Suns of the Tundra are a recent incarnation of the early 90s prog-tinged hard rock band Peach, playing in the vein of 90s-era Tool. Justin Chancellor may have left the band to join MJK's platinum-selling project, but he has certainly left his mark. SotT's music is still saturated with his bass lines, but don't make the mistake of thinking that this is a clone of Tool, or that the bassist is just emulating Chancellor! Rob Havis and Andy Marlowe certainly do introduce their own styles to the mix.
Suns are unique in many ways from both Tool and Peach, but the effect these bands have had on each other is undeniably obvious.
Monkey Dance
Suns of the Tundra Lyrics
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It's all I want,
So is it all you can do to fake a smile and smell the cheap perfume,
The monkeys dance,
What do you do?
The camera will make you beautiful,
My turn,
My turn,
And if your caught without a smile,
The photographs will black your answers out,
Not a choice,
No other way,
No other way to make you beautiful,
Oh so beautiful,
Beautiful,
So beautiful,
So was it good,
You tried it on,
You got some porn and raise and videos too,
You took a chance,
What did I do,
I sat and watched you fail so beautifully,
Time,
Time,
Time,
Something's not here,
Something's not here,
Your not even here....
The lyrics of Suns of the Tundra's song "Monkey Dance" could be interpreted as criticism towards society's obsession with beauty and the lengths people will go to achieve it. The singer seems to be addressing someone who is participating in a photo shoot or some other kind of performance, possibly modeling or acting. The singer is waiting for their own turn, but it seems like they're deeply sceptical about the whole thing. The line "So is it all you can do to fake a smile and smell the cheap perfume" suggests that the person in the spotlight is not enjoying themselves, but is only going through the motions. The metaphor "The monkeys dance, what do you do?" implies that this person is just one of many who are all performing for the sake of an audience.
When the singer does get their turn, they seem to have a change of heart. The line "No other way to make you beautiful, oh so beautiful" suggests that they too have bought into the idea that beauty is essential. But the next line that follows makes one's interpretation uncertain: when the person in the spotlight fails, the singer describes it as being "beautiful". This could be interpreted as putting down the people who value beauty and the lengths they will go to achieve it, but it's also possible that the singer is suggesting that true beauty lies in imperfection.
Overall, the song can be interpreted in many different ways it seems to be a commentary on society's preoccupation with beauty and artificiality. The lyrics suggest that conformity can make people "beautiful" but ultimately, it's just a facade.
Line by Line Meaning
And then it was my turn,
It's finally my turn to be in the spotlight.
It's all I want,
Being seen and recognized is the only thing I desire.
So is it all you can do to fake a smile and smell the cheap perfume,
Are you only capable of pretending to be happy and ignoring the unpleasant things around you?
The monkeys dance,
People perform without a sense of purpose or meaning, like monkeys in a circus.
What do you do?
How do you react to this meaningless dance of life?
The camera will make you beautiful,
The illusion of beauty can be created through the lens of a camera.
My turn,
Now it's my chance to take center stage.
My turn,
I won't let anyone steal my moment in the spotlight.
It's all I want,
Once again, being recognized and celebrated is all I desire.
And if your caught without a smile,
If you're not smiling, you'll be marked as a failure.
The photographs will black your answers out,
If you're not smiling or presenting the desired image, your true thoughts and feelings will be obscured in the resulting photo.
Not a choice,
There is no option to be anything other than what's expected.
No other way,
There are no alternative paths to success or beauty.
No other way to make you beautiful,
Conforming to the expected image and behavior is the only way to achieve the illusion of beauty and success.
Oh so beautiful,
But the beauty is ultimately shallow and empty.
Beautiful,
The veneer of beauty is all that truly matters in this world.
So beautiful,
Being seen as beautiful is the ultimate goal.
So was it good,
Did you live up to the expected image and behavior?
You tried it on,
You attempted to be the ideal image of beauty and success.
You got some porn and raise and videos too,
You collected material possessions as symbols of your success and beauty.
You took a chance,
You risked failure in order to achieve the expected image of success and beauty.
What did I do,
I watched you follow the same meaningless path as everyone else.
I sat and watched you fail so beautifully,
Despite your success and beauty, you still ultimately failed to achieve meaning and purpose.
Time,
The passage of time.
Time,
The fleeting nature of time and the opportunities it presents.
Time,
A reminder that everything will eventually fade away, including beauty and success.
Something's not here,
Despite achieving the expected image and behavior, there is still an emptiness and lack of meaning.
Something's not here,
Success and beauty alone do not bring fulfillment or happiness.
Your not even here....
Even though you've achieved the expected image and behavior, you've lost your true self in the process and are no longer truly present in your own life.
Contributed by Aria M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.