God's Monkey
Robert Fripp Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

One push
You fall in
Born in darkness
Built on shame
And hurting
Filled with silence
Filled with silence
And stars
Stars
Stars
Find the ladder
Climb the ladder
To god's monkey
No songs
To sing
That I believe in
That I believe in
Can't breathe the air
It's too thin
This far from heaven
This far from heaven
And stars
Stars
Find the ladder




Climb the ladder
To god's monkey.

Overall Meaning

The Robert Fripp & David Sylvian song "God's Monkey" evokes the emotional and physical journey of an individual struggling to overcome their own personal darkness and shame, to find a connection to something greater than themselves. The opening line "One push, You fall in" sets the tone for the rest of the song as it describes the moment of falling into one's own darkness. The following line "Born in darkness, built on shame" further emphasizes the gravity and cumulative nature of the struggle with the self. The next lines "And hurting, filled with silence" and "Filled with silence and stars" suggest a sense of isolation, emptiness, and a desperate longing for connection with something beyond oneself.


The song's chorus highlights the pathway to a greater sense of connection with the world, and with oneself. "Find the ladder, climb the ladder, to God's monkey" suggests a spiritual climb towards becoming one's own "higher self" and transcending the limited and isolating experience of one's personal trauma. The final lines of the song "No songs to sing that I believe in, can't breathe the air it's too thin, this far from heaven" further emphasize the struggle of feeling disconnected, isolated, and cut off from the world around them. The final repetition of "stars" is a poignant reminder of the beauty and wonder of the universe, and perhaps, an invitation to look beyond oneself for a sense of connection and meaning.


Line by Line Meaning

One push
Starting with a single push, it all begins


You fall in
You become a part of it, the darkness and the shame


Born in darkness
The beginning is in darkness, in obscurity


Built on shame
The foundation of this way of life is shame, and it is constructed on that basis


And hurting
Pain and suffering are a part of it as well


Filled with silence
It is a lonely, silent existence


Filled with silence
The silence is not broken by anyone or anything


And stars
But there is a beauty to be found in the heavens above


Stars
The stars are constant, they do not judge or interfere


Stars
The stars shine down on all, equally


Find the ladder
There is a way out, a path to something else


Climb the ladder
It requires effort and perseverance to reach it


To god's monkey
This is the destination, a metaphorical place where one can find a new way of being


No songs
There are no hymns or odes that speak to this way of thinking


To sing
There is no expression of joy or hope


That I believe in
There is no faith, no creed to follow


That I believe in
The artist is looking for something to believe in


Can't breathe the air
The air is too thin, too rarefied


It's too thin
The environment is not conducive to life as we know it


This far from heaven
The situation is far from perfect, far from what one might consider ideal


This far from heaven
The artist is speaking figuratively, not literally about heaven


And stars
But the stars remain, a constant reminder of the beauty that lies beyond


Stars
Those same stars that were mentioned earlier


Find the ladder
The call to action is repeated, it is important and urgent


Climb the ladder
The singer is urging us to take action, to make the effort


To god's monkey.
We must find our way to that better place, to that new way of living




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT FRIPP, DAVID SYLVIAN, DAVID JOHN BOTTRILL, TREY GUNN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@MrBricameron

I love the bass on this. Great interplay with the other musicians.

@PrimitiveInTheExtreme

2 music legends together, it could only come out a wonderful album.

@01aleph

A brilliant album by two great musicians.

@kathowed

For mine, one of the best musical collaborations of the '90s.

@asmrwithannie

Wow, the last time I listened to Dave Sylvian was when he sang Quiet Life, one of my all time fave songs. So cool this popped up in my recommendations.

@xanaxddu71

Lol you have to recollect to some albums after japan era

@polar_fox24

Quiet life is a masterpiece

@Getpojke

Two of my favourite artists, enjoyed these collaborations very much.

@ArtbyPaulPetro

One of my fave albums from that awful man! A friend gifted me the CD not long after it was released because they knew I would enjoy it. they were right and i still enjoy it!

@Kraatzman

I played the hell out of this album. It was also a great tour. LA at the Wiltern Theater.

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