The band rattled to the middle of the Hot 100 in 1966 with You're Gonna Miss Me, anchored by Roky Erickson's unforgettable yelping vocals, Stacy Sutherland's guitar, and Tommy Hall's electric jug runs. According to myth, Tommy's jug was tuned by the amount of marijuana stored in it.
The group pioneered some of the first garage psychedelia on its albums The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor Elevators 1966, and the followup Easter Everywhere 1967.
However, Texas at that time was an extremely conservative area that still hadn't come to terms with 50's rock 'n' roll. The authorities and the police set out to bust the entire band for pot (and—not surprisingly—succeeded).
Stacy Sutherland was jailed. To avoid a prison term, Roky pleaded insanity—a misguided ploy that landed him in Rusk State Hospital for the criminally insane for 3 years. That turn of events spelled the end of the band, although there was a posthumous 1968 LP, Bull of the Woods.
Roky Erickson was released from hospital in 1973 and embarked upon a successful solo career that resulted in a CBS album produced by Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival. During the 1980s he struggled with mental illness and withdrew from public life for many years. However, in the 2000s he has re-emerged with one of his late 70s/early 80s backing bands, The Explosives, playing regular gigs including the Austin City Limits festival in September 2005, as well as Coachella in California, the Hultsfred Festival in Sweden and Montreal World Film festival in Canada.
On May 31, 2019, Roky Erickson passed away.
Monkey Island
13th Floor Elevators Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Right in the middle of a zoo
Living home on monkey island, baby
Pretend to be a monkey too
Well, here I am on monkey island
Hiding behind a rock
I'm all dressed up with my monkey suit
Living home on monkey island, baby
Right in the middle of a zoo
Living home on monkey island, baby
Pretend to be a monkey too
Well there's one thing about these monkeys, baby
They don't know I'm around
But that's pretty good 'cause if they knew
They'll probably come and put me down
Living home on monkey island, baby
Right in the middle of a zoo
Living home on monkey island, baby
Pretend to be a monkey too
With my paisley tie and my one button suit
I'm about as close as I can get
I guess I must be doing okay
'Cause they haven't come and got me yet
Living home on monkey island, baby
Right in the middle of a zoo
Living home on monkey island, baby
Pretend to be a monkey too
The lyrics of 13th Floor Elevators' song Monkey Island describe a person's experience of living on a monkey island, pretending to be a monkey themselves. The song speaks to the idea of fitting in and belonging to a group, even if it means pretending to be something one is not. The lyrics mention the singer's monkey suit, which they wear to blend in with the other monkeys, and their fear of being discovered by the animals. The singer feels as if they are doing well because they have not been caught by the monkeys yet.
However, the lyrics can also be interpreted as a commentary on society and the pressure to conform. The singer may be speaking to the feeling of being an outsider and the desire to fit in, even if it means going to great lengths to do so. The mention of the rock behind which the singer is hiding suggests a sense of isolation and perhaps even fear of not being accepted by others.
Overall, Monkey Island is a song that speaks to the human desire to belong, even if it means hiding one's true self and conforming to societal norms.
Line by Line Meaning
Living home on monkey island, baby
The singer is residing in what seems like a monkey island or a space where monkeys thrive.
Right in the middle of a zoo
Within the zoo grounds, where both animals and humans interact.
Living home on monkey island, baby
The singer is comfortable in this monkey island and stays there like home.
Pretend to be a monkey too
The artist tries to blend in and act like a monkey as well.
Well, here I am on monkey island
The artist acknowledges and admits that they are on a monkey island.
Hiding behind a rock
The singer is trying to hide its true identity to resemble a monkey as much as possible.
I'm all dressed up with my monkey suit
The singer wears clothes that would help him blend in as one of the monkeys.
Pretending to be something I'm not
The artist pretends to be a monkey to fit in with the rest of the animals on the island.
With my paisley tie and my one button suit
Though the artist tries to pass off as a monkey, they still cling to their human characteristics like a paisley tie and a one button suit.
I'm about as close as I can get
Despite the artist's efforts, he acknowledges that he can never be a monkey.
I guess I must be doing okay
The singer thinks that he's fitting in well and has not been found out yet.
'Cause they haven't come and got me yet
The artist has not been attacked or ostracized by monkeys for not being one of them.
Well there's one thing about these monkeys, baby
The singer recognizes the monkeys and their traits.
They don't know I'm around
The singer is not distinguishable from the monkeys and coexist with them.
But that's pretty good 'cause if they knew
The singer acknowledges that if the monkeys find out that he's not one of them, he might get attacked and hurt.
They'll probably come and put me down
The artist thinks that the monkeys will attack and remove him from the monkey island immediately.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER WOLF, SETH JUSTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind