The King is Dead Lyrics
We dance like New Year's Eve, we
We dance from sheer relief, whoa-oh
Everything must change
[Verse 1: Urthboy]
The people that you projected us as
We were nothing of the sort, sold us all short
Put down the champagne, no toast to the legacy
(No way) And all the propaganda of prosperity
That's what a machine does and they don't need therapy
You turned us into a nation of haters, far-right appeaser
Believer in whatever kept you leader
Dog whistle through the speakers, see who bites it
I noticed a hell of a lot of people liked it (That's right)
An ethical choice is simpler if you price it
Conquer by dividing, that's why you admired him?
Unless pushed we would never have retired him (No way)
Fuckin' pirate, history will damn him
Once it seemed like nothing could damage him
三十六计，走为上策 ([?])
Crook, you got your arse played in Mandarin ([?])
[Chorus: Jane Tyrell, Urthboy, Ozi Batla & Toe-Fu]
Finally the king is dead
We cried "Off with his head!" Everything must change
Everything must change, everything must change
We dance like New Year's Eve
We dance from relief, everything must change
(Nothing stays the same)
Nothing stays the same, oh (Nothing stays the same, oh)
Nothing stays the same, oh
Yeah
Cats I know are feeling this like the rapture (Yeah)
And I can tell who this mood is failing to capture (Chin up)
It's like somebody finally did light that match up
And burned down the parliament, learned from the argument
Can't be non-partisan, when you're an artist and
You put your heart in it, that's not even the half of it
Like my man said, we're talking butter and bread
Better if his words were never uttered again
Mostly vindictive, who could have predicted
Just a few tax breaks to keep us all addicted
The dickhead dictator, leader imitator (Imitator)
Made me feel immature when I said "I hate ya"
But did you read the paper the day after and hear the laughter?
I'll read it to you, it starts with M. McKew
And ends with you, no broader view
For the people on your ship who you used to call crew, ha
That's typical, now I guess it's difficult (Yeah)
For the type of person who only thinks of individual
No residual, you'll see our resilience
Take your bat and ball, and head for the pavilion
[Chorus: Jane Tyrell, Urthboy, Ozi Batla & Toe-Fu]
Finally the king is dead
We cried "Off with his head!" Everything must change
Everything must change, everything must change
We dance like New Year's Eve
We dance from relief, everything must change
Nothing stays the same
Nothing stays the same, oh (Nothing stays the same, oh)
Nothing stays the same, oh
We dance like New Year's Eve, we
We dance from sheer relief, whoa-oh
Everything must change
[Bridge: Jane Tyrell]
Just promise me this
No rose-petal glasses
Quickly cosign him
To part of our past
Just promise me this
No rose-petal glasses
Quickly cosign him
To part of our past
[Chorus (Extended): Jane Tyrell, Urthboy, Ozi Batla & Toe-Fu]
Finally the king is dead
We cried "Off with his head!" Everything must change
Everything must change, everything must change
We dance like New Year's Eve
We dance from relief, everything must change
Nothing stays the same
Nothing stays the same
Finally the king is dead
We cried "Off with his head!" Everything must change
Everything must change, everything must change Everything must change
We dance like New Year's Eve
We dance from relief, everything must change
Nothing stays the same
Nothing stays the same, oh (Nothing stays the same, oh)
Nothing stays the same, oh
Everything must change
Nothing stays the same, oh
Nothing stays the same, oh, whoa-oh
Everything must change
About
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
We’d spent most of our adult lives under the conservative, backward policies of John Howard. We started seeing young people emerge out of that time with the same kind of mean-spirited fearfulness of ‘others’ and it all came to a head with the war on terror and this hysterical response to asylum seekers. Howard sold half the country off and a whole lot of middle class and wealthy people got rich and kept voting him in. We hated him and everything he stood for (apart from his gun buyback after the Port Arthur massacre) so this song was a massive celebration and a middle finger to his legacy.
Urthboy, Elefant Traks News (Elefant Traks, 21.03.2021).
The song, written as a response to John Howard’s loss in the 2007 election to Kevin Rudd, continues to resonate as Howard’s legacy is still being felt now. The two Liberal PMs that came after him have continued a downward spiral to the mire of appealing to the electorate’s more base prejudices and have continued with his hateful divisiveness along the lines of climate change, asylum seekers, law and order and pretty much any cause worth fighting for. The song also lives outside of that particular point in history and speaks to a wider celebration of the passing of any unjust regime. In its essence, it’s a hopeful protest song and I think that hopefulness and joy is its key.
Rok Poshtya, Elefant Traks News (Elefant Traks, 21.03.2021).
- 1.2020
- 3.The King is Dead
- 6.A Few Things
- 7.Pearl
- 8.My Home
- 9.Zug Zug
- 10.Emergency
- 11.Toorali
- 12.Black & Blue
- 14.The Next Movement (Missing Lyrics)
