Adolphe Adam's Si j'étais roi (If I Were King) is one of the most stylish and tuneful works of the composer's later period, and one of his most enduring operas. Si j'étais roi captures, more so than any of his other works, Adam's natural theatrical sense and freshness of invention; the overture has remained an especially popular excerpt.

Si j'étais roi was written around 1852, when Adam was struggling to overcome massive debt. This economic dilemma began during his quarrels with the new director of the Opéra-Comique, Alexandre Basset, who vowed never to perform a work by Adam at his venue—thus eliminating the composer's primary source of income. At that point, Adam decided to open a third opera house in Paris, which required a financial investment of 550,000 francs; although it initially prospered, the outbreak of the revolution caused the Theâtre-National to close on March 26, 1848. This situation left Adam in such bad shape financially that when his 89-year-old father passed away the following month, he was unable to pay the funeral expenses. To meet with his responsibilities, he used his royalties to pay off his debts and took up working as a journalist for the Assemblée nationale and Le constitutionnel. It was during this time, that he composed Si j'étais roi for the Théâtre-Lyrique, where it was premiered on September 4, 1852.

With libretto by Adolphe Philippe d'Ennery and Jules Brésil, the plot of the opera involves a young fisherman who saves the life of a drowning princess and later, with the help of the King, is able to win her as his bride, despite the scheming interference of a wicked prince. The fantastic text and imaginative music make it a very charming work. The same year the opera was first performed, Adam finished clearing his debts and continued his employment as a journalist, even though it was no longer financially necessary. Before passing away in his sleep four years later, he composed an additional 11 operas.

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