The Worms came together in 1991 to do a few spots on campus radio station CFRC in Kingston, Ontario, and quickly moved to doing spots on the CBC Radio One. Since 1992, the troupe has released 11 albums on their own label and one compilation album under Oglio Records. Their most recent album, Torpid, was released in late 2008. The Worms are currently touring Canada in support of their recent album.
Each album consists mostly of independent tracks paying homage, always humourosly, to different genres and topics. Two exceptions are the 1997 Christmas Turkey, dedicated to songs about Christmas, and the 2003 Semi-Conducted, which is a collection of their songs performed live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Rock, folk, ballads, country, Celtic folk, and children's music all have come under their satirical guns.
When not spoofing a particular style of music, the Worms' material pokes fun at various aspects of daily life in Canada with songs like "Canada's Really Big", "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate", "Me Like Hockey", "Rocks and Trees", and "Proud to Be Canadian".
The Arrogant Worms currently consist of:
Chris Patterson - Bass guitar and vocals
Mike McCormick - Guitar and vocals
Trevor Strong - Vocals and "things"
Former members of the Arrogant Worms include:
John Whytock - left after C'est Cheese
Steve Wood - left after The Arrogant Worms
Albums:
1992 The Arrogant Worms
1994 Russell's Shorts
1995 C'est Cheese
1997 Live Bait (live)
1997 Christmas Turkey
1999 Dirt!
2001 Idiot Road
2002 Gift Wrapped: The Best of the Arrogant Worms
2003 Semi-Conducted (live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra)
2004 Toast! (live)
2006 Beige
2008 Torpid (live)
The Monkey Song
The Arrogant Worms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not saying you have to but it's an interesting theory
Darwin said we all evolve from monkeys
If his theory is accurate and who am I to say?
Does the opposite work going the other way?
If it does I wanna devolve back to a monkey
I wanna be a monkey that's for sure
I would sit around all day just eating bananas
I might be naked or just wear pyjamas
And make my money appearing in hilarious movies
Monkey see, monkey do
That would be my excuse
It's not my fault, I'm just a monkey who can see
I wanna be a monkey, that'd be nice
I wanna be a monkey, eating other monkey's lice
When they say it's so easy that a monkey could do it
I'd be more than happy to prove it
Then you'd know for sure if it was easy or not
And if you wanna see the home of Michael Jackson
I could provide some simian distraction
Cuz we all know monkeys are Michael's second biggest weakness
I wanna be a monkey yes I do
I wanna be a monkey and fling my poo
I wanna be a monkey
I'd be agape if I was an ape
What a thrilla to be a gorilla
It would rock to be a macaque
I wanna be a monkey
The Monkey Song by The Arrogant Worms is a fun, lighthearted tune that explores the idea of devolving back to a monkey. The lyrics playfully reference Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, questioning whether it would be possible to reverse the process and become a monkey again. The singer expresses a desire to live a carefree life as a monkey, spending their days eating bananas and making money by starring in funny movies.
The lyrics are meant to be humorous and satirical, poking fun at our society's obsession with progress and success. By expressing a desire to regress to a simpler, more primal state, the singer is suggesting that maybe we should all slow down and enjoy life a bit more. Additionally, the line "It's not my fault, I'm just a monkey who can see" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the phrase "monkey see, monkey do", suggesting that we can't be blamed for our actions because we're just following our instincts.
Overall, The Monkey Song is a feel-good tune that encourages us to embrace our inner animal and let loose a little. It reminds us that sometimes it's okay to take a step back and enjoy the simpler things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
If you believe in Darwin's theory
If you accept and acknowledge the theory put forward by Charles Darwin
I'm not saying you have to but it's an interesting theory
I'm not implying that you must believe it but it's fascinating
Darwin said we all evolve from monkeys
According to Darwin, all humans originate from the common ancestor of modern monkeys
If his theory is accurate and who am I to say?
If his hypothesis is correct, which I can't confirm nor deny
Does the opposite work going the other way?
Can the reverse process work, sending humans back to being monkeys?
If it does I wanna devolve back to a monkey
If it's possible, I would like to go back to the state of being a monkey
I wanna be a monkey that's for sure
I am confident that I want to exist as a monkey
I wanna be a monkey like Curious George
I aspire to be a monkey similar to the beloved monkey character Curious George
I would sit around all day just eating bananas
I would pass my entire day munching on ripe yellow bananas
I might be naked or just wear pyjamas
I could be in the nude or wear cozy sleeping clothes
And make my money appearing in hilarious movies
I could generate an income by participating in amusing films
Monkey see, monkey do
I learn by observing and imitating others
That would be my excuse
I could use this statement as my justification
It's not my fault, I'm just a monkey who can see
It's not my fault if I commit mistakes, for I'm just a monkey who learns by sight
I wanna be a monkey, that'd be nice
Being a monkey would be delightful to me
I wanna be a monkey, eating other monkey's lice
I want to be a monkey who consumes parasites from other monkeys
When they say it's so easy that a monkey could do it
When people claim that a task is so effortless that even a monkey can handle it
I'd be more than happy to prove it
I would gladly demonstrate that I can accomplish the task
Then you'd know for sure if it was easy or not
Following that, you would be sure if the job was simple or challenging
And if you wanna see the home of Michael Jackson
If you wish to observe the residence of Michael Jackson
I could provide some simian distraction
I could offer some monkey entertainment to distract you from the main subject
Cuz we all know monkeys are Michael's second biggest weakness
Because it's well known that monkeys are one of Michael's close affinities after children
I wanna be a monkey yes I do
I absolutely desire to be a monkey
I wanna be a monkey and fling my poo
I would like to be a monkey who throws his feces around
I wanna be a monkey
To be precise, I want to evolve back into a monkey
I'd be agape if I was an ape
I would be astonished if I transformed into an ape
What a thrilla to be a gorilla
How thrilling it would be to exist as a strong and mighty gorilla
It would rock to be a macaque
It would be awesome to become a macaque and revel in their unique features
I wanna be a monkey
In conclusion, my ultimate desire is to convert back into a monkey
Contributed by Alexander T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.