Formed in 1963 in Muswell Hill, North London, they first gained prominence on the heels of the well-received and highly influential single "You Really Got Me" (1964). The group originally consisted of lead singer/guitarist Ray Davies, his brother lead guitarist Dave Davies, drummer Mick Avory, and bassist Pete Quaife. Quaife left (twice) in the late 1960s, and Avory finally left in 1984 as the result of a long-running dispute with Dave Davies, leaving only the Davies brothers as the core of the original group.
With Ray Davies' songwriting skills and unabashedly English voices, Dave Davies' impressive guitar work, and Avory's tight and steady drumming, the band became one of the best and most influential groups of British pop and the "British Invasion" of the U.S.A., lasting longer than any of their competitors, apart from the Rolling Stones, as they broke up in 1996. Their catalogue of songs has been covered by Van Halen, The Pretenders, The Black Keys, The Stranglers, Queens of the Stone Age , and many more.
Members:
Ray Davies – vocals, rhythm guitar (1963–1996)
Dave Davies – lead guitar, vocals (1963–1996)
Pete Quaife – bass guitar (1963–1969)
John Dalton – bass guitar (1969–1976)
Andy Pyle – bass guitar (1976–1978)
Jim Rodford – bass guitar (1978–1996)
Mick Avory – drums (1963–1984)
Bob Henrit – drums (1984–1996)
John Gosling – keyboards, piano (1970–1978)
Gordon Edwards – keyboards, piano (1978–1979)
Ian Gibbons – keyboards, piano (1979–1989, 1993–1996)
Mark Haley – keyboards, piano (1989–1993)
Too Much Monkey Business
The Kinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never failed at the mill, there come a rotten bill.
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business,
Too much monkey business for me to be involved with you.
Salesman talkin' to me tryin' to run me up a creek,
Says you can buy it, go on try it, you can pay me next week.
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business,
Blond hair, good-looking, trying to get into get me married
Get a home, settle down by the book.
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved with you.
Same thing every day, getting up, going to school,
No need for me complaining, my objection's overruled.
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business,
Too much monkey business for me to be involved with you.
Oh!
Pay-phone, something¹s wrong, dime gone, will mail,
Oughta sue the operator for telling me a tale.
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business,
Too much monkey business for me to be involved with you.
Been to Yokohama, baby, fighting in the war,
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car.
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business,
Too much monkey business for me to be involved with you.
Working in the filling station, too many checks,
Wipe the windows, check the oil, check the tires, dollar gas?
Too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved with you.
The Kinks's song "Too Much Monkey Business" is a satirical take on the mundane and repetitive nature of everyday life. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is tired of the daily grind, from working at the mill to dealing with pushy salespeople to the pressures of getting married and settling down. The singer feels overwhelmed by the "monkey business" of modern life and declares that there's too much of it for them to bother getting involved with anyone.
The song's verses each describe a different scenario in which the singer is confronted with a situation that they find irritating or oppressive. For example, the first verse talks about working hard at the mill and then receiving a "rotten bill" - an all-too-common occurrence for anyone who's been stuck in a low-wage job. The second verse features a pushy salesman who tries to get the hero to buy something without upfront payment, while the third describes the pressure to get married and start a family. Each time, the singer declares that they want no part of the "monkey business" involved.
The lyrics are a great example of the Kinks's wit and social commentary, with a catchy tune that's impossible not to sing along to. The song's message still resonates with listeners today, reminding us that sometimes it's okay to take a step back and resist the daily grind.
Line by Line Meaning
Running to and fro, hard working at the mill,
I am constantly busy and working hard at my job in the mill.
Never failed at the mill, there come a rotten bill.
Despite my hard work, I received an unexpected and unfortunate bill from the mill.
Salesman talkin' to me tryin' to run me up a creek,
A salesman is trying to lead me into a difficult situation.
Says you can buy it, go on try it, you can pay me next week.
The salesman is urging me to buy something now and promise to pay later.
Blond hair, good-looking, trying to get into get me married
A woman with attractive qualities is attempting to convince me to marry her.
Get a home, settle down by the book.
She wants me to buy a home and live a conventional life with her.
Same thing every day, getting up, going to school,
My life is monotonous, consisting of the same routine day after day, including attending school.
No need for me complaining, my objection's overruled.
I cannot complain about my situation because it will not change.
Pay-phone, something’s wrong, dime gone, will mail,
I am having difficulty using a payphone, as I am short on change.
Oughta sue the operator for telling me a tale.
I feel the need to take legal action against the operator for not being truthful with me.
Been to Yokohama, baby, fighting in the war,
I have been away to Yokohama and fighting in a war.
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car.
My experience in the army was composed of basic accommodations, food, clothing, and transportation.
Working in the filling station, too many checks,
While working at a petrol station, I have encountered too many instances of receiving checks.
Wipe the windows, check the oil, check the tires, dollar gas?
The processes of washing car windows, checking oil and tires and selling gasoline only earn me a single dollar per customer.
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
비정한세상
[Verse 1]Running to and fro, hard working at the mill
Never failed at the mill, there come a rotten bill
[Chorus]
Too much monkey business for me to be involved with you
[Verse 2]Salesman talkin' to me, tryin' to run me up a creek
Says you can buy it, go on try it, you can pay me next week
[Verse 3]Blonde hair, good-looking, trying to get into get me married
Get a home, settle down by the book
[Verse 4]Same thing every day, getting up, going to school
No need for me complaining, my objection's overruled
[Verse 5]Payphone, something's wrong, dime gone, will mail
Oughta sue the operator for telling me a tale
[Verse 6]Been to Yokohama, baby, fighting in the war
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car
[Verse 7]Working in the filling station, too many checks
Wipe the windows, check the oil, check the tires, dollar gas?
Roar of 64
Actually this song was written by Chuck Berry, one of the two Berry selections from The Kinks 1st LP. This album is a classic!
1
The other being beautiful Delilah of course
Chaz Hernandez
Roar of 64 Signed to Frank Sinatra’s label Reprise Records. One of the first rock bands signed to the label
juha vesanen
You're right...! 🙂👍🏿👍🏿
Elf Sieben
Nothing beats the original, it is by Chuck after all, but the Kinks sped it up a notch and made it sound more metallic.
Joseph Nania
I CAN NEVER GET TOO MUCH OF THIS - GREAT TO HEAR THE KINKS ANYTIME - ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT
비정한세상
[Verse 1]Running to and fro, hard working at the mill
Never failed at the mill, there come a rotten bill
[Chorus]
Too much monkey business for me to be involved with you
[Verse 2]Salesman talkin' to me, tryin' to run me up a creek
Says you can buy it, go on try it, you can pay me next week
[Verse 3]Blonde hair, good-looking, trying to get into get me married
Get a home, settle down by the book
[Verse 4]Same thing every day, getting up, going to school
No need for me complaining, my objection's overruled
[Verse 5]Payphone, something's wrong, dime gone, will mail
Oughta sue the operator for telling me a tale
[Verse 6]Been to Yokohama, baby, fighting in the war
Army bunk, army chow, army clothes, army car
[Verse 7]Working in the filling station, too many checks
Wipe the windows, check the oil, check the tires, dollar gas?
Rick Creighton
Their first 4 albums are some of my favorites overall.
Townshend909
This is the 11th track of 14 off the debut album. Here are my thoughts. Another great chuck berry cover. You can here the influence here and love it my favorite part is the guitar solo 10/10
Captain Rhodes
Great cover but Chucks vocals are the best because he conveys the lyrics so well