The Monkey
Dave Bartholomew/Dr. John/Eddie Bo Lyrics


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Well he stands about yay big
With a grin from ear to ear
And when he comes runnin' at me
I cower in abject fear
Cause he kicks me in the shins
And climbs me like a tree
But I'm not s'posed to mind
Cause he's in the family
He jumps up on my knee
And asks me for a bounce
And if I'm not too careful
He'll kick me where it counts
I'm his pony, his spaceship
His pirate ship at sea
Oh look what that little man has made of me
Yes I'll be a monkey's uncle
I'll be the best he ever had
I'll be a monkey's uncle
'Cause I'm the brother of that little monkey's Dad
He pretends he's asleep
But when I turn my back
He'll creep out of his bed
And launch a sneak attack
He grabs me by the ankles
And drops me to the floor
But I guess in the end that's what an uncle's for
Yes I'll be a monkey's uncle
I'll be the best he ever had
I'll be a monkey's uncle
'Cause I'm the brother of that little monkey's Dad
And when I'm old and gray, and it won't be long
I'll be weak and feeble, he'll be young and strong
I'll dribble down my chin, and smile a toothless grin
And remind him of the days when I did for him
Yes someday I will get even for these bruises and carbuncles
But for now I'm just so glad to be that little monkey's uncle
He's always asking questions about the dinosaurs
And when it's pouring rain out
He wants to play outdoors
That's him the little caveman
With the slingshot taking aim
At the aging Brontosaurus
Getting wet out in the rain
Well I'll be a monkey's uncle
I'll be the best he ever had




I'll be a monkey's uncle
'Cause I'm the brother of that little monkey's Dad

Overall Meaning

The Monkey is a playful and lighthearted song that explores the amusing, yet challenging task of being a beloved family member to a young child. The lyrics, sung from the perspective of an uncle, depict the chaos and fun that ensues when spending time with his nephew, who he affectionately refers to as a little monkey. The song celebrates the special bond between family members, and the joy that comes from spending time together, even when it involves being kicked in the shins or dropped to the floor.


The opening lyrics set the scene, describing the mischievous and energetic nature of the little monkey, who brings both fear and excitement to his uncle's life. The uncle then describes the various activities that he and his nephew engage in, including bouncing, playing pirates, and pretending to be asleep. The lyrics are filled with playful imagery, such as the monkey climbing his uncle like a tree or pretending to be a caveman with a slingshot.


Throughout the song, the uncle expresses his love and commitment to his nephew, vowing to be the best monkey's uncle possible. The final stanza presents a poignant reminder of the passage of time, as the uncle imagines a future filled with fond memories of his time with the little monkey.


Line by Line Meaning

Well he stands about yay big
He is a small child.


With a grin from ear to ear
He always has a big smile.


And when he comes runnin' at me
When he approaches me.


I cower in abject fear
I am afraid.


Cause he kicks me in the shins
He hurts me.


And climbs me like a tree
He climbs on me.


But I'm not s'posed to mind
I am expected to tolerate it.


Cause he's in the family
Because he is my relative.


He jumps up on my knee
He jumps on my lap.


And asks me for a bounce
He wants me to bounce him.


And if I'm not too careful
If I am not cautious.


He'll kick me where it counts
He will kick me in a sensitive spot.


I'm his pony, his spaceship
He imagines me as different things he plays with.


His pirate ship at sea
He imagines me as his pirate ship.


Oh look what that little man has made of me
I am amazed at how he has changed me.


Yes I'll be a monkey's uncle
I will do anything for him.


I'll be the best he ever had
I will be the best relative he ever had.


He pretends he's asleep
He pretends to be asleep.


But when I turn my back
When I am not looking.


He'll creep out of his bed
He sneaks out of his bed.


And launch a sneak attack
He surprises me with an attack.


He grabs me by the ankles
He holds me by my ankles.


And drops me to the floor
He drops me on the floor.


But I guess in the end that's what an uncle's for
But that is what he expects from me as an uncle.


And when I'm old and gray, and it won't be long
When I am old.


I'll be weak and feeble, he'll be young and strong
I will be weak and he will be strong.


I'll dribble down my chin, and smile a toothless grin
I will drool and have no teeth left.


And remind him of the days when I did for him
I will remember the times I did things for him.


Yes someday I will get even for these bruises and carbuncles
Someday I will seek revenge for the pain he caused.


But for now I'm just so glad to be that little monkey's uncle
But for now I am happy to be his uncle.


He's always asking questions about the dinosaurs
He is curious about the dinosaurs.


And when it's pouring rain out
When it is raining heavily.


He wants to play outdoors
He wants to play outside.


That's him the little caveman
He imagines himself as a caveman.


With the slingshot taking aim
He pretends to aim a slingshot.


At the aging Brontosaurus
At an imagined dinosaur.


Getting wet out in the rain
Getting wet from the rain.


Well I'll be a monkey's uncle
I will be there for him.


I'll be the best he ever had
I will be the best relative he ever had.


'Cause I'm the brother of that little monkey's Dad
Because I am the brother of his father.




Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jeff Pearson, John Humphrey

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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