who sings the original king of the road
King of the Road (song) "King of the Road" is a song written and originally recorded in November 1964 by country singer Roger Miller.[1] The lyrics tell of the day-to-day life of a vagabond hobo who, despite being poor (a "man of means by no means"), revels in his freedom, describing himself humorously as the "king of the road". It was Miller's fifth single for Smash Records.[2]
Route 66 (song) Nat King Cole, as the King Cole Trio, first recorded the song the same year and it became a hit, appearing on Billboard magazine's R&B and pop charts.[1] Another version to reach the Billboard charts was that recorded by Bing Crosby with the Andrews Sisters on May 11, 1946[2] and this reached the No. 14 position in 1946.[3] The song was subsequently recorded by many artists including Chuck Berry, the Rolling Stones, Them, Dr. Feelgood, Asleep at the Wheel, the Manhattan Transfer, Depeche Mode, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Cramps, John Mayer,[4] and George Benson.