| The King Is Gone (So Are You) | |
| Cover: | KingIsGoneGeorgeJones.png |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | George Jones |
| Album: | One Woman Man |
| B-Side: | Don't You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me) |
| Released: | April 29, 1989 |
| Genre: | Country |
| Length: | 3:22 |
| Label: | Epic |
| Producer: | Billy Sherrill |
| Prev Title: | I'm a One Woman Man |
| Prev Year: | 1988 |
| Next Title: | Writing on the Wall |
| Next Year: | 1989 |
"The King Is Gone (So Are You)", originally titled "Ya Ba Da Ba Do (So Are You)", is a song written by Roger D. Ferris, and recorded by American country music singer George Jones. It was released in April 1989 as the second single from the album One Woman Man.
The song is about a man who uses the occasion of a breakup to open a bottle of Jim Beam which is shaped like Elvis Presley, the head of the singer forming the bottle top. He further prepares for an evening of drinking by soaking the label off a Welch's jelly jar which has The Flintstones character Fred Flintstone, in order to better use it as a glass.[1] Filling the label-less jar up to "Fred's pelvis"—the middle of the jar—he drinks so much that, at 10:00pm, he begins to talk with each character (Fred and Elvis), regarding them both as his drinking buddies. The song continues by saying that the conversation eventually turns to women, with Elvis advising to, "find 'em young" and Fred saying, "Ol' fashioned girls are fun." This first phrase is an allusion to Presley's having started a relationship with his wife, Priscilla Beaulieu, when she was 14 years old. The second phrase is a reference to Fred Flintstone being a cartoon caveman.
It became a live favorite for Jones and was included on the 1994 Sony box set The Essential George Jones: The Spirit of Country.
Initially, the composition had been titled "Ya Ba Da Ba Do (So Are You)" but the song's publisher altered the title per the request of Hanna-Barbera, creators and owners of The Flintstones. Shortly after Columbia Records issued the single, they also re-issued the single with the original title covered up with a sticker and insisted that disc jockeys refer to the song by the altered title instead. Columbia Records also issued a press release indicating that Hanna-Barbera did not endorse the single.[1]
"The King Is Gone (So Are You)" charted on Hot Country Songs for 13 weeks starting in April 1989, peaking at number 26.[2]