The group includes Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle (the trio from Cambridge, who are all taller than all the other members of the group, and known as the more "aggressive" half of the group), Terry Jones (from Wales), Michael Palin (from Oxford) and Terry Gilliam (Minnesota in the United States). Chapman wrote the sketches with Cleese, Jones wrote with Palin, Idle wrote alone and Gilliam did the animations. Neil Innes and Carol Cleveland have both on occasion been mentioned as the "7th Python".
Graham Chapman, widely known as "The Dead One", died of cancer on October 4, 1989, the day before Python's 20th anniversary (thus being called "the greatest party pooper of all time" by Terry Jones), is tagged as the greatest actor among the group by his fellow Pythons. He had problems with alcohol and was a dedicated smoker of the pipe (he appears with a pipe in his hand in most of the Python sketches). He was known for his outstanding and abstract sense of humour; Cleese states that during their sketch-writing partnership Chapman did not say much, but when he said something it was often brilliant. The term "pepperpot" which is used to describe middle-aged ladies was found by Chapman.
John Cleese, probably the most famous Python on the other side of the Atlantic, is most widely known for his silly walk - the famous walk that he invented for Monty Python's Flying Circus, and repeated in one episode of Fawlty Towers, where he tries very hard not to remind his German visitors of the World War II by doing impersonations of Hitler. He lives in the USA. He played the lead as Basil Fawlty in "Fawlty Towers". He has been reported to be the first man to say "shit" on British TV and the first man to say "fuck" at a British memorial service.
Eric Idle is the composer of most Python songs (along with Neil Innes) such as the Python anthem "Always Look on the Bright Side Of Life" (which is also played after Iron Maiden's shows). His outstanding linguistic abilities have earned him the name "Master of the One-Liner". He created the Beatles parody "The Rutles" along with Neil Innes, and recently adapted the Python movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" as a Broadway musical called "Monty Python's Spamalot". His most famous Python role is the character he plays in the "Nudge Nudge" sketch. He is the self-acclaimed third tallest and sixth nicest Python.
Terry Gilliam was the only American in the group and has one of the most successful post-Python careers among the six, as he is the director of hugely popular movies like Brazil, 12 Monkeys, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and The Fisher King. His part was instrumental in helping Python gain their reputation as a unique comedy group, his animations helping them link sketches (which, of course, don't have punch lines) in an unprecedented manner. He has become a British citizen in early 2006 and renounced his American citizenship shortly afterwards. He acknowledges The Goon Show, a radio show aired in the 1950s on BBC radio, written by Spike Milligan and performed by Spike Milligan, Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers, as the main reason he chose Britain as his homeland.
Terry Jones is the most successful actor of the woman role (as demonstrated in the Spam sketch, which is only one of numerous occasions in which he has voiced the trademark of a high-pitched female impersonation). He is the director (or co-director) of all Python movies. He has also written, directed and appeared in a few more movies which featured some of his Python mates; despite the fact that these movies aren't quite a match for his work in the Flying Circus, they include some hilarious scenes, such as the singing scene in Erik the Viking. He is the writer of such excellent songs as "I'm So Worried" and "Traffic Lights". He has done a few historical documentaries, and in one of them he briefly acts the part of King Richard III (called "Ring Kichard the Thrid" by the Eric Idle character "the man who speaks entirely in anagrams", which prompts Michael Palin the interviewer to suggest that "Ring Kichard is surely a spoonerism and not an anagram", which results in Eric Idle's character leaving the studio, saying "If you are going to split hairs, I'm going to piss off" (which can serve as a pointer to the Eric Idle-John Cleese movie "Splitting Heirs")).
Michael Palin, known as the nicest python, and the favorite Python to work with for John Cleese, has done numerous travel documentaries during his post-Python career. His amazing sense of humour has inevitably permeated into what would otherwise be just ordinary documentaries (occasions like the Polushka Pole incident and thanking the goddess for her "nice mountain", to name a couple). This nice man, who finds it very difficult to say "no", is the only one who said "no" to a reunion in their 30th year. He is the inventor of the threat "If you don't cooperate, I will get nasty and start using some Dutch words".
As admitted on several occasions, the group likes to dress up as women.
Having said all that, Terry Jones is actually Welsh.
Do Wot John
Monty Python Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To bone when i'm alone, oh no she's drunk too, i only got to kiss.
Only when i'm drunk i sing a song like this, this, this, this, this,
Cause there aint, aint, aint, aint, aint
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Aint no party like an alcoholic party
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Aint no party like an alcoholic party
Ho white girl, you gotta show me some vibes, c'mon
Feel the vibes, feel the vibes trough your body
Feel the alcohol tonight, feel the vibes
Feel the vibes trough your body, feel the vibes
Feel the vibes trough your body, feel the alcohol tonight
Because there aint, because there aint
Because there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Feel the vibes trough your body, feel the alcohol tonight
Alcohol tonight, alcohol tonight, alcohol tonight
C'mon.
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Aint no party like an alcoholic party
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Aint no party like an alcoholic party
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Only when im drunk, i sing a song like this
Only when im drunk, i sing a song like this
Only when im drunk, i sing a song like this
Only when im drunk, i sing a song like this
I get drunk, when i strumble to my phone, to gorgeous at my girl.
To bone when i'm alone, oh no she's drunk too, i only got to kiss.
Only when i'm drunk i sing a song like this, this, this, this, this, ...
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Aint no party like an alcoholic party
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Aint no party like an alcoholic party
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
You gotta show me some vibes, c'mon
Feel the vibes, feel the vibes trough your body
Feel the alcohol tonight, feel the vibes .
Feel the vibes trough your body, feel the vibes .
Feel the vibes trough your body, feel the alcohol tonight
Alcohol tonight
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
Aint no party like an alcoholic party
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
The lyrics to "Do Wot John" by Monty Python are a satirical and playful take on the party culture and attitudes towards alcohol. The singer describes their tendency to get drunk and call their partner to "bone" when they're alone, only to find out that their partner is also drunk. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes that "there aint no party like an alcoholic party," suggesting that drinking is the key to a successful and enjoyable party.
Throughout the song, the lyrics playfully reference alcohol's effects and the rituals associated with drinking, such as feeling the vibes through one's body and stumbling to the phone. The repetition of the phrase "Only when I'm drunk, I sing a song like this" reinforces the idea that alcohol is necessary for enjoyment and uninhibited behavior. The song can be seen as a humorous critique of societal norms and expectations surrounding alcohol and parties.
Line by Line Meaning
I get drunk, when i strumble to my phone, to gorgeous at my girl.
I tend to drink whenever I stumble across my phone and see my beautiful girlfriend.
To bone when i'm alone, oh no she's drunk too, i only got to kiss.
I was hoping for something more intimate when I'm alone, but unfortunately, my girlfriend is also drunk, so I only got to kiss her.
Only when i'm drunk i sing a song like this, this, this, this, this,
Usually, I only sing this type of song when I'm under the influence of alcohol.
Cause there aint, aint, aint, aint, aint
Because there isn't any other type of party like an alcoholic party.
Ho white girl, you gotta show me some vibes, c'mon
Hey, beautiful girl, please show me some energy and excitement.
Feel the vibes, feel the vibes trough your body
Experience the positive energy throughout your entire being.
Feel the alcohol tonight, feel the vibes
Enjoy the experience of drinking alcohol tonight while feeling the positive energy.
Alcohol tonight, alcohol tonight, alcohol tonight
Let's all partake in drinking alcohol tonight.
Only when im drunk, i sing a song like this
I only sing this type of song when I'm intoxicated.
Cause there aint no party like an alcoholic party
There isn't any other type of party that's like an alcohol-fueled party.
Contributed by Carson H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.