“King” by Florence + The Machine
Florence + The Machine’s “King” can be a bit confusing to understand, even with Florence Welch’s explanation of it already in tow. It was inspired by Florence coming to the realization, after years of reportedly not minding her gender in relation to her profession, that she is in fact a woman.
And as such, currently being 35 years of age yet “no mother” or “no bride”, the vocalist knows that by this point she only has a limited amount of time left to start a family. Or put more simply, the lyrics are premised on Welch’s biological clock ticking and thus her fertile years passing without capitalizing on the opportunity.
So with that in mind, what Florence may well be putting forth is that she doesn’t regret the sacrifices she made in the name of doing her thing. One of those sacrifices, as alluded to earlier, has been failing to start a family at what can be deemed a more ideal time or secure time to do so.
But that said, the vocalist is still able to cast gender roles, if you will, to the side by proclaiming that she is a “king”. And most simply explained, that’s another way of her saying that despite the fact she may not have accomplished the standard goals that most women idealize, she has still achieved success, very much so, nonetheless.
Facts about “King”
Being released on 23 February, “King” is the first track Florence + The Machine released for 2022.
The song was written and produced by Florence Welch in conjunction with noted American songwriter Jack Antonoff.
Autumn de Wilde served as the director of this song’s music video.
Florence + the Machine first teased this track a couple of days before its release.
At the time of its release, this song is not associated with any album.
I think you’re projecting a fair amount of yourself into your interpretation. Where is this apparent awakening of womanhood written into the lyrics or her explanation? She’s angry that society makes it a much tougher choice for her than it would for a man. She doesn’t even come to the conclusion that she wants to start a family, despite your interpretation that her biological clock is ticking. This song is about the messed up gender roles that essentially would force her to choice between a kid and her career. But the male performers she had emulated didn’t have to make that choice.