Thursday Lyric: "Love Lust," King Charles

King Charles is a quirky bloke. Fair warning if you go to look him up. I saw him open for Mumford & Sons on tour in the fall of 2010. Attempting to maintain my place in the packed floor crowd 3 rows from the stage, I wasn't paying attention but was looking at my sister when her eyes widened and she got a funny smile on her face. 


"What?" I said.
"Oh, you missed it. Fabio in a french revolutionary's uniform just came out to the stage for a second." 


I laughed. But he did come out again, and quietly picked up his guitar as the crowd talked loudly, slopped their drinks, and tried to manipulate a closer spot by pretending they were "just meeting my girlfriend/boyfriend/friend in the front row." Cheers, Vancouver. You stay classy. Worst. crowd. ever.


If you can be unassuming with enormous dreadlocks tied up in a pompadour, and a (rather tight) antique french military costume, King Charles was. He struck a chord on his electric guitar, and several deep voices yelled out standard homophobic slurs. He stopped, smiled gently, hitched up his pants and said naively "do you like how tight my pants are?"


This little wink of self-awareness got the real humans in the crowd on his side, and a small roll of laughter ran through the crowd. He started with his song "Ivory Road," and then played this song, ending with a rewritten cover of Billy Joel's 'We Didn't Start The Fire', which is worth looking up. In addition, his full debut album will hit the charts on May 7.


I love this song for its unapologetic, unrestrained confession of love and the truth of love. It seems a bit of a misdirect at first, but listen and follow the lyrics and you'll hear it.


Never let a woman go 
even when you know she can always be replaced. 
She can always be replaced.



Never let a woman go 
even when you know she can always be replaced. 
She can always be replaced.




Oh, Lust only grows like anger and revenge 
Oh, beauty comes and goes but love stays until the end.


I wrote you a song, Mississippi Isabel 
I even sent you flowers when you felt ill 
You’ve the strength of the Greeks 
You are God’s masterpiece 
You're every triumph, every victory 
I believe in every breath you breathe.


And I always imagined you’d be by my side 
Whether I’m hiding in the city or tearing through the wild 
You’re only a yoke, a noose on my throat 
If your beauty is a fortress 
then my love will be the moat.


Oh, fall in love with you,
Fall in love with you, I must. 
I’ll consume every part of you 
to indulge my love lust.


Never let a woman go 
even when you know she can always be replaced. 
She can always be replaced.


Oh, Lust only grows like anger and revenge 
Oh, beauty comes and goes but love stays until the end.


Never let a woman go even when you know


With a guitar in my hand or a gun in my hand, 
I’d give it all up for your hand in my hand. 
For the sun on my skin as the morning begins, 
I'd die in the dark just to feel your skin on my skin.




Never let a woman go even when you know


Young soul! 
Young love! 
Young blood! 


Treasure every beating heart that sets your soul on fire. 
Love will set your soul on fire. 
Love will set your soul on fire.