"Crazy" - which was their first single - debuted at #1 on the British pop charts on April 2, 2006. It was the first #1 UK single to be obtained solely through Internet downloads. The success of the single in the UK was due largely to its use in a promotional trailer for Radio 1 across all of the BBC TV channels prior to the single's release. 'Crazy' stayed at #1 for almost 9 weeks.
The buzz for "Crazy" helped generate a lot of press coverage of their debut album, St. Elsewhere, which was released on May 9, 2006.
The album is seen as a cross-over between hip-hop, rock and soul. Both artists have previously been known to have a quirky experimental side, moving between different genres of music.
Producer DJ Danger Mouse began his career doing remixes of indie rock artists like Neutral Milk Hotel and downbeat instrumental music under the 'Pelican City' alias. He later went on to emphasize more hip-hop production: most notably his The Grey Album, a remix of Black Album, with samples exclusively from The White Album; 2005's Dangerdoom collaboration with MF Doom; and, most recently, the double platinum Demon Days.
Gnarls Barkley singer Cee Lo Green started out in the classic Southern rap group Goodie Mob, but later developed a unique funk-inspired soulful style of singing which developed on his solo albums.
Their new album The Odd Couple was released March 18, 2008.
The Boogie Monster
Gnarls Barkley Lyrics
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Someone's underneath my bed
The wind's knocking at my window
I'd kill it but it's already dead
It waits till the midnight hour to come
To torture me for the wrong that I've done
It just sits there and stares at me
(Just let me sleep)
I got a monster in my closet
Someone's underneath my bed
The wind's knocking at my window
I'd kill it but it's already dead
At first I was scared
When I looked at his eyes
But now that I know him
I'm not that surprised
I'm just waiting on the sun to rise
Oh how I wish that old sun would rise
I got a monster in my closet
Someone's underneath my bed
The wind's knocking at my window
I'd kill it but it's already dead
I used to wonder why he looked, familiar
Then I realised it was a mirror
Oh and now it is plain to see
The whole time the monster was me
Oh there's a monster in my closet
Someone's underneath my bed
The wind's knocking at my window
I'd kill it but it's already dead
The living dead
Only thing that'll bring me back alive woman
Is some good good head
Hahahahaha
The Boogie Monster by Gnarls Barkley is a song that conveys the psychological struggles faced by many people. The lyrics describe the internal battle between the singer's fears and insecurities, symbolized by the monster that hides in his closet and under his bed, and his attempts to overcome them. The monster in the closet is a symbol of the singer's personal demons, stalking him in every waking moment and depriving him of sleep. Despite its dead state, it still manages to haunt his mind and keep him awake, reminding him of the wrongs he has committed. The metaphor of the monster in the closet, a classic childhood fear, exemplifies how the trauma of the past can continue to affect a person even as they grow up.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer may have come to terms with the monster's existence and has even found some solace in it. He reflects on the fact that he was scared of it at first, but now that he knows it better, he is no longer that surprised. The singer is waiting for the sun to rise, which could symbolize the hope for a new beginning, free from past hurts and traumas. In the end, the singer realizes that the monster and all his fears are just a mirror of himself. He acknowledges that the only thing that can bring him back to life is some good head, adding a note of humor to an otherwise heavy topic.
Line by Line Meaning
I got a monster in my closet
I have an internal monster or fear that I keep to myself.
Someone's underneath my bed
My fear is so intense that I feel it's lurking around me.
The wind's knocking at my window
The fear is growing and manifesting into reality.
I'd kill it but it's already dead
I know it's irrational, but I can't help but feel this way.
It waits till the midnight hour to come
This fear and anxiety often surfaces at night, when I'm alone with my thoughts.
To torture me for the wrong that I've done
My fear is a manifestation of guilt and regret for past mistakes.
It just sits there and stares at me
This fear is always present and unrelenting.
And it won't let me get any sleep (Just let me sleep)
My fear is so consuming that it's affecting my ability to rest and recharge.
At first I was scared
Initially, the fear was overwhelming and unbearable.
When I looked at his eyes
When I confronted my fear directly.
But now that I know him
As I understand my fear better.
I'm not that surprised
The fear is a part of me that I've learned to accept and live with.
I'm just waiting on the sun to rise
I know the fear will lessen with time, and I'm waiting for that to happen.
Oh how I wish that old sun would rise
I'm looking forward to a time when my fear no longer controls me.
I used to wonder why he looked familiar
I didn't recognize my fear as a part of myself for a long time.
Then I realised it was a mirror
My fear is a reflection of my own insecurities and flaws.
Oh and now it is plain to see
I understand that my fear is a product of my own thoughts and actions.
The whole time the monster was me
My fear is just a part of me, and I need to learn to live with it.
Only thing that'll bring me back alive woman
I need comfort and reassurance to feel better.
Is some good good head
This is a humorous way of saying that I need someone to take care of me and make me feel better.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: THOMAS CALLAWAY, BRIAN JOSEPH BURTON, ARMANDO TROVAIOLI, ANGELO FRANCESCO LAVAGNINO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind