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The Emperor

from Imaginary Friend by Steve Skaith Band

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about

This is a song about fame and the modern obsession with it. The verses are about the original 'King of Rock', Elvis Presley - he was born in Tupelo, Mississippi - and the chorus is about queues of young guys dreaming of being the next big thing - now more than ever with shows like Pop Idol, American Idol, The Academy. These shows are truly depressing. Watching industry figures (and I try not to) decide which singers fit the marketing formula is a perfect counter-revolution. Rock music began as a rebellion against the conservative and stifling culture of the 50's and early 60's and was led by the artists, not the marketing people. Whenever it is renewed (as it was by punk for instance) it is renewed by that same spirit and never by the Simon Cowells of this world. Its not that previous generations of singers didn't want to be famous. Many revelled in it and in fact it destroyed them (Elvis Presley actually being a good example.) But it does seem that all those stars started out through a love of what they were doing - singing, playing, acting. Nowadays fame seems to be an obsessive thing in itself: the Paris Hilton syndrome where singing songs and selling perfume amount to the same thing.

lyrics

THE EMPEROR
(Skaith / Jones / Serrano)

He had the keys to the city of Tupelo
He had the keys to the highway, you should see him go
And go he went and go he gone
Hope it’s not his return that you’re waiting on.

He had eyes like needles and they got you stitched
Had you calling a home run every time he hit
But the line went stale, the line went dead
It was nothing you did, it was nothing you said.

(Chorus)
Look at the corner, line of young bloods
Back of the studio crawling with studs
Trunk full of tinsel, sinkful of suds,
The emperor’s got new
The emperor’s got new
The emperor’s got new duds

He had eyes like needles and they got you stitched
Had you calling a home run every time he hit
But the line went stale the line went dead
It was nothing you did, it was nothing you said.

(Repeat Chorus)

The emperor’s got new duds
Got new clothes, new rags and tatters
Too late to shoot the tailor
Fames a jailor
Idol’s all that matters.
The emperor’s got new duds
Got new clothes, new rags and tatters
Too late to shoot the tailor
Fames a jailor
Idol’s all that matters.

(Repeat Chorus x2)

The emperor’s got new duds,
New clothes, new rags, new tatters
The emperor’s got new duds
Too late to shoot the tailor
Fames a jailor,
Idol’s all that matters.

credits

from Imaginary Friend, released October 1, 2007

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Steve Skaith Band UK

Steve Skaith was the singer and co-writer of the band Latin Quarter. When the band split up in 1998 Steve went to live in Mexico where he met and formed the Steve Skaith Band with Mexican musicians. Since returning to the UK in 2007, Steve Skaith has been playing with British musicians and has completed a forth album, entitled "Latin Quarter Revisited". ... more

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