Monkey & Bear
Joanna Newsom Lyrics

Down in the green hay
In a peaceful and natural setting

Where monkey and bear usually lay
Where the monkey and bear typically rest and live

They woke from a stable-boy's cry
They were startled by a stable boy's call for help

He said; someone come quick!
He urgently requested assistance

The horses got loose, got grass-sick!
The horses escaped and became sick from eating too much grass

They'll founder! Fain, they'll die
The horses will suffer and potentially die

What is now known by the sorrel and the roan?
What should be understood by different horse breeds

By the chestnut, and the bay, and the gelding grey?
By specific horse colors and types

It is: stay by the gate that you are given
They should stay where they are meant to be

And remain in your place, for your season
And continue in their assigned roles, during the appropriate time

And had the overfed dead but listened
If only the privileged had paid attention

To that high-fence, horse-sense, wisdom...
To the wise advice about boundaries and responsibilities

Did you hear that, Bear? Said monkey
The monkey asks the bear if she heard the advice

We'll get out of here, fair and square
They plan to escape together fairly and justly

They left the gate open wide!
They took advantage of an open opportunity

So
Therefore

My bride
My beloved

Here is my hand, where is your paw?
Expressing their commitment to each other

Try and understand my plan, Ursala
The monkey wants the bear to comprehend their strategy

My heart is a furnace
The monkey's heart burns with love

Full of love that's just, and earnest
Filled with genuine and righteous love

Now; you know that we must unlearn this
Now, you understand that we need to reject our current way of life

Allegiance to a life of service
Devotion to a life of servitude

And no longer answer to that heartless
And no longer obey the heartless commands of

Hay-monger, nor be his accomplice
The person who profits from selling hay and his partner in wrongdoing

(that charlatan, with artless hustling!)
(The deceitful person, with clumsy dishonesty!)

But; Ursala, we've got to eat something
But, Ursala, we still need to find sustenance

And earn our keep, while still within
And support ourselves, while still remaining

The borders of the land that man has girded
Within the boundaries established by mankind

(all double-bolted and tight-fisted!)
(Heavily secured and controlled!)

Until we reach the open country
Until we find a place of freedom

A-steeped in milk and honey
Abundant with nourishment and sweetness

Will you keep your fancy clothes on, for me?
Will you maintain your elegant appearance for my sake?

Can you bear a little longer to wear that leash?
Can you tolerate wearing that restrictive chain for a bit longer?

My love, I swear by the air I breathe:
I promise, with the utmost sincerity

Sooner or later, you'll bare your teeth
Eventually, you'll unleash your hidden strength

But for now, just dance, darling
But for now, let's just enjoy ourselves, my dear

C'mon, will you dance, my darling?
Come on, let's dance together, my beloved

Darling, there's a place for us
My love, there's a special place where we belong

Can we go, before I turn to dust?
Can we go there before I perish?

Oh my darling, there's a place for us
Oh my love, there's a place where we can find happiness

Oh darling
Oh beloved

C'mon will you dance, my darling?
Come on, let's dance together, my beloved

Oh, the hills are groaning with excess
The hills are overwhelmed with abundance

Like a table ceaselessly being set
Like a table constantly being prepared with food

Oh my darling, we will get there yet
Oh my love, we will eventually reach our destination

They trooped past the guards,
They marched past the guards

Past the coops, and the fields, and the farmyards
They passed by chicken coops, fields, and farms

All night, till finally:
Throughout the entire night, until finally

The space they gained grew
The distance they covered increased

Much farther than the stone that bear threw
Much further than the stone that the bear tossed

To mark where they'd stop for tea
To indicate the spot where they planned to take a break

But walk a little faster
But keep walking at a quicker pace

And don't look backwards
And don't turn back

Your feast is to the East, which lies a little past the pasture
Your abundance awaits in the East, just beyond the field

When the blackbirds hear tea whistling, they rise and clap
When the blackbirds hear the sound of tea boiling, they fly up and make noise

And their applause caws the kettle black
Their cheering makes the kettle seem dark and mysterious

And we can't have none of that!
And we don't want any of that to happen!

Move along, Bear; there, there; that's that
Keep moving, Bear; come on, that's settled

Though cast in plaster
Despite being trapped in a fixed situation

Our Ursala's heart beat faster
The bear's heart started to beat faster

Than monkey's ever will
Than the monkey's heart ever will

But still;
But nevertheless

They have got to pay the bills
They still need to find a way to support themselves financially

Hadn't they?
Didn't they?

That is what the monkey'd say
That is what the monkey would say

So, with the courage of a clown, or a cur
So, with the bravery of a fool or a stray dog

Or a kite, jerking tight at its tether
Or a kite being pulled forcefully by its string

In her dun-brown gown of fur
Wearing a plain brown fur coat

And her jerkin' of swansdown and leather
And her vest made of swansdown feathers and leather

Bear would sway on her hind legs;
The bear would dance on her hind legs

The organ would grind dregs of song, for the pleasure
The organ would play worn-out tunes, for the enjoyment

Of the children, who'd shriek
Of the children, who would scream

Throwing coins at her feet
Throwing money onto the ground in front of her

Then recoiling in terror
Then backing away in fear

Sing, dance, darling
Sing and dance, my dear

C'mon, will you dance, my darling?
Come on, let's dance, my beloved

Oh darling, there's a place for us
Oh my love, there's a special place where we belong

Can we go, before I turn to dust?
Can we go there before I perish?

Oh my darling, there's a place for us
Oh my love, there's a place where we can find happiness

Oh darling
Oh beloved

C'mon, will you dance, my darling?
Come on, let's dance together, my beloved

You keep your eyes fixed on the highest hill
You stay focused on the ultimate goal

Where you'll ever-after eat your fill
Where you'll always have an abundance of food

Oh my darling, dear, mine
Oh my beloved, my dear

If you dance
If you continue to dance

Dance, darling, and I love you still
Dance, my beloved, and I will continue to love you

Deep in the night
Late at night

Shone a weak and miserly light
There was a dim and stingy light

Where the monkey shouldered his lamp
Where the monkey carried his lamp

Someone had told him
Someone had informed him

The bear had been wandering
The bear had been roaming

A fair piece away from where they were camped
Quite a distance from their camping spot

Someone had told him
Someone had informed him

The bear'd been sneaking away
The bear had been secretly going away

To the seaside caverns, to bathe
To the caves by the sea, to bathe

And the thought troubled the monkey
This thought worried the monkey

For he was afraid of spelunking down in those caves
Because he was scared of exploring those caves

Also afraid what the village people would say
Also afraid of what the villagers would say

If they saw the bear in that state;
If they saw the bear in that condition

Lolling and splashing obscenely
Lounging and splashing inappropriately

Well, it seemed irrational, really; washing that face
It seemed illogical, honestly; bathing that face

Washing that matted and flea-bit pelt
Cleaning that tangled and flea-infested fur

In some sea-spit-shine, old kelp dripping with brine
With seawater and seaweed, covered in saltwater

But monkey just laughed, and he muttered;
But the monkey just laughed, and he mumbled

When she comes back, Ursala will be bursting with pride
When she returns, Ursala will be extremely proud

Till I jump up!
I will jump up!

Saying: you've been rolling in muck!
Saying: you've been rolling in filth!

Saying: you smell of garbage and grime!
Saying: you have a stench of rubbish and dirt!

But far out
But in the distance

Far out
Far in the distance

By now
By this time

By now
By this time

Far out, by now, Bear ploughed
Far in the distance, by this time, the bear swam purposefully

'Cause she would not drown:
Because she refused to drown

First the outside-legs of the bear
First the bear's outer legs

Up and fell down, in the water, like knobby garters
Rose and then fell back into the water, resembling thick garters

Then the outside-arms of the bear
Then the bear's outer arms

Fell off, as easy as if sloughed from boiled tomatoes
Came off effortlessly, like peeled skin from boiled tomatoes

Low'red in a genteel curtsy
Bowed gracefully as in a polite curtsy

Bear shed the mantle of her diluvian shoulders;
Bear removed the coat from her wet shoulders

And, with a sigh,
And, with a sigh

She allowed the burden of belly to drop like an apron full of boulders
She let the weight of her belly fall, like an apron filled with large rocks

If you could hold up her threadbare
If you could examine her worn-out

Coat to the light where it's worn translucent in places
Coat against the light, where it's become see-through in some areas

You'd see spots where
You would notice areas where

Almost every night of the year Bear had been mending suspending that baseness
Almost every night of the year, Bear had been repairing and lifting that physical burden

Now her coat drags through the water
Now her coat hangs down in the water

Bagging, with a life's-worth of hunger, limitless minnows;
Collecting, along with all the hunger she's experienced in her life, countless small fish;

In the magnetic embrace
In the captivating hold

Balletic and glacial of Bear's insatiable shadow;
Graceful and cold as Bear's unquenchable shadow;

Left there!
Left behind!

Left there!
Left behind!

When Bear left Bear
When Bear let go of herself

Left there!
Left behind!

Left there!
Left behind!

When Bear stepped clear of Bear
When Bear emerged free from herself