King for a Day – English Lyrics

• By: Jamiroquai

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the story behind Jamiroquai's "King for a Day," a funk-infused track born from band turmoil. Explore themes of fleeting success and learn about the personal conflict that fueled its creation. Discover how this song captures the emotional aftermath of a band breakup and the sting of temporary power.

[English]

There's no way

I'm coming back to you

I've just got to say

That everything we did is through

You tried to undermine

The better ranges of my nature

But soon you're going to find

You should have started talking straighter

Now don't you worry

I won't put you down

I'm in no hurry, baby

To see you go to ground

Because it's true what they say

You know it's true what they say

You're only king for a day

I guess you're happy that way

Well there's no hope

For peace and reconciliation

You're quick to play your hand

But what you haven't learnt is patience

So look before you leap

To tell the world your coloured story

It's clear your talk is cheap

You'd do anything to get your glory

So spread your wings and fly

There is no doubt

You're so sorry inside you've got something to shout about

Because it's true what they say

You know it's true what they say

You're only king for a day

I guess you're happy that way

And there's no love

Ever to be lost between us

I guess this is because

The damage that you've done is so grievous

So I hang my head

To dwell on what might have been

But what you left instead

Is pieces of a broken dream

Now don't you worry

I won't put you down

I'm in no hurry, baby

To see you go to ground

Because it's true what they say

You know it's true what they say

You're only king for a day

I guess you're happy that way

So spread your wings and fly

There is no doubt

You're so sorry inside you've

Got something to, something to shout about

Because it's true what they say

You know it's true what they say

You're only king for a day

I guess you're happy that way

Don't you see that you're only king for a day

You must believe that.

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
undermine /ˌʌndərˈmaɪn/ B2	verb - to make someone or something gradually less strong or effective.
nature /ˈneɪtʃər/ B1	noun - the essential qualities or character of a person or thing.
straighter /ˈstreɪtər/ B1	adjective - more direct or honest.
worry /ˈwʌri/ A2	verb - to think about problems or unpleasant things that might happen in a way that makes you feel unhappy and frightened. noun - a feeling of anxiety about actual or potential problems.
king /kɪŋ/ A1	noun - a male ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth.
hope /hoʊp/ A2	noun - a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. verb - to want something to happen or be true, and usually have a good reason to think that it might.
reconciliation /ˌrekənsɪliˈeɪʃən/ C1	noun - the act of causing two people or groups to become friendly again after an argument or disagreement.
patience /ˈpeɪʃəns/ B1	noun - the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.
leap /liːp/ B1	verb - to jump a long way, or to jump high. noun - a long or high jump.
coloured /ˈkʌlərd/ B2	adjective - influenced or distorted by personal feelings or opinions.
cheap /tʃiːp/ B1	adjective - costing very little money. adjective - (of an action or remark) made or done with little effort and of little value or sincerity.
glory /ˈɡlɔːri/ B1	noun - high renown or honor won by notable achievements.
spread /spred/ B1	verb - to open out (something) so that it covers a larger area.
doubt /daʊt/ B1	noun - a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction. verb - to feel uncertain about or to lack conviction in (something).
grievous /ˈɡriːvəs/ C1	adjective - (of something bad) very severe or serious.
dwell /dwel/ B2	verb - to think, speak, or write at length about (a particular subject, especially one that is a source of unhappiness or anxiety).
broken /ˈbroʊkən/ A2	adjective - (of an object) fractured or damaged and no longer in working order. adjective - (of a promise or dream) not kept or fulfilled.
dream /driːm/ A1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, and sensations occurring in a person's mind during sleep. noun - a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal. verb - to experience a series of thoughts, images, and sensations during sleep.
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A1	verb - to accept (something) as true, or to regard (something) as true.
true /truː/ A1	adjective - in accordance with fact or reality.

Key Grammar Structures

• You should have started talking straighter

  ➔ Modal perfect (should + have + past participle)

  ➔ The structure "should have + past participle" is used to express regret or criticism about a past action. In this line, "should have started" indicates that the person failed to do something that was expected or correct in the past.

• It's true what they say

  ➔ Cleft sentence structure for emphasis

  ➔ The cleft sentence structure "It's true what they say" is used to emphasize the truth of a statement. The normal word order would be "What they say is true," but the cleft structure puts emphasis on "true."

• what might have been

  ➔ Modal perfect for hypothetical past situations

  ➔ The structure "might have + past participle" is used to talk about hypothetical situations in the past that did not happen. In "what might have been," it refers to possibilities that existed in the past but never materialized.

• You're only king for a day

  ➔ Present continuous with time expressions

  ➔ The present continuous tense "You're" combined with the time expression "for a day" indicates a temporary situation that is happening now but will not continue indefinitely. It emphasizes the limited duration of being "king."

• there's no love ever to be lost between us

  ➔ Existential 'there' with passive infinitive

  ➔ The structure uses "there's" (there is) with a passive infinitive "to be lost." This construction emphasizes that no love exists that can be lost between the speaker and the other person, highlighting the finality of their separation.

• I'm in no hurry, baby to see you go to ground

  ➔ Present continuous for current states

  ➔ The present continuous "I'm" is used here to express a current state or feeling rather than an action in progress. "I'm in no hurry" describes the speaker's current emotional state of patience or indifference.

• You'd do anything to get your glory

  ➔ Conditional with infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The contraction "You'd" (You would) expresses a conditional action, while "to get your glory" is an infinitive of purpose. The structure indicates what the person would hypothetically do in order to achieve a specific goal.

• Don't you see that you're only king for a day

  ➔ Negative imperative

  ➔ The negative imperative "Don't you see" is used to strongly urge someone to understand or realize something. It's more emphatic than a simple question and carries a tone of frustration or insistence.