During the 1980s, his reputation was established through frequent touring and recurring performances on A Prairie Home Companion. Subsequently, his work has been nominated for Grammy awards. He also founded his own record label and named it Red House Records after a home he lived in in Iowa. Red House Records is an independent record label specializing in folk music, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Well known folk artists have signed with Red House Records over the years include Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Tom Paxton and Loudin Wainwright III. A Red House Records compilation, A Nod to Bob, was said to be a tribute from a Minnesota label to a favorite native son - guess who?
On November 21, 2002 he married the singer-songwriter Iris DeMent. His daughters (from a previous marriage) are also musicians.
From: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Brown_%28folk_musician%29
The Monkey
Greg Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And smelled like some poor junkie's death
All had been dreamed All had been tried
The monkey's long arms opened wide
And now at last we all get to make love to the monkey
A glow beneath A bang above
No one has slept and sweetly dreamed
Not since the monkey bucked and screamed
The monkey's breath is sweet and strong
The monkey's tongue is wet and long
He neither speaks nor understands
He's got the whole world in his hands
The lyrics of Greg Brown's song, The Monkey, evoke a sense of darkness, danger and discomfort. The opening line of the song, "The room was dark and short of breath," immediately sets the tone for the rest of the song. The stench of "some poor junkie's death" hangs heavy in the air, adding to the oppressive atmosphere. The monkey in the title seems to be a representation of some kind of temptation, perhaps drug addiction or a dangerous, self-destructive behaviour.
The song speaks of how the monkey's "long arms opened wide" and how everyone present "get[s] to make love to the monkey." This suggests that the temptation is all-encompassing and that nobody can resist it. The refrain that follows, "And now at last we all get to make love to the monkey," reinforces this idea that nobody can resist the pull of addiction or reckless behaviour.
Line by Line Meaning
The room was dark and short of breath
The room was suffocating and oppressive in darkness
And smelled like some poor junkie's death
It had an intense smell of death and decay, resembling that of someone who succumbed to addiction
All had been dreamed All had been tried
All options had been explored and all ideas had been attempted
The monkey's long arms opened wide
The monkey was ready and eager for action
And now at last we all get to make love to the monkey
We are all participating in reckless behavior and succumbing to desires that may be harmful in the long run
A glow beneath A bang above
There is both intense heat from below and explosive power from above
A whimper at the end of love
There is a sense of dissatisfaction or disappointment at the conclusion of pleasure
No one has slept and sweetly dreamed
No one has been able to find peace or restful sleep, due to the monkey's presence or influence
Not since the monkey bucked and screamed
Not since the monkey expressed itself with violent outbursts
The monkey's breath is sweet and strong
The monkey's influence is both enticing and powerful
The monkey's tongue is wet and long
The monkey's words or actions are seductive or manipulative
He neither speaks nor understands
The monkey is not capable of rational communication or comprehension
He's got the whole world in his hands
The monkey has a great deal of control and influence over the world or circumstances around it
Contributed by Micah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.