Whether you’re a staunch royalist or fervently against it, you have to admit there are some great songs that mention kings, queens, princes, sultans, and the like.
So, if you wear a metaphorical crown or think you deserve a throne, you’ll love these rich songs about royalty!
Contents
- Dancing Queen – ABBA
- Sun King – The Beatles
- Viva la Vida – Coldplay
- Two Princes – Spin Doctors
- Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
- Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears
- Royals – Lorde
- Castle – Halsey
- Rain King – Counting Crows
- Love Story (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
- Queen Jane Approximately – Bob Dylan
- Kings and Queens – Aerosmith
- Poison Prince – Amy Macdonald
- Queens Don’t – RaeLynn
- King of Sorrow – Sade
- Queen – Shawn Mendes
- King Harvest (Has Surely Come) – The Band
- Queen – Jessie J
- King of Wishful Thinking – Go West
- Prom Queen – Molly Kate Kestner
- Queen of the Supermarket – Bruce Springsteen
- King of Pain – The Police
- Queen of California – John Mayer
- Killer Queen – Queen
- Queen Bitch – David Bowie
- King Midas in Reverse – The Hollies
- Queen of My Double Wide Trailer – Sammy Kershaw
- King of the Hill – Johnny Cash
- Crown – Camila Cabello and Grey
- Queen – Loren Gray
- Kings & Queens – Mat Kearney
- Queen of Pain – The Cramps
- King – Lauren Aquilina
- Royalty – Conor Maynard
- Mississippi Queen – Mountain
- King – Years & Years
- Queen – Ne Yo
- Paper Crown – Alec Benjamin
- Queen of My Heart – Westlife
- The March of the Black Queen – Queen
Dancing Queen – ABBA
This was chosen as the single for the album Fernando, as ABBA knew it would be a big hit. It’s about a young dancer who is the queen of the dance floor as she mesmerizes everyone with her moves. It hit number one in the UK, US, and 12 other countries.
Related: Celebrate the weekend with these TGIF songs.
Sun King – The Beatles
John Lennon wrote this song, which he claimed to have dreamed up. It’s possible he was also inspired by a book of the same name about France’s Louis XIV. The song is quite abstract and talks about a “Sun King” going somewhere. There is also a section that is a confusing mix of Spanish and Italian.
Related: See more songs inspired by books.
Viva la Vida – Coldplay
This song comes from the album of the same name. The title ‘Viva la Vida’ means “long live life” and was inspired by a Frida Kahlo painting. The lyrics tell the story of a king who loses his kingdom as his people all turn on him. It shows what happens when people get fed up with their leaders and feel the need to act against them.
Related: Get inspired by these songs about art and creativity.
Two Princes – Spin Doctors
The protagonist here tries to convince the woman he loves to marry him—a poor prince—instead of a wealthier counterpart. The song’s original version was quite fast, but the slower version that ended up being released was a big hit for Spin Doctors.
Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
The “sultans” of this track are guys who listen to music at clubs after work. They are there to enjoy themselves rather than get caught up in the image of the band that is playing. This song marked a change in the music style of choice at the end of the 1970s. Check out more from the British rockers on our Dire Straits songs list.
Related: Enjoy more songs about remembering good times.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears
Tears for Fears sings of the downsides that can come with wanting world power in this darkly themed yet catchy hit. It was the group’s first US number one hit; ‘Shout’ followed it at the same position only two months later.
Related: If you want to rule an empire, you might enjoy these songs with power in the title.
Royals – Lorde
Lorde was inspired by royals of the past when writing this track. The lyrics use royalty as a metaphor to criticize the hyper-consumerism presented in the majority of modern hip-hop songs. Despite their cleverness and complexity, the lyrics took Lorde only 30 minutes to write at the age of 16.
Castle – Halsey
Halsey is fed up with her life and lack of privacy as a celebrity in this track. The song also finds Halsey criticizing patriarchal society and her powerlessness for getting some privacy back in her life. The royalty imagery used throughout could also find Halsey squaring up against her record label.
Rain King – Counting Crows
‘Rain King’ was inspired by the book Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow. The song refers to the book’s main character and the inspiration lead singer Adam Duritz felt from reading it. This was one of the first songs Counting Crows experimented with in live performances; they often extended the song and improvised it when playing it live.
Related: Grab a blanket and enjoy our list of rain music.
Love Story (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s real life inspired this twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet tale. At one point, she was dating a guy her parents thought was creepy. It turned out he was, but Swift thought he was wonderful at the time. The guy in question may be Joe Jonas, who Swift dated around the time that the song was written.
Related: Here are more popular song titles with love in them.
Queen Jane Approximately – Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan sings somewhat sympathetically of a woman caught up in a superficial lifestyle. If this woman is willing to spend time with someone who is more authentic and willing to help her change her life, Dylan invites her to come to see him.
Related: Hear more songs that start with the letter Q.
Kings and Queens – Aerosmith
Steven Tyler imagines he lived in medieval times with this track, singing of the darker, more violent part of this time of history rather than the shinier part. Aerosmith has rarely performed this track live, as it is one of their most challenging songs to adapt to live performance.
Related: Want to hear more truth-inspired hits? Check out these songs about historical figures.
Poison Prince – Amy Macdonald
Here’s a song written about Pete Doherty. Amy Macdonald said that the song highlights her mixed feelings, where she loves The Libertines and Doherty from a musical standpoint but not the broken life of Doherty himself: “I tell you this my Poison Prince, you’ll soon be knocking on heaven’s door.”
Queens Don’t – RaeLynn
This song is an empowerment anthem by RaeLynn. It encourages listeners to be confident enough to see themselves as queens regardless of who they are or their social status. While it was written with women’s empowerment in mind, it also serves as an encouraging track for anyone who needs to see their own worth.
Related: Build yourself up with the best women empowerment songs.
King of Sorrow – Sade
Sade speaks to herself in the third person in this track as she seems to face an internal battle. She seems to mourn a past version of herself that was happier and less riddled with negative and conflicting emotions. She wishes she could escape her bad feelings and hopes her future isn’t as bleak as it seems.
Related: Feelings go up and down. Enjoy the ride with the best emotion songs.
Queen – Shawn Mendes
According to Shawn Mendes, the “queen” of this track is anyone who thinks they are above others. This person seems to be loved by others, but Mendes can see through this woman’s facade.
King Harvest (Has Surely Come) – The Band
The Band tells the story of a farmer who joins a union in this piece. The union promises to be there for him but never lives up to its word. It serves as a fictional snapshot of a time when unions began to change the face of work for many.
Related: Are you a workaholic? Here are the best songs about getting a job.
Queen – Jessie J
Jessie J has said that she intended this to be a women’s empowerment anthem for all her female listeners. She tells them that she and they are beautiful inside and out and need to remind themselves of this, so they get what they deserve in life.
Related: You deserve the best songs about self worth.
King of Wishful Thinking – Go West
‘King of Wishful Thinking’ featured in the 1990 film Pretty Woman. After a breakup, the protagonist has fallen victim to wishful thinking, convincing himself things will be fine between him and his love interest. The song has a happy song despite its sad theme, giving it an almost wishful feeling itself.
Related: Listen to more Pretty Woman soundtrack songs.
Prom Queen – Molly Kate Kestner
This song shows the dark side of being a popular ‘Prom Queen.’ Molly Kate Kestner shows listeners what it’s like as the protagonist’s beauty deteriorates while she holds on to her past glory. The song plays on ‘God Save the Queen’ and reminds you that even those whose lives seem perfect might be hiding something horrible you would never envy.
Queen of the Supermarket – Bruce Springsteen
The actual glory of supermarkets inspired this song for Bruce Springsteen. In the lyrics, a guy has a crush on the cashier at a supermarket. The song also sends a message about finding hope and beauty in unexpected, overlooked places.
Related: Rev up your wallet. We’re listening to songs about buying things!
King of Pain – The Police
Sting calls himself the “king of pain” in this track, which was largely autobiographical; he was splitting from his first wife and arguing with the other members of The Police at the time it was written. He channeled the loneliness and darkness he was dealing with into the song.
Related: Splitting up hurts. Here are some divorce songs to help you through it.
Queen of California – John Mayer
This song is an ode to the early 1970s and the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, known at the time for its bohemian vibes that influenced LA rock musicians of the day. On a larger scale, the song is about finding hope in a new era and getting over past hurts.
Related: Check out this playlist of California songs.
Killer Queen – Queen
At its heart, this song is about high-class people and how they can act in questionable ways, the same as lower-class individuals. This was the first Queen song to hit the charts outside the UK. Its lighter sound compared to the band’s typical harder rock songs may be responsible for its popularity.
Queen Bitch – David Bowie
This is a tribute to the Velvet Underground, who were among David Bowie’s idols. As a result, it imitates the band’s sound. It’s one of several tributes on Bowie’s 1971 album Hunky Dory. Lou Reed and Bowie performed this track together at Bowie’s 50th birthday party.
King Midas in Reverse – The Hollies
The Hollies refer to the legend of King Midas in this track, which finds its protagonist realizing everything he does never turns out right. While the band was quite proud of the song, it wasn’t a commercial success compared to some of The Hollies’ biggest hits.
Queen of My Double Wide Trailer – Sammy Kershaw
This song tells a country love story. The narrator meets a country girl that he falls in love with. According to the lyrics, sometimes she leaves him, and he has to find her again. He also leaves her to a man named Earl at one point. The song wasn’t expected to resonate with audiences but became a success for Sammy Kershaw.
King of the Hill – Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash advises anyone who wants to rise up in society with this track. According to Cash, looking out for yourself before others, working hard, and being in a healthy marriage seems to be key. As far as the lyrics go, a belief in having good luck seems to be important, as well.
Related: It’s your lucky day! Here are some songs about good luck.
Crown – Camila Cabello and Grey
This song appears on the soundtrack for the Netflix film Bright. It seems to be about chasing some kind of crown, which may be a metaphor for romance or passion based on the narrator’s mention of a third party and a mutual interest between the two people.
Queen – Loren Gray
Here’s an empowerment anthem from Loren Gray. It reminds listeners to think of their own worthwhile pursuing relationships in life, including the relationship with the self. The song also highlights Gray’s desire to unite her fans and motivate them to get through hard times.
Related: Celebrate yourself with these songs about being who you are.
Kings & Queens – Mat Kearney
Mat Kearney says he and his love can feel like rich royalty with their love for each other in this song. They don’t need any material possession to be happy; all they need is each other’s love. Kearney points out that nothing is as real as their feelings for each other.
Related: Head over to our playlist of true love music.
Queen of Pain – The Cramps
While the harsh lyrics of this track are somewhat abstract, they seem to be about a hurtful woman. The narrator seems to welcome the pain she inflicts, perhaps feeling deserving of it for some reason. Band members Poison Ivy and Lux Interior produced the song.
Related: Here’s our list of songs about being hurt by love.
King – Lauren Aquilina
Lauren Aquilina was inspired by a girl she knew who complained about her seemingly perfect life when writing this song. What started as a letter to this person ended up being a letter to Aquilina herself, encouraging herself to take control of her life if she wasn’t feeling happy.
Royalty – Conor Maynard
This song was meant to have a style inspired by jazz and swing music. Conor Maynard assures his love that they will live like royalty one day. Things are tough right now, but he will make sure that they have a wonderful and luxurious life one day. Maynard collaborated with Labrinth on the track, who co-wrote and produced it.
Related: Nobody likes being broke! But here are the best songs about losing money.
Mississippi Queen – Mountain
The narrator here meets a seductive woman. She teaches him things about love that he never knew before. They seem to become a couple by the end of the song. The lyrics also almost sound like they are about a river boat, much like ‘Proud Mary,’ which was a hit a year earlier.
Related: Take a road trip with these songs with states in the title.
King – Years & Years
Here we have a protagonist who feels controlled by someone. He wants this person to just let him go and be free. He feels addicted to the relationship but realizes it isn’t good for him, so the other party needs to end it, as he can’t trust himself to do so.
Related: See our playlist of music about addiction.
Queen – Ne Yo
Ne Yo meets a woman he is immediately infatuated with on this track. He asks if he should call her Queen since he is so enchanted by her. He reminds her to remember the worth he sees in her when others mistreat her and asks her to take him as he is to be her romantic partner.
Paper Crown – Alec Benjamin
Alec Benjamin sings of a female protagonist who has been hurt too many times in this track. She builds up new walls to protect herself, but she gets disappointed anyway. She seems to eventually learn to live alone. Royalty imagery helps build Benjamin’s case for this person protecting her precious kingdom, which seems to be her heart and soul.
Queen of My Heart – Westlife
‘Queen of My Heart’ seems to be about two young lovers. They go separate ways as they move on to the next stage of life. They promise each other to remember their love and meet one day again when it is time for their paths to cross again.
Related: Hang onto our list of the best songs about letting someone go.
The March of the Black Queen – Queen
Here’s a progressive rock track from Queen, which runs an impressive six minutes and 30 seconds long. While there is some disagreement about who or what the song is about, it seems to be about a queen without very high morals. It could even be about a pure, honest queen who lost her way.
More songs about royalty:
- Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run) – Billy Ocean
- Queen Bee – Rochelle Diamante
- Acid Queen – Tina Turner
- God Save the Queen – Sex Pistols
- One Night in Bangkok – Murray Head
- King for a Day – Thompson Twins
