be

Girls astride me
Girls beneath me
Girls before me
Girls between me
You're birthing machines
And let me show my darling what that means

Hatch me! hatch me!
And baby, turns out I'm evil
In all my dreams, girls who'll clothe me
Girls who'll feed me
Girls who want me
Girls who need me




All you pretty things waiting for somebody
Number my babies and my broken body

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "All The Kings Men" can be interpreted as those of a man who is seducing a woman by promising her the fame and luxury associated with being a "candied queen." The man appears to be part of a group of boys who are looking for their next conquest and have chosen the woman as their target. They promise to provide her with everything she desires, including jewelry and a life of luxury, in exchange for her love and submission.


The lyrics suggest that the woman is objectified and viewed solely as a means to fulfill the man's desires. She is compared to a "birthing machine," indicating that the man sees her primarily as a source of sexual pleasure and reproduction. The line "girls who want me, girls who need me" further reinforces this notion of objectification, as the man seems to view the women as interchangeable and disposable. The final lines of the song are particularly chilling as the man suggests that he views himself as someone who will inevitably cause harm to those around him, numbering the "broken body" of his victims like so many trophies.


Overall, the lyrics of "All The Kings Men" are a disturbing exploration of power dynamics and the objectification of women. They suggest that the man singing the song is a predator who views women as objects to be controlled and exploited for his own pleasure.


Line by Line Meaning

Watch me! watch me!
Pay attention to me and what I'm about to do.


The belle of the ball
I am the most attractive and popular person here.


My heart, my hand and everything I own
I am offering you all that I have, including my love and commitment.


And we are the boys
Me and my group of friends are here.


With new shiny shoes
We are well-dressed and stylish.


We've seen 'em all
We have a lot of experience with girls and know what we want.


And we've chosen you
You are the one we want to be with.


Now no one will find your limit
With us, you can be free to explore your boundaries and indulge in pleasures without judgment.


Girls from Roedean
Girls from an exclusive school for girls.


Girls from Shipley
Girls from a different exclusive school for girls.


Girls from Hounslow
Girls from a working-class area in London.


Girls from Whitby
Girls from a seaside town in Yorkshire.


You're a candied queen
You are sweet and attractive like candy.


And let me show my darling what that means
Let me treat you like royalty and show you all the pleasures of the world.


Hatch me! hatch me!
Help me hatch my plan, and let's go through with it.


A girl before
Someone who was innocent and inexperienced in the world of pleasure.


Bouncing round behind the bedroom doors
Exploring sexually in private areas and being playful.


Who'll drape you in jewels
We will shower you in expensive gifts and adornments.


Cut off your hair
We will change your appearance and make it more fashionable.


And throw out your shoes
We will get rid of your old, worn-out things and replace them with better ones.


Cause baby, you won't need them, where you'll be
We will take you to a place where you won't worry or need anything, and all your needs will be met.


Girls astride me
Girls who are riding over me during sex.


Girls beneath me
Girls who are having sex with me from beneath.


Girls before me
Girls who are sexual partners of mine from before.


Girls between me
Girls who have sexual relationships with other people while still having a relationship with me as well.


You're birthing machines
You are capable of giving birth to my babies and creating my offspring.


And let me show my darling what that means
Let me show you how important and valuable you are as a durable partner.


And baby, turns out I'm evil
I'm not a good person, and I'm using you for my own pleasure without any regard for your feelings.


In all my dreams, girls who'll clothe me
In my dreams, I see girls who are pleasing me by dressing me nicely.


Girls who'll feed me
Girls who are going to feed me and take care of my needs.


Girls who want me
Girls who are obsessed with me and want me all to themselves.


Girls who need me
Girls who cannot function properly without my attention and affection.


All you pretty things waiting for somebody
All the young and attractive women who are waiting for someone to pick them up and fulfill their desires.


Number my babies and my broken body
Count the number of my offspring and the damage I've done to myself in pursuit of my pleasure.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jorge Abner Drexler Prada

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Pi4noBl4ck

Watch me! watch me!
The belle of the ball
My heart, my hand and everything I own

And we are the boys
With new shiny shoes
We've seen 'em all
And we've chosen you
Now no one will find your limit

Girls from Roedean
Girls from Shipley
Girls from Hounslow
Girls from Whitby
You're a candied queen
And let me show my darling what that means

Watch me! watch me!
Hatch me! hatch me!
A girl before
Bouncing round behind the bedroom doors

And we are the boys
Who'll drape you in jewels
Cut off your hair
And throw out your shoes
Cause baby, you won't need them, where you'll be

Girls astride me
Girls beneath me
Girls before me
Girls between me
You're birthing machines
And let me show my darling what that means

Hatch me! hatch me!
And baby, turns out I'm evil
In all my dreams, girls who'll clothe me
Girls who'll feed me
Girls who want me
Girls who need me
All you pretty things waiting for somebody
Number my babies and my broken body



All comments from YouTube:

Domino Recording Co.

We're honoured to present the debut single from Hayden Thorpe, Diviner. Watch the beautiful video, directed by Crowns & Owls, now: http://smarturl.it/DivinerYT

Sana🍌

I love how this song sounds like a love song in the beginning, but then transforms into something dark and twisted halfway through.

Simondo81

It's dark and twisted all the way through

jane wilson

This song is such a breath of fresh air for me. thankgod to the wild beasts!!!

water4sure

Still loving this song in 2021! and missing this band!

Catherine Snedden

Hayden is just so wonderful...I know he doesn't sing much on this song, but whatever he does sing, he sounds wonderful with his distinctive voice. He really does know how to use his voice to it's full potential, not like most frontmen of bands...

Ashley Jones

for some reason I can't get enough of the song

Kevin Commerford

For some reason? Haha song is amazing! You should catch them live. This song is a party.

NAVIGATE BLOCKCHAIN

So very amazing...

Lift Guy Lomax

Bought the album soon as I heard this, my favourite by far

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