King Of Love

King Of Love
Written by Tommy Shaw, Will Evankovich, Lawrence Gowan
Lead Vocals by James Young and Tommy Shaw

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Wandering deserts all alone

Only in my dreams I've known

There's a place I can call home

Beyond my reach so far

If I were King of this ol' world

I'd fix the endless bickering

And stop the ways of the unkind

Help the sick, and try and cure the blind

Speaking of the king of love

Well, the noise and confusion are such a mess

The money and greed just gives us less

But I'm just the man to change that song

To write new words, to right all wrongs!

Speaking of the king of love

The king of love

Ain't no need to bow or kiss the ring

You don't need to worry about anything

Just take this love that I'm offering

To you. Yes. You

Ain't no need to bow or kiss the ring

You don't need to worry about anything

Just take this love that I'm offering

To you. Yes. You

If I were King of this ol' world

I'd fix the endless suffering

Smash to bits the war machine

A call for peace with my Queen

Speaking of the king of love

He can give you the stars up above

The king of love

All the things that you've been dreamin' of

The king of love

Here's to the king, the king of love

Interpretation

I dream of a world where love is supreme, with no more war, no divisive politics, and an end to disease, hunger, and poverty. If I were king of the world, I would not be greedy and power hungry. I would be known as the king of love.  

While not necessarily the intent of the song, from a Christian perspective, this song could be interpreted to be about Jesus Christ.

In 1922, Yvonne Beauvais, later known as Mother Yvonne-Aimée de Jésus, had a vision of Jesus speaking to her, saying "O Jésus, roi d'amour, j'ai confiance en ta miséricordieuse bonté", which in English is translated "Morning and evening say, O Jesus, King of Love, I put my trust in Thy loving mercy."  This became an invocation that eventually was adopted universally within the Catholic Church.  

While not necessarily being the inspiration behind the song, the title is fitting, nonetheless.  Specific to the lyrics of this song, there are some prophetic parallels:

Wandering deserts all alone, only in my dreams I've known, there's a place I can call home, beyond my reach so far.

For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ (Numbers 14:34)

Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” (Deuteronomy 34:4)

Some wandered in desert wastelands, finding no way to a city where they could settle. (Psalm 107:4)

My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. (John 14:2-3)

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Corinthians 5:1)

If I were King of this ol' world, I'd fix the endless bickering  and stop the ways of the unkind, help the sick, and try and cure the blind.

When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples 3to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. (Matthew 11:2-5)

Speaking of the king of love, well, the noise and confusion are such a mess, The money and greed just gives us less, but I'm just the man to change that song, to write new words, to right all wrongs!

For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:33a)

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. (1 Timothy 6:10)

You, Lord, hear the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

defending the fatherless and the oppressed, so that mere earthly mortals will never again strike terror. (Psalm 10:17-18)

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

Speaking of the king of love, the king of love, ain't no need to bow or kiss the ring. You don't need to worry about anything. Just take this love that I'm offering to you. Yes, you!

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:25-34)

 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

If I were King of this ol' world, I'd fix the endless suffering, smash to bits the war machine, a call for peace with my Queen.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isaiah 2:4)

And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. (Hosea 2:18)

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Micah 4:3)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. (Matthew 5:9)

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

Speaking of the king of love, He can give you the stars up above, the king of love. All the things that you've been dreamin' of, the king of love. Here's to the king, the king of love.

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37:4)