King for A Day
a. martelli/p. limiti Lyrics
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Keep me alive
Point me away from you
And hope I arrive
Put up a monument
Remember my name
Will you shine up my memory
When it's all that remains
Build me a castle
And throw a parade
Put my name in stone
So the words don't fade
Start a religion
And name it for me
Build me a city
And give me the key
I'm king for a day
I can do no wrong
I'm king for a day
'till the next one comes along
Heros are wonderful
I'm first to admit
But out here past the sun
That doesn't help me a bit
When you wake up tomorrow
I'll be light years away
But you'll find some other hero
To be kind for a day
{repeat chorus}
I won't wake up
Cold sleepin' in zero-g
There's nothin' else here that I can see
I get this feeling that I'm not alone
It's in the air, I feel it in my bones
{chorus}
Oh I won't wake up
And I won't turn around
I won't open my eyes
And I won't make a sound
Don't make a sound
There's nothin' else here, the instruments say
If I don't open my eyes will it go away
Oh, I won't wake up
There's nothin' out here, that's what they all say
If I don't open my eyes, will it go away
{repeat chorus}
I won't wake up
The song "King For A Day" by A. Martelli/P. Limiti is a reflection on the ephemeral nature of fame and heroism, and the ultimate inability to escape the passage of time. The singer, speaking from a place beyond our solar system (presumably in space), suggests that though fame may be fleeting and ultimately meaningless, the desire for it is nonetheless compelling. The lyrics of the song suggest that the singer desires to be remembered for his achievements, to be immortalized in the annals of history, and to be celebrated like a king, if only for a day. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, each time emphasizing the temporary nature of this feeling of triumph and highlighting the inevitability of a successor to the throne.
The song's lyrics present a character that aims for immortality by being remembered by future generations. He dreams of elaborate celebrations, monuments, cities or even a religion named after him. He acknowledges that this kind of recognition may indeed be fleeting, but it matters to him nonetheless, as it's the closest thing to true immortality he can get. The song ends on a poignant note, with the singer wondering if his fame and memory would indeed stand the test of time, echoing the sentiments of many a famous figure throughout history.
Line by Line Meaning
Make me a rendezvous
Arrange a meeting for me
Keep me alive
Ensure my survival
Point me away from you
Direct me away from you
And hope I arrive
And hope that I reach my destination
Put up a monument
Erect a statue or monument in my honor
Remember my name
Keep my name in memory
Will you shine up my memory
Will you keep my memory bright and strong
When it's all that remains
When it's the only thing left of me
{chorus}
Refrain
Build me a castle
Construct a castle for me
And throw a parade
And hold a procession
Put my name in stone
Engrave my name in stone
So the words don't fade
So that the words don't disappear over time
Start a religion
Establish a religion
And name it for me
And give it my name
Build me a city
Construct a city for me
And give me the key
And give me control or access to the city
I'm king for a day
I have supreme power for a day
I can do no wrong
I'm incapable of making mistakes
I'm king for a day
I have supreme power for a day
'till the next one comes along
Until the next person takes over as king
Heros are wonderful
Heroes are great
I'm first to admit
I'm the first to acknowledge
But out here past the sun
But in this distant location
That doesn't help me a bit
That doesn't assist me in any way
When you wake up tomorrow
When you wake up the next day
I'll be light years away
I'll be incredibly far away
But you'll find some other hero
But you'll discover some other hero
To be kind for a day
To be in a position of power for a day
{repeat chorus}
Refrain
I won't wake up
I won't wake up
Cold sleepin' in zero-g
Sleeping in zero gravity
There's nothin' else here that I can see
I can't see anything else here
I get this feeling that I'm not alone
I have a feeling that I'm not the only one here
It's in the air, I feel it in my bones
It's a sensation that I feel throughout my body
{chorus}
Refrain
Oh I won't wake up
Oh I won't wake up
And I won't turn around
And I won't look back
I won't open my eyes
I won't open my eyes
And I won't make a sound
And I won't make any noise
Don't make a sound
Don't make any noise
There's nothin' else here, the instruments say
The instruments indicate that there's nothing else here
If I don't open my eyes will it go away
If I don't open my eyes, will it disappear?
Oh, I won't wake up
Oh, I won't wake up
There's nothin' out here, that's what they all say
There's nothing out here, according to everyone
If I don't open my eyes, will it go away
If I don't open my eyes, will it disappear?
{repeat chorus}
Refrain
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: TONY CAREY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind