After Tod left his previous group, Cop Shoot Cop, he quickly regrouped and formed Firewater to explore the styles of music Cop Shoot Cop had only hinted at, including klezmer, cabaret, ska, jazz, and gypsy forms. More than one source described the original Firewater lineup as an "indie rock supergroup", based on members such as Duane Denison of the Jesus Lizard, Yuval Gabay of Soul Coughing, Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields, and Hahn Rowe. This original lineup proved unable to tour, and Tod recruited new musicians for the band's first tour. While the lineup has changed over the years, with many different musicians appearing on different albums and tours, Tod remains the singer, songwriter, and bassist of Firewater.
Firewater has released six albums, and has seen some success, especially in Europe and on United States college radio stations.
Their previous album, Songs We Should Have Written, is a collection of cover songs. It includes songs written by Robyn Hitchcock, The Rolling Stones ("Paint It Black" reinterpreted as a crawlingly slow raga which "shove(s) a few downers down the song's throat to counter the original version's adrenaline-fueled fire" ), and a "dark and sweet" take of Sonny and Cher's "The Beat Goes On", described as "10 times more ominous and 20 times more pleasurable" than the original. The album also includes a modern rendition of the Johnny Cash anthem "Folsom Prison Blues".
Their latest album, The Golden Hour, has been recorded with various local musicians and friends when Tod A went on sabbatical and travelled through Thailand, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and Israel. The record was released May 6 in 2008. The band is currently (October, 2008) touring in support of the album.
The Monkey Song
Firewater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song that they televised nationwide - we had so many requests for them to do it again that that's exactly what they did
So right now, by the miracle of recording
Sing the song that song that probably you haven't heard before
But I'm sure after you hear it this time, you'll want to be hearing it again
It's the Monkey Song!
It ain't the crutches, it's the limp
Don't blame the hooker, charge the pimp
Nothing gets stolen, it's just stuff you leave behind
It ain't really the darkness that you curse
But how it feels when the sun refuse to shine
It's not the future that you fear
But more the feeling that the past is gonna catch you in the hand
So hands up if you wanna do it again (do it again)
Say right now, wanna do it again, do it again?
Monkey girl
I wanna be your monkey man
Monkey girl
I wanna be your monkey man
Let's do it again (do it again)
Let's do it again (do it again)
Let's do it again (do it again)
(it's the monkey song)
It ain't the needle... it's the pricks
You could take the lies, but for the smiles they hide behind
Don't mind the bottles, just the bricks
A man is just a monkey in a suit and tie
It ain't the complex, it's the cure
Ain't no religion, just a hole to hide inside
Don't mind the fire, but how it burns
And this is not the way, the way you would have wanted things to end
So hands up if you wanna do it again (do it again)
Say right now, wanna do it again, do it again?
Monkey girl
I wanna be your monkey man
Monkey girl
I wanna be your monkey man (do it again)
Monkey girl
I wanna be your monkey man (monkey man)
Monkey girl
I wanna be your monkey man
Let's do it again (do it again)
Let's do it again (do it again)
Let's do it again (do it again)
(it's the monkey song)
And all the people said - amen! Thank you girls, that's great. They'll sing again for us in just a moment, and that's gonna be, that's gonna be something special, what're they gonna sing next?
The Monkey Song by Firewater is an upbeat and catchy song about the cyclical nature of life and the human condition. The lyrics are cleverly crafted and use metaphors to communicate deeper philosophical truths. The song starts with a playful introduction, inviting listeners to sing a joyful tune that they may have never heard before.
The first verse establishes the theme that it is not the obvious things in life that cause pain or happiness, but rather the underlying emotions and experiences that we attach to them. For example, it is not the crutches but the limp that affects us, not what we lose but what we couldn't find, not the darkness itself but rather how it makes us feel when the sun refuses to shine. The second verse continues with this theme, adding new metaphors to explain that it is not the needle but the pricks, not the bottles but the bricks, and that religion may offer temporary relief but it is just a hole to hide inside.
The chorus is a catchy repetition of "Monkey girl, I wanna be your monkey man" and the phrase "Let's do it again" which suggests that despite the hardships and challenges of life, we are willing to keep going and try again. The song ends with the audience cheering and excited to hear what the performers will sing next.
Line by Line Meaning
It ain't the crutches, it's the limp
It's not about what you lost or don't have, it's about the things that you lack that limit you.
Not what you lost, it's the things you couldn't find
You miss the things that you were never able to have or find.
Don't blame the hooker, charge the pimp
It's not the people you should blame but the person who put them in that situation.
Nothing gets stolen, it's just stuff you leave behind
You lose things because you didn't take care of them, not because someone took them from you.
It ain't really the darkness that you curse, but how it feels when the sun refuses to shine
You don't really hate the darkness but how it makes you feel when there is no hope in sight.
It's not the future that you fear, but more the feeling that the past is gonna catch you in the hand
You're not afraid of what's to come, but haunted by the past and the consequences of your actions.
It ain't the needle... it's the pricks
It's not the object itself, but those who use it to hurt you.
You could take the lies, but for the smiles they hide behind
You can forgive the lies, but not the intentions behind them.
Don't mind the bottles, just the bricks
It's not the things you use that cause the problem, it's the damage they can do.
A man is just a monkey in a suit and tie
We may dress up and act sophisticated, but at the core we are still animals.
It ain't the complex, it's the cure
The solution is not in making things more complicated, but simplifying them.
Ain't no religion, just a hole to hide inside
Religion is not always about faith, but a way to escape from reality.
Don't mind the fire, but how it burns
It's not the danger of what's in front of you, but how it can hurt you.
And this is not the way, the way you would have wanted things to end
This is not how you imagined things to be, and it's not what you wanted.
So hands up if you wanna do it again (do it again)
Say right now, wanna do it again, do it again?
If you enjoyed what you just heard, let's do it again!
Monkey girl
I wanna be your monkey man
You're my monkey girl and I want to be yours too.
Let's do it again (do it again)
Let's listen to this song again!
(it's the monkey song)
This song is called 'The Monkey Song.'
Contributed by Kaelyn T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.