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Pavement’s cover of “No More Kings,” the Schoolhouse Rock! song about rejecting monarchy, makes a pointed soundtrack for a No Kings protest. Jennifer Sandlin called it a fitting accompaniment to the June 2025 protest; that is a critical interpretation, not evidence that organizers officially selected it as an anthem.
What is Pavement’s “No More Kings”?
It is Pavement’s cover of the song from the Schoolhouse Rock! “America Rock” series. The band’s official Bandcamp catalog lists the recording as “No More Kings (From Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks)” on Wowee Zowee (Sordid Sentinels Edition). The album edition is dated November 7, 2006, and the page offers a digital track purchase. The official album listing places it at track 48, with a duration of 4:23: Matador Records’ Pavement listing.
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Why does the song fit a No Kings protest?
The connection is direct: the recurring refrain rejects kings, while a No Kings protest invokes opposition to monarchical power. In her June 16, 2025 article, Jennifer Sandlin argued that the refrain made the song apt for that month’s protest. She describes Pavement’s version as grittier and more ironic than the original—an interpretation of its tone, rather than an official campaign designation.
There is also a fitting contrast in the cover itself. A song first made for children’s educational television reappears in a rougher indie-rock version, carrying a simple anti-king message into a contemporary protest setting. Bob Nastanovich’s explanation, as quoted in Sandlin’s account of an interview with In Loving Recollection host Brent Walburn, is refreshingly straightforward: “we loved the song. . . it was sort of an obvious one for us.”
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Where did the original song come from?
Sandlin reports that the original “No More Kings,” sung by Lynn Ahrens, first aired on September 20, 1975, as part of Schoolhouse Rock!’s “America Rock” series. Pavement’s cover appeared on the 1996 compilation Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks.
The original song tells a simplified story of colonial settlement and separation from Britain. That makes its refrain legible as a protest slogan, but the animated educational framing is not a complete account of colonial history. Its usefulness here is as a concise, memorable rejection of kingship—not as a substitute for historical context.
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Was it officially the No Kings protest anthem?
The available account supports calling Pavement’s recording a fitting or “perfect” protest anthem as a matter of commentary. It does not establish that organizers formally adopted the song or selected it as an official anthem. Sandlin’s reference concerns a June 2025 protest; it does not establish the date, organizers, or schedule of any 2026 No Kings event.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where can you listen?
Pavement’s Bandcamp listing for Wowee Zowee (Sordid Sentinels Edition) includes the track and offers a digital purchase. The album listing from Matador Records identifies it as track 48.
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