"King of the World" is the eighth and final track of the 1973 Steely Dan album Countdown to Ecstasy. It explores the search for any sort of human companionship following a nuclear war. The speaker is addressing any possible listeners on his "old ham radio", requesting that they come and see him so that they can share their last days with another person. In typical Steely Dan fashion, the lyrics are often difficult to grasp, including passing allusions to marigolds, cobalt and the promised land.
