The Monkey
Dr John Lyrics
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Now, three monkey sittin' in a coconut tree
Discussin' things as they all say it to be
Said one to the other, now, listen you two
There's a certain rumor that can't be true
That man descended from our noble race
No monkey ever deserted his wife
Starve a baby [Incomprehensible]
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
Ain't you never know a mother monk
To leave her babes with others to bonk
Pass 'em on from one to another
'Til they scarcely knew who was their mother
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
And another thing you never see
I monkey build a fence around the coconut tree
And let another coconuts go to waste
Forbidden all the other monkeys to come and taste
What if I put up fence around this tree
Starvation would force you to steal from me
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
Here's another thing a monkey won't do
Go out at night and get on a [Incomprehensible]
Use a gun, a club or knife
To take another monkey's life
Yeah, man descended [Incomprehensible]
But brothers from us, he did not come
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
"The Monkey" by Dr. John is a unique song with a deep meaning behind it. The lyrics paint a picture of three monkeys sitting in a coconut tree, discussing the misconception that man evolved from monkeys. The monkeys reject that idea and go on to list unique qualities that only monkeys possess. The song touches on the idea of evolution and animal rights in a way that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.
The first verse of the song dismisses the idea that man evolved from monkeys. The monkeys find it disgraceful that humans would try to claim that they are of the same noble race as monkeys. The second verse delves deeper into the unique characteristics of monkeys. They point out that monkeys do not abandon their children to mate, and they do not steal food from each other. They do not build fences around their food sources to keep others out either. The third verse touches on the violent tendencies of humans, which monkeys do not possess.
The chorus, 'yeah, the monkey speaks his mind,' emphasizes the idea that even though monkeys cannot communicate with humans, they still have their unique ways of communicating and expressing themselves. The song urges listeners to consider the rights of animals and the idea of evolution from a different perspective.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, three monkey sittin' in a coconut tree Discussin' things as they all say it to be
In a coconut tree, three monkeys are having a conversation and expressing their perspectives.
Said one to the other, now, listen you two There's a certain rumor that can't be true
One of the monkeys is trying to correct a false rumor among the others.
That man descended from our noble race The very idea is a big disgrace No monkey ever deserted his wife Starve a baby [Incomprehensible]
The monkey is offended by the idea that humans came from their species and explains that monkeys would never abandon their family or harm their offspring.
Ain't you never know a mother monk To leave her babes with others to bonk Pass 'em on from one to another 'Til they scarcely knew who was their mother
Monkeys would never pass their young to other monkeys to mate with and confuse their identity.
And another thing you never see I monkey build a fence around the coconut tree And let another coconuts go to waste Forbidden all the other monkeys to come and taste
The monkeys never limit other monkeys from accessing resources, and they wouldn't let any coconuts go to waste by building a fence around the tree.
What if I put up fence around this tree Starvation would force you to steal from me
If the monkey were to fence resources, other monkeys would have to break the rule and steal to survive.
Here's another thing a monkey won't do Go out at night and get on a [Incomprehensible] Use a gun, a club or knife To take another monkey's life
Monkeys would not use weapons or commit violence against each other, even in the dark.
Yeah, man descended [Incomprehensible] But brothers from us, he did not come
While humans might have descended from monkeys, they are not brothers and have different behaviors.
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
The song emphasizes the idea that monkeys have their own distinct set of behaviors and ways of thinking.
Contributed by Ethan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.