King of the Hill

Zoo Freaks, get ready for some righteous vibes as The Zoo Crew spins "King of the Hill" by Roger McGuinn featuring Tom Petty from the album Back From Rio. This track, released in 1991, is a gem with some wild stories behind it. According to interviews, the song was inspired by John Phillips of The Mamas & The Papas, with McGuinn and Petty drawing from Phillips’ autobiography. The lyrics, like “In a green Gucci bag are your prized possessions,” hint at Phillips’ struggles with addiction, specifically referencing his heroin kit. Petty confirmed this in a discussion, noting how he and McGuinn bonded over the book’s raw honesty before crafting this tune. The song’s narrative paints a vivid picture of a high-roller’s downfall, with lines about a “high lonesome sound” and “blood on the wall” evoking a dramatic crash from grace.

Another cool tidbit comes from the song’s music video, directed by Julien Temple. It tells a story of a businessman tied to the savings and loan scandal of the late ‘80s, with a newspaper headline flashing a financial firm’s collapse. The video ends with text stating, “The looting of the savings and loan industry will cost the American people $500 billion over the next fifty years,” tying the song’s themes to real-world greed and corruption. Fans on Songfacts have also speculated about the “she” in the chorus, with some linking it to Phillips’ daughter, Mackenzie, though the song’s broader metaphor of retribution—possibly symbolized by Nemesis, the goddess of vengeance—adds layers of intrigue. An early take from 1987, shared by McGuinn on X in 2018, shows the raw energy of the track before it hit its polished form on Back From Rio.

Now, let’s rewind to how Roger McGuinn got his start. Born James Joseph McGuinn III on July 13, 1942, in Chicago, he was a teenage folk music prodigy. His parents, both in journalism, wrote a bestselling book, Parents Can’t Win, but young Roger was hooked on music after hearing Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel.” He picked up a guitar and soon enrolled at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music, mastering the five-string banjo and 12-string guitar. By the late 1950s, he was gigging at coffeehouses and got hired as a sideman for acts like the Limeliters and the Chad Mitchell Trio. In 1962, Bobby Darin tapped him as a backup guitarist and harmony singer, bringing McGuinn to New York’s Brill Building to write songs for $35 a week. This hustle led to the formation of The Byrds in Los Angeles, where McGuinn’s jangly 12-string Rickenbacker sound defined folk-rock hits like “Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Turn! Turn! Turn!”

McGuinn’s career is a tapestry of collaborations with legends like Bob Dylan, whom he joined for the Rolling Thunder Revue in the mid-’70s, and Tom Petty, whose Heartbreakers backed “King of the Hill.” His influence stretches from The Beatles to R.E.M., and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with The Byrds in 1991. You can keep up with McGuinn on his official website, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Fans also gather at sites like Byrds Flyght, a dedicated fan page with deep dives into his work, and the Byrds Fans Facebook group, where Zoo Freaks can connect over McGuinn’s timeless sound. So, crank up “King of the Hill” and let those 12-string riffs take you higher!