He was a member of the early-'80s techno group Q-Feel and recorded a hit solo album, In the House of Stone and Light, in 1994. The title track, in which he wrote himself, was a hit in the same year, reaching #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming a popular mainstream hit. He later released his second solo album, In the Temple of the Muse, on an independent label in 2008.
He currently resides in Southern California.
Monkey In My Dreams
Martin Page Lyrics
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Clinging like a thief
Forcing my eyes open
Wrestling in my sheets
I'm living on my own now
Without you on my back
But still you keep on calling
No disappearing act
You used to be so good at games
Now you go 'round and around
Exiting the way you came
Just a monkey in my dreams
That's what you are
A loose valve of escaping steam
That's what you are
A motor running in an empty car
That's what you are
And I won't stoop to the obscene
You're a monkey
Just a monkey
You're a monkey in my dreams
Gonna shake that monkey right outta my bed
Gonna shake that monkey right outta my head
I'm losing eight good hours
With this hollow ghost of you
Screeching in my sleep tank
Sleeping in my shoes
You used to be so good at that
You used to be so good at games
Now you go 'round and around
Exiting the way you came
Just a monkey in my dreams
That's what you are
A loose valve of escaping steam
That's what you are
A motor running in an empty car
That's what you are
And I won't stoop to the obscene
You're a monkey
Just a monkey
You're a monkey in my dreams
Gonna shake that monkey right outta my bed
Gonna shake that monkey right outta my head
Time to shake the monkey outta my bed
Time to shake the monkey outta my head
I can't reason on the phone
I won't talk to your machine
No doctor would prescribe you
No doctor is that mean
You used to be so good at that
You used to be so good at games
Now you go 'round and around
Exiting the way you came
Just a monkey in my dreams
That's what you are
A loose valve of escaping steam
That's what you are
A motor running in an empty car
That's what you are
And I won't stoop to the obscene
You're a monkey
Just a monkey
You're a monkey in my dreams
Gonna shake that monkey right outta my bed
Gonna shake that monkey right outta my head
The song "Monkey In My Dreams" by Martin Page talks about an imaginary monkey that represents the memories and emotions of a past love that keeps haunting the singer even though they are no longer together. The monkey is described as a thief that forcefully clings to the singer's thoughts, preventing them from having a peaceful sleep. The singer acknowledges that they are now living on their own, but they still hear the calls of their ex-lover, like a motor running in an empty car, with no destination or purpose.
The singer tries to shake the monkey out of their head and bed, as they have lost many hours of sleep with this ghostly presence. They refuse to stoop to any obscene level and won't even talk to their ex-lover's answering machine. The song ends with a resolution to get rid of the monkey and move on with their new life.
The lyrics convey the singer's struggle to let go of the past and move on to a new beginning. The monkey represents the singer's attachment to the memories of their ex-lover, creating a barrier to their emotional freedom. The song speaks to many individuals who find it challenging to move on from past emotional traumas and how they affect their present life.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a monkey in my dreams
I keep having dreams with someone who is like a monkey in them.
Clinging like a thief
This monkey is holding on tightly and taking something from me like a thief would.
Forcing my eyes open
This monkey is making me feel like I have to keep my eyes open and can't sleep peacefully.
Wrestling in my sheets
This monkey is causing me to move around and not be able to stay still in my bed.
I'm living on my own now
I am now living without this monkey in my life.
Without you on my back
I am free and not burdened by this monkey anymore.
But still you keep on calling
This monkey keeps trying to contact me even though I don't want to hear from them.
No disappearing act
This monkey used to be good at disappearing, but now they won't go away.
You used to be so good at that
This monkey was good at disappearing and playing games in the past.
Now you go 'round and around
This monkey keeps going in circles and not leaving me alone.
Exiting the way you came
This monkey won't leave in a different way, they keep coming back the same way they came.
Just a monkey in my dreams
This monkey only exists in my dreams and isn't actually in my life anymore.
That's what you are
This monkey is just that and nothing more than that.
A loose valve of escaping steam
This monkey is like a valve releasing steam, just a temporary irritation.
A motor running in an empty car
This monkey is like a car engine that is running but not going anywhere, useless.
And I won't stoop to the obscene
I won't do something inappropriate or low just to get rid of this monkey.
You're a monkey
This monkey is not worth much and doesn't deserve much attention.
Gonna shake that monkey right outta my bed
I am going to get rid of this monkey once and for all and not let it bother me anymore.
Gonna shake that monkey right outta my head
I am going to forget about this monkey and not let it affect me anymore.
I'm losing eight good hours
I am losing valuable sleep because of this monkey.
With this hollow ghost of you
This monkey is like a ghost from the past, a shell of what they used to be.
Screeching in my sleep tank
This monkey is making loud noises and disturbing my sleep.
Sleeping in my shoes
This monkey is making me uncomfortable even when I'm not in bed.
I can't reason on the phone
I don't want to talk to this monkey on the phone and try to work things out.
I won't talk to your machine
I won't leave a message for this monkey because I don't want to hear anything from them.
No doctor would prescribe you
Even a doctor wouldn't say that this monkey is worth my time or energy.
No doctor is that mean
A good doctor wouldn't tell me to keep this monkey in my life, they would tell me to get rid of it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BERNIE TAUPIN, MARTIN GEORGE PAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind