Released: September 5, 1989

Songwriter: Hiro Yamamoto Chris Cornell

Producer: Soundgarden Terry Date

[Verse]
I, I want to be a cowboy star upon the screen
And I, I want to drive my cowboy car across the screen
Oh hey and I, I want to write the magazines the housewives read
Oh and I, I want to be in control of everything

Oh, I want to be King, I want to be King
I, I want to make the toys you buy for Christmas Eve
I, I want to be the father of the ethnic child who stars on TV
I, I want to write the magazines the housewives read, yea read
Oh and I want all the leaders of the Third World to answer to me

I want to be King, yeah
I want to be King, yeah
So maybe now the Pope will bow and kiss my ring
I wanna be King
King
King
King
I said I want it
I need it
I wanna be King
I wanna be King
I wanna be King
Yes I do
I wanna be King
I wanna be King
I wanna be King

Soundgarden

One of the biggest rock bands out of Seattle, Soundgarden was formed in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band’s full-time drummer in 1986, while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. While one of the creators of the Grunge alternative rock and the first to sign to a major label, they only rose to stardom once the genre was popularized by Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains in the early 90s. After achieving great success with 1994’s Superunknown, the band decided to call it quits three years later due to internal squabbles. Eventually they reunited in 2010, releasing new album King Animal two years later. Frontman Chris Cornell committed suicide in a Detroit hotel room on May 17, 2017. He was 52 years old.

From the albums