Chuck Berry remains an influential figure and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music who first began performing in 1953. Cub Koda wrote, "Of all the early breakthrough rock & roll artists, none is more important to the development of the music than Chuck Berry. He is its greatest songwriter, the main shaper of its instrumental voice, one of its greatest guitarists, and one of its greatest performers." John Lennon was more succinct: "If you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'."
Berry was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986. He received Kennedy Center Honors in 2000 in a "class" with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Plácido Domingo, Angela Lansbury, and Clint Eastwood. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Chuck Berry #5 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. He was also ranked 6th on Rolling Stone's Rolling Stone's 100 greatest guitarists of All Time.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included three of Chuck Berry's songs (Johnny B. Goode, Maybellene, Rock & Roll Music), of the 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.
Chuck Berry held a special place, in terms of sound development, in the formation of, Mersey-Beat at Liverpool.
The finest exponent of Chuck Berry, guitar, sound at Liverpool during 1959 to 1963, was Vincent Tow/Ismail, who in turn passed on many of the learned skills to Lennon & McCartney, his friends and colleagues during that period--1959 to 1962/3.
Chuck Berry also influenced many of the great rock 'n' roll bands that we know today including The Rolling Stones and The Beatles.
Too Much Monkey Business
Chuck Berry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never fail in the mail, yeah, come a rotten bill
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Salesman talkin' to me, tryin' to run me up a creek
Says you can buy it, go on try it, you can pay me next week, ahh
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Blonde haired good lookin', tryin' to get me hooked
Want me to marry, get a home, settle down, write a book
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Same thing every day, gettin' up, goin' to school
No need for me to complain, my objection's overruled, ahh
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Pay phone, something wrong, dime gone, will mail
Order suit, hoppered up for telling me a tale, ahh
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Been to Yokohama, been fightin' in the war
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car, aah
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Workin' in the fillin' station, too many tasks
Wipe the windows, check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Don't want your botheration, get away, leave me
Too much monkey business for me
In Chuck Berry's song "Too Much Monkey Business," the singer sings about the many mundane and frustrating aspects of everyday life that are wearing him down. He mentions hard work at the mill, getting a rotten bill in the mail, and being hassled by a salesman who wants to sell him something on credit. He's also pursued by a woman who wants him to settle down and get married, which he sees as just another form of "monkey business." He's fed up with the same routine every day and feels like there's just too much going on - too much monkey business - for him to handle.
The song seems to capture the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of daily obligations and responsibilities, without any room for adventure or excitement. The references to being in the army and fighting in a war suggest that even the most extreme experiences can still be part of the same kind of monotonous routine. Overall, the song is a humorous and catchy expression of frustration with modern life, and the pressures we all face to keep up with the demands of society.
Line by Line Meaning
Runnin' to-and-fro, hard workin' at the mill
I am constantly moving and working hard at the factory.
Never fail in the mail, yeah, come a rotten bill
Every time I check my mail, I receive a bill that I cannot afford to pay.
Salesman talkin' to me, tryin' to run me up a creek
A salesman is trying to trick me into buying something I do not need.
Says you can buy it, go on try it, you can pay me next week, ahh
The salesman is tempting me to buy now and pay later, which is not a good idea.
Blonde haired good lookin', tryin' to get me hooked
A woman is trying to seduce me into settling down and getting married.
Want me to marry, get a home, settle down, write a book
This woman wants me to abandon my current lifestyle and become a responsible family man.
Same thing every day, gettin' up, goin' to school
My life is monotonous and repetitive, consisting of going to school every day.
No need for me to complain, my objection's overruled, ahh
Even if I complain about my situation, it will not change anything, as my objections are ignored.
Pay phone, something wrong, dime gone, will mail
There is an issue with the payphone, and I do not have any change to make a call. I will have to try again later.
Order suit, hoppered up for telling me a tale, ahh
Someone is trying to trick me by telling an exaggerated story to get me to buy a suit.
Been to Yokohama, been fightin' in the war
I have experienced the challenges of war, having fought in Yokohama.
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car, aah
Despite being in the army, the mundane aspects of daily life remain the same, such as sleeping in army bunks and eating army food.
Workin' in the fillin' station, too many tasks
My job at the gas station requires me to juggle multiple responsibilities and duties.
Wipe the windows, check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas
I have to perform maintenance tasks like checking the oil and tires, as well as providing gas for customers.
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
I am fed up with all of the nonsense, deception, and stress in my life.
Don't want your botheration, get away, leave me
I am not interested in dealing with other people's problems or concerns. Please leave me alone.
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pbjonesful
Great song. In the news today because Olivio Rodrigo was accused of plagiarizing Elvis Costello's Pump It Up, and his response was it's all good as he based that song on Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues which in turn was inspired by Chuck Berry's Too Much Monkey Business.
@mrblue99999
Brought me here as well. Truth.
@BrushesOfMagic
This is the only song on the list I was unaware of. Lol Good to hear something new.
@terrylee4455
💎🎩
@terrylee4455
@@BrushesOfMagic Elvis's better LOL🙋♂️
@factorylad5071
I have become so programmed now I stand up automatically when anyone plays Johny B Goode and if I have sufficient momentum I will do the Berry Duck Walk around the room a few times.
@plasteredbastard
His phrasing and verbal gymnastics was unmatched by any of his peers. Chuck was the first poet of this art form.
@shangpush
Actually, IMHO, the BEST rock lyricist bar none. ie "She moves around like a wayward summer breeze . . . " etc. What a vocabulary, what imagination! No one consistently captured the zeitgeist -- the essence, flavor, and the joyous excitement of the post-war 1950s and rock & roll's early years in a new land of plenty -- better than did Chuck Berry. "Did I miss the skyscrapers did I miss the long freeways . . ?" And we miss Chuck Berry.
@jimhughon621
shangpush well not really he did write my dingaling (I do love this)
@fwee5785
L