Heaven

Album: King (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The first single from alternative rock band O.A.R.'s seventh studio album, King finds frontman Marc Roberge railing against those who pass judgment on people on the basis of religion. Roberge penned this rocking reggae effort after taking a break to be with his wife, who was recovering from cancer. The song was released on June 7, 2011 on Wind-Up Records.
  • When we spoke with Marc Roberge in 2014, he talked about the line "I don't want to go to heaven if I can't get it."

    "I just realized at some point that I got kind of sick and tired of everybody out there having rules about getting into a club or getting into heaven or getting into anything," he explained. "When, really, all it has to do with is living your life and being strong, so that when it's time to go, you've done your best. If they don't want me, I don't really want to be there."
  • The song was the last track recorded for the album and came from a beat - jokingly titled "New O.A.R." - that Roberge's brother-in-law played for him in October 2010. "Flash forward six months," Roberge told Billboard magazine, "and the album is pretty much done and I said, 'Let's do one more.' We were flipping through demos, and I had a demo of this beat and what I had tried singing over it just for fun, and everyone said, 'Man, this is something.' So we bounced ideas back and forth, and we just knew something that we felt told the entire story of this character and this album. It began in the driveway, and it ended with O.A.R. in the studio cutting it, just 'cause it felt right. It's funny how things like that always fall into your lap at the last minute."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Boz Scaggs

Boz ScaggsSongwriter Interviews

The "Lowdown" and "Lido Shuffle" singer makes a habit of playing with the best in the business.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

Richie McDonald of Lonestar

Richie McDonald of LonestarSongwriter Interviews

Richie talks about the impact of "Amazed," and how his 4-year-old son inspired another Lonestar hit.

Protest Songs

Protest SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know your protest songs (including the one that went to #1)?

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And Scandals

Top American Idol Moments: Songs And ScandalsSong Writing

Surprise exits, a catfight and some very memorable performances make our list of the most memorable Idol moments.