She has also worked as a cultural ambassador for Torres Strait Islanders, and she is associated with the "Deadlys" - the national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, sport, entertainment and community awards.
Monkey & the Turtle
Christine Anu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
Hey which way Tuks
Come on over to my place
We got too much to do
You know time is a short space
But when we talk all day
You me yarn till we see
The morning light
Deadly weather for fishing today
Can't chanse the though of sleep away
Chase sleep away
Chase sleep away
Chase sleep away
I think the monkey's coming out to play
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
Feel slack when i wake up in the morning
Watching the tide it's always coming and going
Coming and going like good bad and old news
Like the monkey telling the turtle
What to do
Go fish go sleep go yarn thought the day
Monkey and the Turtles a yarn from long away
The Torres
The Straight
I talk about
With the sway of the trees in the breeze
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
Style - S-T-Y-L-E
Tah tah tah
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa
E heh heh
ahh tah tah tah ahh tah tah tah
E heh heh
E heh heh e heh heh
E heh heh e heh heh
The song "Monkey & the Turtle" by Christine Anu is a nostalgic celebration of friendship, storytelling, and the beauty of the Torres Strait. The song begins with two friends, Tuks and the singer, welcoming each other to hang out and catch up. They chat all day and all night until the morning light breaks, illustrating the depth of their connection. The first verse also makes reference to the weather being too dangerous for fishing, suggesting that the friends are enjoying each other's company as an alternative.
The second verse begins with the singer feeling "slack" in the morning, lamenting the cyclic nature of life like the coming and going of the tide. But then they begin to reminisce about the stories of the Monkey and the Turtle, traditional tales of the Torres Strait that are passed down through generations. Despite being an ancient tale, the singer says that the yarn between Monkey and the Turtle is "from long away," suggesting the story is still alive and well. The final verse is a playful spelling of the word 'style' and more chanting of the song's signature "E heh heh oooh oh hoh ya wa" refrain.
Overall, the song celebrates the importance of friendship, storytelling, and cultural heritage. It also showcases Christine Anu's rich voice and the unique culture of the Torres Strait.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey which way Tuks
Invitation to Tuks to come over to her place
Come on over to my place
Christine Anu invites Tuks to come over and hang out with her
We got too much to do
There are plenty of things to do when they hang out
You know time is a short space
They are aware that time is precious and limited
But when we talk all day
They lose track of time when they talk and hang out
And when we talk all night
They can talk endlessly without getting bored
You me yarn till we see
They have conversations until they see the morning light
The morning light
The time when they realize that they have been talking all night
Deadly weather for fishing today
The weather is not good for fishing today
Can't chanse the though of sleep away
They can't get rid of the thought of sleeping and taking a rest
Chase sleep away
They try to stay awake despite feeling sleepy
I think the monkey's coming out to play
They feel playful like a monkey and want to have fun
Feel slack when i wake up in the morning
They don't feel motivated when they wake up
Watching the tide it's always coming and going
They watch the tide and see the constant change in nature
Coming and going like good bad and old news
Change is inevitable like the news that comes and goes
Like the monkey telling the turtle
Similar to the story where the monkey leads the turtle
What to do
The monkey leads the turtle and tells them what to do
Go fish go sleep go yarn thought the day
Just like in the story, they fish, sleep, and converse throughout the day
Monkey and the Turtles a yarn from long away
The story of the monkey and the turtle is an old tale
The Torres
Referring to the Torres Strait
The Straight
A narrow passage of water connecting two larger bodies of water
I talk about
Christine Anu talks about the Torres Strait and its features
With the sway of the trees in the breeze
The environment around them is calm and peaceful
Style - S-T-Y-L-E
An interjection that is repeated a few times, may refer to dancing or music
Contributed by Camden S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dani de Janeiro
Best song from one of my most favourite albums ever.
Remadja Lita
thank you for those lovely music beautiful Christine Anu, it was the 90's but forever in my heart
Tomskidlidoo
Who does this only have 5k views this is one of my favourite songs
Luka Lakicevic
Representing TSI. Yessssss 2 Deadly sis :P
swingstylez
I found this video whilst looking for Island Home, had not idea this was by you as well. It's still a great song :)
kvetii
I met her yesterday at a school concert
Notnilc
yum
Tomskidlidoo
Same she just came to my school today and performed all her songs and we all sung along to this one in particular
Zane Balloch
Creedence brother hood helluva. Whos the o.g
N / A
The best