DT Corr: King of the Road (Roger Miller)

Subject: RE: DT Corr: King of the Road (Roger Miller)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 12:35 PM

That escaped early!

He repeats "Trailers for sale" in the fade out.

Subject: RE: DT Corr: King of the Road (Roger Miller)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Jan 17 - 12:31 PM

Listening to his record, I hear the first verse;

Trailer for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes

Ah, but two hours of pushing broom
Buys a eight by twelve, four-bit room
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road

Third boxcar, midnight train
Destination Bangor, Maine
Old worn-out suit and shoes
I don't pay no union dues

I smoke old stogies I have found
Short, but not too big or round
I'm a man of means by no means
King of the road

I know every engineer on every train
All of the children and all of their names
And every hand-out in every town
And every lock that ain't locked
When no one's around. I sing

Trailers for sale or rent...

Trailers for sale


This song has great natural, conversational words - I'm surprised to learn that it took a long time to write.

I do know people who don't like it - though I suspect it's the portrait of the singer - down-at-heel and inclined to dishonesty - that puts them off.

Subject: RE: DT Corr: King of the Road (Roger Miller)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 07:26 PM

KING OF THE ROAD
(Roger Miller)

Trailer for sale or rent,
Rooms to let, fifty cents.
No phone, no pool, no pets
I ain't got no cigarettes,

Ah, but two hours of pushing broom
Buys an eight by twelve, four-bit room
I'm a man of means, by no means
King of the road.

Third boxcar, midnight train
Destination Bangor Maine.
Old worn-out suit and shoes,
I don't pay no union dues.

I smoke old stogies I have found,
Short, but not too big around
I'm a man of means, by no means
King of the road.

[Bridge]
I know every engineer on every train
All of the children and all of their names
And every hand-out in every town
And every lock that ain't locked
When no one's around, I sing:
Trailer for sale or rent...

©1964, Tree Publishing Company

Source: Sing Your Heart Out, Country Boy, by Dorothy Horstman (1975, 1996, Country Music Foundation Press, Nashville), page 366

Roger Miller's comments about the song:

You know, it's funny. One night in a motel in Phoenix, Arizona, I wrote "Dang Me" in just a few minutes. It took me six weeks to write "King of the Road." I was driving from Davenport, Iowa, to Chicago, and somewhere along the way I saw a sign on the road which read, "Trailers for Sale or Rent," and for some reason that phrase stuck in my mind. It wasn't until later, in Boise, Idaho, that I really sat down and made something out of it....although I had to induce labor to get it completed. I got stuck after the first verse, so I went out to a Boise store and bought a statuette of a hobo. I sat and stared at it until the rest of the tune came to me.

I typed what's in the book - but, like Jeri, I hear "all of their children, and all of their names" on the Roger Miller recording.

Subject: RE: DT Corr: King of the Road (Roger Miller)
From: Jeri
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 07:22 PM

The bridge above is a little wrong:

I know every engineer on every train
All of their children and all of their names

Subject: DT Corr: King of the Road (Roger Miller)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jan 17 - 07:14 PM

Here are the Digital Tradition lyrics for this song. I think they could use a little work.

KING OF THE ROAD
(Roger Miller)

Trailers for sale or rent,
Rooms to let-- fifty cents
No phone, no pool, no pets
Ain't got no cigarettes,
Ah, but two hours of pushing broom
Buys an eight by twelve four-bed room
I'm a man of means, by no means
King of the road.

Third boxcar, midnight train
Destination, Bangor Maine.
Old worn-out suit and shoes,
Don't pay no union dues,
I smoke old stogies I have found,
Short, but not too big around
I'm a man of means, by no means
King of the road.

    I know every engine on every train
    All of the children, all of their names
    Every handout in every town
    And every lock that ain't locked when no-one's around,

(repeat 1'st verse)

Copyright Tree Publishing Co. and Music Square West
@hobo
filename[ KINGROAD
TUNE FILE: KINGROAD
CLICK TO PLAY
RG