I Was the King, I Really Was the King

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I Was the King, I Really Was the King is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Animals That Swim. It was released in June 1996 on Elemental Records. The album was recorded in 1995–1996 at Intimate Studios in London and runs 42 minutes and 19 seconds. Dare Mason produced it. The title comes from a line in the book This Is Orson Welles. The singles were "The Greenhouse" (February 1996) and "Faded Glamour" (May 1996). The album sits between Workshy (1994) and Happiness From a Distant Star (2001) in the band’s discography.

Reception was mixed to positive. AllMusic’s Ned Raggett said the album progresses naturally from Workshy with more energy and a pop-friendly feel, praising The Longest Road and Del Crabtree’s trumpet for giving the sound a distinctive identity. Q magazine’s John Harris felt the record was more polished than the debut but highlighted tracks like Faded Glamour, Kitkats and Vinegar, and The Greenhouse, commending Hank Starrs’s lyrics and the band’s musicality. Vox’s Mark Beaumont called it a solid improvement on Workshy, noting stronger melodies and pointing to The Greenhouse and East St O’Neill as standout tracks, and suggesting the band could become real pop stars.