"Here Comes the King" is a well-known advertising jingle written for Budweiser, whose slogan is "The King of Beers." Budweiser is the flagship brand of the Anheuser-Busch brewery.
Copyrighted in 1971, the music and lyrics are by Steve Karmen,“The Jingle Man” by Steve Karmen Music Folio Book. "Here Comes the King," copyright 1971. Published by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation of Winona, MN & Milwaukee, WI. Publication date: 1980. who also wrote six other jingles for Anheuser-Busch. The song is often heard as the theme for the brand's winter-themed TV commercials featuring the Budweiser Clydesdale horses pulling the Budweiser beer wagon.
"When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All" Another Budweiser jingle, "When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All," also with music and lyrics by Steve Karmen, was published a year earlier in 1970,“The Jingle Man” by Steve Karmen Music Folio Book. "When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All," copyright 1970. Published by Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation of Winona, MN & Milwaukee, WI. Publication date: 1980. and part of its lyric inspired "Here Comes the King."
The underlying instrumental is imitative of a stereotypical Bohemian polka band. Its style resembles the famous Coca-Cola jingle "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" in that it begins with a lone voice, joined by another singer, and eventually a choral group (Both songs can be heard on the CD, Tee Vee Toons: The Commercials). Many of the lines are punctuated at the end by a double drumbeat.
The award-winning anthem was a hit from the moment it first aired. Sonny & Cher recorded a song titled, "When You Say Love", written by two country songwriters using the tune of this jingle, and in 1972, it reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 2 on the Easy Listening chart. (Karmen successfully sued the songwriters for copyright infringement.Who Killed the Jingle? How a Unique American Art Form Disappeared by Steve Karmen. Pg 112 – 113. Copyright 2005. Published by Hal Leonard Corporation. Milwaukee, WI. ) In 1976 and 1977, the Budweiser company was sponsoring Lou Rawls's live shows, and Rawls could be heard at the time singing on television commercials for the company.The New York Times: Lou Rawls, Singer of Pop and Gospel, Dies at 72 by Ben Ratliff. January 7, 2006.
See also When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All 1977 Lou Rawls album Lou Rawls Live 1978 Lou Rawls live album, which includes a short performance of the original "When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All" jingle
References
External links TV commercial containing the "Here Comes the King" jingle. The original 1970 "When You Say Budweiser, You've Said It All" commercial