King of Piss and Paper
Revelations of a Paper King: Love, Fear, and Generation Blues
Lyrics
How can we sing about ourselves?
Questions how to express self-identity through song.
How can we sing about love?
Questions how to express love through song.
How can we not sing about love?
Asserts the necessity of singing about love.
Oh love, how can we not sing about ourselves?
Reflects on the intertwining nature of love and self-expression.
When the king is made of paper (the king is made of paper)
Metaphorically depicts the fragility and impermanence of authority by describing the king as made of fragile materials like paper and waste (piss).
And the king is made of piss (the king is made of piss)
Reiterates the metaphor of the king's material fragility.
The king is coming down the fucking wall
Suggests the imminent downfall or decline of this fragile authority.
I am a stranger to religion of fear
Claims not to adhere to a fearful form of religion.
I have no claim to the tears of the queer
States a lack of entitlement to the struggles of marginalized communities (queer individuals).
But I know it keeps the blind man's white cane near
Suggests an awareness of the significance of struggles (tears) for marginalized groups in society.
The blind man keeps the white cane near
Reinforces the importance of the blind man's tool (white cane) for navigation.
And now the king is made of paper (the king is made of paper)
Repeats the metaphor of the king's fragility.
And the king is made of piss (the king is made of piss)
Reiterates the metaphor of the king's material fragility.
The king is coming down the fucking wall
Reinforces the idea of the impending downfall or collapse of this fragile authority.
It was some self-fulfilling prophecy
Suggests a prophecy that has been fulfilled by human action or behavior.
And we just hung it up
Indicates the acceptance or acknowledgment of this prophecy.
Hung it up on the gossip tree
Metaphorically hangs the prophecy on a "gossip tree," implying its dissemination.
Saw a generation under me
Observes a younger generation experiencing distress, possibly due to societal issues.
Crying on the news
Highlights the sorrowful state of the younger generation as seen through media coverage.
Oh, I guess they have the blues
Suggests a casual dismissal or disregard for the younger generation's emotions.
Crying on the news
Repeats the emotional state of the younger generation seen through media.
Oh, I guess they have the blues
Reiterates the emotional state of the younger generation seen through media.
How can you not sing about love?
Raises a rhetorical question about the importance of singing about love.
How can we not sing about ourselves?
Reiterates the connection between self-expression and the necessity of singing about love.
How can we, how can we sing about ourselves?
Repeats the query about self-expression through song.
Oh no, how can we sing, sing about our love?
Expresses uncertainty about singing specifically about love.
When the king is made of paper (the king is made of paper)
Repeats the metaphor of the king's fragility.
And the king is made of piss (the king is made of piss)
Reiterates the metaphor of the king's material fragility.
The king is coming down the fucking wall
Reinforces the idea of the impending downfall or decline of this fragile authority.
And the king is walking away (the king is made of paper)
Suggests the departure of the fragile authority.
But the king is not our forest (the king is made of piss)
Emphasizes that this authority does not belong to the people or the natural world.
The king is coming down, down, down, down, down, down
Indicates the imminent downfall or collapse of this fragile authority.
To kill us all
Suggests the destructive nature or consequences of the authority's actions.
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