Rick Lyon is a puppeteer and actor originally from Rochester, New York, who… Read Full Bio ↴Rick Lyon is a puppeteer and actor originally from Rochester, New York, who has worked for the Jim Henson Company as one of the operators of Big Bird. He appeared on Broadway originating the roles of several characters in Avenue Q, a musical for which he designed and created the puppets. In the fall of 2005 he reprised his roles as Nicky and Trekkie Monster in the production of the show in Las Vegas for nine months before returning to the Broadway cast. He also worked with Nickelodeon on the Stick Stickly project. He was a lead puppeteer for the first season of Comedy Central's television program Crank Yankers.

He studied theater at Penn State University and puppetry at the Institute of Professional Puppetry Arts in Connecticut and the Institut Internationale de la Marionnette in France.

He is married to actress Tonya Dixon, who played opposite him as Gary Coleman in the Las Vegas cast. They have one child.

School for Monsters/The Money Song
Rick Lyon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

CHRISTMAS
How much do we get?

PRINCETON
Boy, it's not very much at all, is it?

BRIAN
Never say never, Princeton,

There's still one more person
We have to hit up!

(Trekkie pops out of his window)
TREKKIE MONSTER
No! No! No! Go away. Me busy.

CHRISTMAS EVE
But it for good cause!

TREKKIE MONSTER
What in it for me? Go away!

PRINCETON
I guess Kate'll never get her school for Monsters.

TREKKIE MONSTER
What you say?

BRIAN
Kate wants to open a school for Monsters.

TREKKIE MONSTER
School for Monsters? Me never hear of that!

(sung)
School for Monsters!
School for lonely little Monsters!
When me little,
Going to school,
Other children
Think me not cool,
Poking and pulling
At me fur...
Now we have therapist,
And work on this with her.
But me no need me therapy
If Monster School a reality!

(spoken)
Here! Me give you ten million dollars!
PRINCETON
Trekkie! Where did you get all that money?!

TREKKIE MONSTER
In volatile market, only stable investment is porn!

(sung)
ALL
When you help others,
You can't help helping yourself!
When you help others,
You can't help helping yourself!
Every time you do
Good deeds,
You're also serving your
Own needs!

When you help others,
You can't help helping yourself!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song School for Monsters / The Money Song are a conversation between several characters in the Broadway musical "Avenue Q". This scene highlights the struggle of fundraising for a good cause through a Christmas pageant. The characters are trying to raise money for Kate to open a school for Monsters. Princeton realizes that they do not have enough money to make the project successful. Brian suggests to Princeton that they can ask Trekkie Monster for the donation since he is the only person they have not asked for money. Trekkie refuses to donate until Kate gives him a reason to donate. The conversation then shifts to the topic of Monster School, and the song becomes a reflection of the importance of helping others.

The lyrics describe the struggles that some children face when they grow up and feel excluded by other kids. The song suggests that Monster School would give lonely little monsters a safe place to learn and grow without being ostracized by others. Trekkie Monster eventually donates ten million dollars to the cause after being moved by the idea. The song emphasizes the idea that helping others is both a selfless and selfish act. The more we help others, the more we help ourselves.

Line by Line Meaning

CHRISTMAS
The occasion of Christmas is being celebrated and people are looking forward to getting money.

How much do we get?
People are curious about the amount of money they will receive during Christmas.

Boy, it's not very much at all, is it?
One person thinks that the amount of money received is not much.

Never say never, Princeton, There's still one more person We have to hit up!
One person encourages another person to not lose hope because there is still someone left to ask for money.

No! No! No! Go away. Me busy.
Trekkie Monster declines to give money because he is busy.

But it for good cause!
Someone reminds Trekkie Monster that the money is for a good cause.

What in it for me? Go away!
Trekkie Monster refuses to give money, as he cannot see the benefit of doing so.

I guess Kate'll never get her school for Monsters.
One person laments that Kate would never fulfill her dream of opening a school for monsters.

What you say?
Trekkie Monster wants to know more about the school for monsters.

Kate wants to open a school for Monsters.
One person explains that Kate's dream is to open a school for monsters.

School for Monsters! School for lonely little Monsters! When me little, Going to school, Other children Think me not cool, Poking and pulling, At me fur... Now we have therapist, And work on this with her. But me no need me therapy If Monster School a reality!
Trekkie Monster sings about his experience of being bullied because of his fur and how a school for monsters would have helped him. He expresses his support for the idea of the school.

Trekkie! Where did you get all that money?!
Someone is surprised at the amount of money Trekkie Monster has given.

In volatile market, only stable investment is porn!
Trekkie Monster reveals that he has made money through the porn industry, which is a stable investment in a volatile market.

When you help others, You can't help helping yourself! Every time you do Good deeds, You're also serving your Own needs! When you help others, You can't help helping yourself!
All the characters sing about the benefits of helping others, which in turn benefits oneself.

Lyrics © IMAGEM U.S. LLC
Written by: JEFF MARX, ROBERT LOPEZ

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS