Editor’s note: TDMB is reposting great music from the early days of the site. This was originally posted on April 20, 2012 and some of the details are out of date. The original video was much better, but was taken down.
Roger Miller’s “King of the Road” was a big hit in 1964. It has the old sensibilities: Homelessness is far from a tragedy. Riding the rails–a hobo’s life–is all about freedom. It’s quite
Whatever. It’s a great song. Here is a terrific cover by The Proclaimers, twins from Scotland. They did it for the soundtrack of a 1990 movie called The Crossing.
Other songs from The Proclaimers include I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) and I’m On My Way, which was a hit from the soundtrack of Shrek. The band’s website says that a new album, Like Comedy, will be released on May 7, though its unclear whether that’s the U.K. release date, the date for the U.S. or both.
Miller’s version of King of the Road is colorful and fun. Other songs include Dang Me and Chug-a-Lug. (Clearly, he was Roger Miller, not Arthur Miller.) Here he sings Old Friends with Willie Nelson at Farm Aid in 1985.
