Monkey Gone To Heaven
Far Lyrics


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There was a guy
An under water guy who controlled the sea
Got killed by ten million pounds of sludge
From New York and New Jersey

This monkey's gone to Heaven
This monkey's gone to Heaven
This monkey's gone to Heaven
This monkey's gone to Heaven

The creature in the sky
Got sucked in a hole
Now there's a hole in the sky

And the ground's not cold
And if the ground's not cold
Everything is gonna burn
We'll all take turns, I'll get mine too

This monkey's gone to Heaven
This monkey's gone to Heaven
This monkey's gone to Heaven
This monkey's gone to Heaven

Rock me Joseph, Alberto, Santiago

If Man is 5, if Man is 5, if Man is 5
Then the Devil is 6, then the Devil is 6
The Devil is 6, the Devil is 6 and if the Devil is 6
Then God is 7, then God is 7

This monkey's gone to Heaven
This monkey's gone to Heaven




This monkey's gone to Heaven
...

Overall Meaning

The song "Monkey Gone to Heaven" by Pixies' bassist Kim Deal, written after she read about the world's population hitting 5 billion in 1987. The song combines religious and environmental imagery with surreal lyrics, resulting in a complex and thought-provoking message.


The song opens with a reference to an "underwater guy who controlled the sea," referring to a mythical sea creature or perhaps a powerful figure in the maritime industry. This figure is then killed by "ten million pounds of sludge from New York and New Jersey," a reference to pollution and ecological destruction caused by industrialization. The chorus, "This monkey's gone to heaven," invokes the idea of the soul or spirit of the deceased creature ascending to a higher plane.


The second verse introduces the idea of a "creature in the sky" that gets "sucked in a hole." This could refer to the depletion of the ozone layer or the idea of a divine being or celestial force being corrupted or destroyed. The line "if the ground's not cold, everything is gonna burn" suggests that if we continue to ignore environmental degradation, catastrophic consequences will follow. The bridge seems to suggest a mystical, numerological interpretation of the situation, with the Devil and God being assigned symbolic numbers.


Overall, the song is a meditation on the intersection of ecology, spirituality, and human destruction. It offers a bleak warning about the consequences of our collective negligence and destructive tendencies.


Line by Line Meaning

There was a guy
A man existed


An under water guy who controlled the sea
A man who lived in the ocean and had control over it


Got killed by ten million pounds of sludge
Died due to an immense amount of waste from New York and New Jersey


From New York and New Jersey
The waste that killed the man originated from these states


This monkey's gone to Heaven
The monkey has passed away and gone to Heaven


The creature in the sky
An unidentified being in the sky


Got sucked in a hole
Was drawn in by a hole in the ground


Now there's a hole in the sky
A hole in the ground has caused a disruption in the sky


And the ground's not cold
The ground is not as it should be


And if the ground's not cold
If the ground is not in its proper state


Everything is gonna burn
The world will be destroyed


We'll all take turns, I'll get mine too
Everyone will suffer equally, including the artist


Rock me Joseph, Alberto, Santiago
A phrase without a clear meaning


If Man is 5, if Man is 5, if Man is 5
An abstract statement about humans being quantified


Then the Devil is 6, then the Devil is 6
Comparing humans to the Devil, who is quantified as 6


The Devil is 6, the Devil is 6 and if the Devil is 6
Reiterating the comparison of humans to the Devil


Then God is 7, then God is 7
Stating that God is one number higher than the Devil


This monkey's gone to Heaven
Repeating the previous line about the monkey passing away and going to Heaven




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CHARLES THOMPSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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