King for a Day

(Moulding)

#\#i#/#King For a Day#\#/i#/# single cover art

King For a Day single cover art

 Recordings
XTCfans interview with Colin Moulding
Art
Lyrics
Chords and Tablature
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Recordings

  1. Album version, 3'36.
    Released on Oranges & Lemons.
    Released in April 1989 as a single in the U.K.
    Reached top ten on the U.S. alternative / modern rock charts.
    Andy: “This is one of the three songs Colin wrote [for Oranges & Lemons]. All of them are rather down and dark but put to jolly music, which makes them even more poignant. The song's about ass-licking and making a fool of yourself just to get fame and riches and success. The song's a commando knife, dark and cutting. That's a guess at what it's about but I have seen the files and photographed them with my bow-tie camera so it's an educated guess.”
  2. Promotional video, 3'33 [black and white] (Lion version).
    Directed by Tony Kaye.
    Filmed at West Way Studios, Shepherd's Bush, London, on 14 April 1989.
    Ian Gregory performs the role of drummer in the video.
    Distributed by Geffen in the U.S.A. on 21 June 1989.
    Released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.

  3. Promotional video, 3'33 [colourised].
    Not commercially released.
    Distributed by Geffen in the U.S.A. on 21 June 1989.

    Andy: “Like all records, it reflects your state of mind at the time - we wanted to do a big bright noisy record. Our version of music for driving with the top down.”
  4. 12" version, 7'15.
    Produced by Paul Fox. Engineered by Ed Thacker.
    Released in April 1989 as a single in the U.K.
    Also released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  5. Czar Mix, 6'30.
    Additional production and remix by Ivan Ivan for I-Squared, Inc.
    Engineered by Daniel Abraham.
    Additional keyboard programming by Joe Moskowitz.
    Edited by Chep Nuñez.
    Released in July 1989 as a CD single in the U.S.A.
    Also released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  6. Versailles Mix, 5'07.
    As "King for a Day (Czar Mix)".
    Released in July 1989 on the King for a Day CD single in the U.S.A.
    Also released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  7. I Dub Thee Sir Mix, 6'10.
    As "King for a Day (Czar Mix)".
    Released in 1989 on the King for a Day 12" promotional single in the U.S.A.
  8. Demo version.
    Recorded in the front bedroom, No. 2 Dolphin Cottages, Wanborough, in January 1985.
    Engineered by Colin Moulding.
    Mixed by XTC.
    Released on 25 March 2002 on Coat of Many Cupboards in the U.K.
    Colin Moulding - All instruments and Vocals
  9. 2015 stereo mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the CD/Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  10. 2015 5.1 mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  11. 2015 instrumental mix.
    Mixed and produced by Steven Wilson from the original multi-track tapes.
    Released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.
  12. Demo version (2015 mix/edit).
    Recorded in the front bedroom, No. 2 Dolphin Cottages, Wanborough, in January 1985.
    Engineered by Colin Moulding.
    Released on the Blu-ray reissue of Oranges & Lemons on 30 October 2015 in the U.K.

[Thanks to Doug Bailey]

Art

#\#i#/#King For a Day#\#/i#/# crown-shaped CD single

King For a Day crown-shaped CD single

 #\#i#/#King for a Day#\#/i#/# promotional 12-incher

King for a Day promotional 12-incher

 Japanese #\#i#/#King For a Day#\#/i#/# CD single

Japanese King For a Day CD single
picture from inside of Japanese #\#i#/#King For A Day#\#/i#/# CD single

picture from inside of Japanese King For A Day CD single

 picture from inside of Japanese #\#i#/#King For A Day#\#/i#/# CD single

picture from inside of Japanese King For A Day CD single

 label from the Virgin Philippines #\#i#/#King for a Day#\#/i#/# 7" single

label from the Virgin Philippines King for a Day 7" single
#\#i#/#King for a Day#\#/i#/# 12" single test pressing

King for a Day 12" single test pressing

 #\#a href="http://youtu.be/depsFULhqV8" target="churl"#/#“King For a Day” promotional video, version 1 (black & white)#\#/a#/#

“King For a Day” promotional video, version 1 (black & white)

 #\#a href="http://youtu.be/dqBXZmmnbTY" target="churl"#/#“King For a Day” promotional video, version 2 (solarised)#\#/a#/#

“King For a Day” promotional video, version 2 (solarised)
#\#a href="http://youtu.be/Q3xOZjnZjZQ" target="churl"#/#“King For a Day” unplugged, #\#i#/#Post Modern MTV#\#/i#/#, May 1989#\#/a#/#

“King For a Day” unplugged, Post Modern MTV, May 1989

 #\#a href="http://youtu.be/00ELxYWgXmQ" target="churl"#/#“King for a Day” live on #\#i#/#Late Show with David Letterman#\#/i#/#, June 30, 1989#\#/a#/#

“King for a Day” live on Late Show with David Letterman, June 30, 1989

 #\#a href="http://youtu.be/00ELxYWgXmQ" target="churl"#/#“King For A Day” performed live on #\#i#/#The Late Show with David Letterman#\#/i#/#, 1989#\#/a#/#

“King For A Day” performed live on The Late Show with David Letterman, 1989
#\#a href="http://youtu.be/00ELxYWgXmQ" target="churl"#/#“King For A Day” performed live on #\#i#/#The Late Show with David Letterman#\#/i#/#, 1989#\#/a#/#

“King For A Day” performed live on The Late Show with David Letterman, 1989

 #\#a href="http://youtu.be/00ELxYWgXmQ" target="churl"#/#“King For A Day” performed live on #\#i#/#The Late Show with David Letterman#\#/i#/#, 1989#\#/a#/#

“King For A Day” performed live on The Late Show with David Letterman, 1989

 #\#a href="http://youtu.be/00ELxYWgXmQ" target="churl"#/#“King For A Day” performed live on #\#i#/#The Late Show with David Letterman#\#/i#/#, 1989#\#/a#/#

“King For A Day” performed live on The Late Show with David Letterman, 1989
#\#a href="http://youtu.be/00ELxYWgXmQ" target="churl"#/#“King For A Day” performed live on #\#i#/#The Late Show with David Letterman#\#/i#/#, 1989#\#/a#/#

“King For A Day” performed live on The Late Show with David Letterman, 1989

   [THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

Lyrics

  Everyone's creeping up to the money god, putting tongues where they didn't ought to be, on stepping stones of human hearts and souls, into the land of "nothing for free."
  Well the way that we're living, is all take and no giving, there's nothing to believe in, the loudest mouth will hail the new found way, to be king for a day.
  Everyone's licking up to the new king pin, trying to get way up with a smile. Sing for your supper boy and jump to a finger click, ain't my way of living in style.
  'Cause the ladder gets longer, and ambition gets stronger, I can't satisfy the hunger, that bad old moon has got you in its sway, to be king for a day.
  You're only here once so you got to get it right. (No time to fuss and fight.) 'Cause life don't mean much if measured out with someone else's plight. (In time you'll see the light.)
  'Cause the way that we're living, is all take and no giving, there's not much to believe in, the loudest mouth will hail the new found way to be king for a day.

© 1989 Virgin Music (Publishers) Ltd.

Chords and Tablature

Date: Sat, 24 Sep 2016 16:04:33 -0400
From: "J. D. Mack" <jdmack01 (at) verizon dot net>
Subject: Something for the Chalkhills website
Message-id: <6a2b0d1f-9508-602f-eb91-c715a1d83220 (at) verizon dot net>

Attached is a labor of love I've been working on for the past few weeks. It is bass guitar transcriptions for all of the songs on "Oranges and Lemons" - both notation and tab.

Thanks!

J. D.

Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 15:01:43 +0200
From: "christer liljegren" <kokerskan.3 (at) telia dot com>
Subject: Chords to King for a day
Message-Id: <199910101307.PAA20158 (at) d1o1 dot telia dot com>


Hi, glad to be on this site, just a few words about the chords. On Bbsus4,
Bb6 and Abmaj7 you may use left thumb to be able to take the notes on
the low E-string and at the same time to mute the A-string (Andy and
Dave use this "technique" on these types of chords all the time).  Good
luck!
Christer Liljegren
Stockholm,Sweden

KING FOR A DAY (Moulding)

CHORDS:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Bbsus4     Gm      Ab      Bb6     Ab/Bb   Cm7     Abmaj7  Bb6/Ab
        6       3       4       6       4       3       3       3
        6       3       4       8       4       4       4       3
        8       3       5       7       5       3       5       3
        8       5       6       8       6       5       6       3
        x       5       6       x       x       3       x       x
        6       3       4       6       6       x       4       4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
     Bb6/Ab     Bb    Abmaj9/C  Bb/D    Ab #4   Ab add9
        3       6       3       x       4       -------11-
        3       6       4       6       4       ----11----
        3       7       3       7       7       -13-------
        3       8       6       8       6
        x       8       3       5       6
        4       6       x       x       4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Fm7     F/G     G7sus4  G7
        4       5       3       3
        4       6       3       3
        5       5       5       4
        3       5       3       3
        x       x       5       5
        x       x       3       3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Intro
II: Bbsus4  /  Gm  /  Ab  Bb6 / / / / /  Bbsus4  /  Gm  Ab  Bb6 / / / / / :II

Bbsus4        Gm      Ab/Bb    Bb6
   Everyone's creeping up to the money god,........
Bbsus4    Gm                         Ab/Bb             Bb6
   putting tounges where they didn't ought to be,........
Bbsus4           Cm7        Ab       Bb6
   on stepping  stones of human hearts and souls,........
Bbsus4     Gm       Ab/Bb         Bb6
   into the land of "nothing  for free".

             Abmaj7    Bb6/Ab           Gm      Cm7
Well the way that...............we're living,........
         Abmaj7    Bb6/Ab       Gm      Cm7
is all take and..................no giving,........
            Abmaj7   Bb    Gm        Cm7
there's nothing    to believe in,........
      Abmaj7    Bb            Abmaj9/C     Bb/D        Ab #4
the loudest     mouth will hail the         new found way,........
                   II: Bbsus4   /   Gm   /   Ab/Bb   /   Bb6   /  /  /  /  /
:II
to be king for a day.

Bbsus4          Gm      Ab/Bb     Bb6
   Everyone's licking up to the new king pin,........
Bbsus4       Gm        Ab/Bb     Bb6
   trying to get way up with a smile........
Bbsus4             Cm7                 Ab/Bb     Bb6
   Sing for your supper boy and jump to a finger click,.......
Bbsus4      Gm       Ab/Bb   Bb6
   ain't my way of living in style.

                Abmaj7    Bb6/Ab        Gm       Cm7
'Cause the ladder...................gets longer,........

          Abmaj7   Bb6/Ab           Gm         Cm7
and ambition....................gets stronger,.........
           Abmaj7    Bb       Gm       Cm7         Abmaj7   Bb
I can't satis    -   fy the hunger,.........
       Abmaj7   Bb          Abmaj9/C    Bb/D   Ab #4    Ab add9
that bad old    moon has got you        in its   sway,.................
                     I Bbsus4 / Gm / Ab/Bb /  Bb6  / / /  / / I
to be king for a day.
                     I Bbsus4  /  Gm  /  Fm7  /  F/G / I

Cm7                                                           G7sus4    G7
   You're only here once so you got to get it right................
      G7sus4    G7         Cm7...........
(No time to    fuss and fight.)
..Cm7
   'Cause life don't mean much if measured out with
G7sus4  G7      G7sus4          G7
someone else's plight.
               (In    time    you'll see -
                 Abmaj7
    -     the light.)      Bb6/Ab            Gm     Cm7
'Cause the way that.............. we're living,........
         Abmaj7    Bb6/Ab       Gm      Cm7
is all take and..................no giving,........
            Abmaj7   Bb    Gm        Cm7
there's nothing    to believe in,........
      Abmaj7    Bb            Abmaj9/C     Bb/D        Ab #4
the loudest     mouth will hail the         new found way,........
                      I Bbsus4   /   Gm   /   Ab/Bb   /   Bb6   / / / / /
etc.
to be king for a day.
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