King of the Road is a 1965 country song written and performed by Roger Miller. It was recorded on November 3, 1964 and released as a single in January 1965 from the album The Return of Roger Miller, with the B-side Atta Boy Girl. The lyrics humorously tell the story of a traveling hobo who revels in freedom and proclaims himself the “king of the road,” opening with the line inspired by a roadside sign that reads “Trailers for sale or rent.” The song was a crossover hit, reaching number one on the US Country chart, number four on the Billboard Hot 100, and topping charts in the UK and Norway; it runs 2 minutes and 28 seconds and was released on Smash Records. It won five Grammy Awards in 1966, including Best Contemporary (R&R) Single and Best Country and Western Single, and Miller also won Best Country and Western Album for The Return of Roger Miller. The tune has endured through covers by R.E.M. and The Proclaimers, and Rolling Stone ranked it No. 60 on its list of the 200 Greatest Country Songs of All Time.
