"The King and Queen of America" | ||||
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Single by Eurythmics | ||||
from the album We Too Are One | ||||
B-side | "See No Evil" | |||
Released | January 1990 | |||
Recorded | September 1988 | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 4:31 | |||
Label | RCA Records | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
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Eurythmics singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart - The King and Queen of America (Official Video)" on YouTube |
"The King and Queen of America" is a song recorded by pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart with Jimmy Iovine. The track appears on their album We Too Are One and was released as the album's third UK single in January 1990.
The song's music video showed Lennox and Stewart in a variety of costumes and settings which parodied various aspects of American pop culture, including a game show host and hostess, singing cowboy and cowgirl à la Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, and Ronald and Nancy Reagan.
Although not released as a single in the United States, "The King and Queen of America" received a fair amount of airplay on MTV.
Speaking to the Chicago Tribune in 1989, Lennox spoke about the song and its message:
"It's an angry song that stems from one of my pet hates, which is the cult of personality. In America in particular, people want to invite the media into their living rooms and show off their love lives. The couple in the song are completely sold on all the glittering icons that are supposed to mean success and the attainment of the American dream. I'm very curious about what success is and wonder why people won't look at it more critically." [1]
Chart (1990) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA) [2] | 72 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [3] | 33 |
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles) [4] | 73 |
Ireland (IRMA) [5] | 23 |
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [6] | 33 |
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [7] | 38 |
UK Singles (OCC) [8] | 29 |
West Germany (Official German Charts) [9] | 51 |
Eurythmics were a British pop duo formed in 1980, consisting of Scottish vocalist Annie Lennox and English musician and producer Dave Stewart. They were both previously in the Tourists, a band that broke up in 1980. They released their first studio album, In the Garden, in 1981 to little success, but achieved global acclaim with their second album, Sweet Dreams (1983). The title track became a worldwide hit, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, and number one in Canada and the US Billboard Hot 100. Eurythmics went on to release a string of hit singles and albums, including "Love Is a Stranger", "There Must Be an Angel " and "Here Comes the Rain Again", before splitting in 1990.
"Love Is a Stranger" is a song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. Originally released in late 1982, the single was commercially unsuccessful, but it was re-released in 1983, reaching the UK top 10. The single was re-released again in 1991, to promote Eurythmics' Greatest Hits album.
"Sisters Are Doin' It for Themselves" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics and American singer Aretha Franklin. A modern feminist anthem, it was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and featured on both Eurythmics' Be Yourself Tonight (1985) and Franklin's Who's Zoomin' Who? (1985) albums. The duo originally intended to perform with Tina Turner, who was unavailable at the time and so they flew to Detroit and recorded with Franklin instead. The track also features three of Tom Petty's Heartbreakers: Stan Lynch on drums, Benmont Tench on organ, and Mike Campbell on lead guitar, plus session bassist Nathan East.
"Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their second album of the same name in January 1983. It was their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo worldwide. It reached number two on the UK Singles Chart in March 1983, and number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 six months later; it was their first single released in the US.
"Who's That Girl?" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics, released as the lead single from their third studio album, Touch (1983). It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart.
"Right by Your Side" is a 1983 song by the British pop duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, and produced by Stewart. The track was released as the second single in the UK from Eurythmics' third album Touch.
"Here Comes the Rain Again" is a 1983 song by British duo Eurythmics and the opening track from their third studio album Touch. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song was released on 12 January 1984 as the album's third single in the UK and in the United States as the first single.
"Sexcrime " is a song written and performed by the British duo Eurythmics. It was released as the first single from their album 1984 , which served as the soundtrack to the film Nineteen Eighty-Four, an adaptation of the novel of the same name by George Orwell. The song was produced by Dave Stewart.
"Would I Lie to You?" is a song written and performed by British pop duo Eurythmics. Released on 9 April 1985 as the lead single from the band's fourth studio album, Be Yourself Tonight (1985), the song was the first by the duo to feature their change in musical direction from a predominantly synthpop style to rock and rhythm and blues. The song, and its accompanying album, featured a full backing band and relied less on electronic programming.
"It's Alright (Baby's Coming Back)" is a song written and recorded by the British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was released as the fourth and final single from their 1985 album Be Yourself Tonight. The song was produced by Dave Stewart, and the song's brass arrangement was devised by Michael Kamen.
"When Tomorrow Comes" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox, David A. Stewart and guest keyboardist Pat Seymour. With this single and its parent album Revenge, Lennox and Stewart continued with the rock and R&B sound from their previous album Be Yourself Tonight.
"Thorn in My Side" is a song by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was released as the second single from the duo's fifth studio album, Revenge (1986). Written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, the song is a cast-off to an unfaithful lover. "Thorn in My Side" was produced by Stewart.
"The Miracle of Love" is an electropop ballad recorded by British duo Eurythmics. It was written by Eurythmics members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The track was released as the third single from the duo's sixth album Revenge in the UK. It was not released as a single in the United States.
"Beethoven (I Love to Listen To)" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics, released on 12 October 1987 as the lead single from their sixth studio album, Savage (1987).
"Shame" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song appears on the duo's sixth studio album Savage and was released as the second single in the UK. "Shame" was not released in the United States.
"I Need a Man" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. Taken from their sixth album, Savage (1987), the song was released in May 1988 by RCA Records as the third single in the UK and the first single in the United States.
"Revival" is a 1989 song by the British pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart, along with keyboardist Pat Seymour and vocalist Charlie Wilson who also sang backing vocals for the track. Produced by Stewart and Jimmy Iovine, it was the first single to be released from Eurythmics' 1989 album We Too Are One.
"Don't Ask Me Why" is a song recorded by British pop music duo Eurythmics, released as the second single from their seventh album, We Too Are One (1989). The song was written by bandmembers Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart with Jimmy Iovine. In the US, it was released as the first single from the album. It is a lush pop song with melancholy and bitter lyrics which describe the ending of a love relationship. In it Lennox tells the subject "don't ask me why / I don't love you any more / I don't think I ever did".
"Angel" is a song by British pop duo Eurythmics from their seventh studio album, We Too Are One (1989). It was written by band members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart and Jimmy Iovine. The song was released as the album's fourth UK single on 23 April 1990, and would be the duo's final single for almost a decade. It was also released as the second single from the album in the United States.
"(My My) Baby's Gonna Cry" is a song recorded by pop music duo Eurythmics. It was written by group members Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart and produced by Stewart. The song appears on the duo's album We Too Are One.