There are five bands called The Monroes.

1. A new wave / power pop b… Read Full Bio ↴There are five bands called The Monroes.

1. A new wave / power pop band from San Diego, California consisting of Eric Denton (keyboards), Bob “Monroe” Davis (bass), Jesus Ortiz (vocals), Rusty Jones (guitar), and Jonnie Gilstrap (drums). They released a self-titled EP in 1982, and are best known for the song “What Do All The People Know?”

2. A Rock / Emo band from Pretoria, South Africa. Not too long ago in a land where musical creativity had become a scarcity, destiny inspired The Monroes. Through numerous auditions, ensuring the ideal artist for each spot, the band was carefully designed. The music, however, developed intuitively into something unlike anything written before. Most closely described as melodic hard rock, characterized by distinct guitar riffs and solos, the compositions creatively flourished. Orchestrated by fate, with an innovative sound, The Monroes are tenaciously dealing a shockingly ever after. See http://www.myspace.com/themonroesrockband for more.

3. A Norwegian pop band.They first started out in 1982.The members were Lage Fossheim(singer)and Eivind Rølles(percussion and backing vocals). Their first huge hit, 'Sunday People',sold 130 000 copies in Norway.'Cheerio' became even more popular, it sold 250 000 copies. The first release, 'Sunday People' reached Number 1 in the Norwegian charts in 1983 and stayed there for 7 weeks. Subsequent releases showed their staying power for well over a decade. The Band split in 1987 citing "being exhausted from 5 years of constant gigs and recording" but reformed in 1993 to land yet another hit 'Just Another Normal Day' that reached Number 2 for 1 week in the Norwegian charts. From 1983 - 1993 the duo also released 5 albums to critical and chart success starting with 'Sunday People' and 'Face Another Day' both of which reached Number 1 in the album charts in '83 and '85 respectively. Their greatest Hits album 'Absolute Monroes' also peaked at Number 11 in the album charts in 1993.

Eivind Rølles 1959-2013 Lage Fosheim 1958-2013 R.I.P.

4. The Monroes from The Netherlands, www.themonroes.nl, was founded in november ‘03 in Groningen. They developed their characteristic sound by covering songs from their own heroes. At first they played songs from garagerockers The Sonics, the sixtiesbeat band Shocking Blue but also soul queen Irma Thomas. Within a few months the covers were replaced by thier own numbers. The music which arose is an exciting mix of garagerock and soul from the fifties & sixties, but also the sound of the modern Detroit guitarbands can be heard in their music. Within a year they played at festivals such as Eurosonic and Metropolis and at VPRO's Club3voor12. BBC's Radio One regularly played their demo-cds and singles. Nowadays they have been discovered and booked by the programmers from clubs as The Dirty water club in London and La Fleche d'Or in Paris. The long-awaited debut-cd was released in September ‘09.

5. A Norwich based indie/punk group consisting of Jamie Delaney (vocals and guitar), David Jarmy (bass and vocals) and Lenny Rout (drums and vocals). They were first noticed nationally after winning a spot supporting The View at their gig at the UEA LCR.

Heaven Can Wait
The Monroes Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All the kids
Having fun
It′s Christmas you know.

Johnny back in '64
Drinking to himself.

He was celebrating Christmas on a public bench.

The sky was like a lighted roof
Put was only white.
And our Johnny
Saw the light.

Christmas eve was rolling in
And angels sang.
Same old songs they use to do.
And Johnny looked up
His voice was almost bright
As a shadow through the night.

Heaven can wait
It′s early but it's getting too late.
Heaven can wait
It's early that′s is getting too late
Heaven can wait
It′s early but it's getting too late.

Heaven can wait
It′s early that's is getting too late

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to The Monroes' song "Heaven Can Wait" tell the story of Johnny, a man who finds himself alone on Christmas in 1964. The song begins by describing the joy and excitement of all the kids having fun during Christmas time. However, Johnny is portrayed as a loner, spending his time drinking alone on a public bench. Despite his isolation, Johnny sees the beauty in the sky, which is described as a lighted roof, although it is only white. This imagery suggests that Johnny finds some solace or hope in the simplicity of his surroundings.

As Christmas Eve approaches, angels begin to sing the same old songs they always do. Johnny looks up and his voice, perhaps filled with longing or melancholy, carries through the night like a shadow. The repetition of the phrase "Heaven can wait, it's early but it's getting too late" reinforces the contrasting emotions within Johnny. On one hand, he recognizes that it may be too early for heaven, indicating a desire to continue living. However, the latter part of the line suggests that time is passing and it may soon be too late for him to find happiness or fulfillment.

Overall, the lyrics of "Heaven Can Wait" explore themes of loneliness, longing, and the passage of time. It offers a poignant reflection on the contrasting experiences during the holiday season, where even in moments of celebration, some individuals may find themselves feeling disconnected or isolated.

Line by Line Meaning

All the kids
Every child

Having fun
Enjoying themselves

It's Christmas you know.
Because it's Christmas time.

Johnny back in '64
Johnny, in the year 1964

Drinking to himself.
Drinking alcohol alone.

He was celebrating Christmas on a public bench.
He was observing Christmas while sitting on a public bench.

The sky was like a lighted roof
The sky appeared as a brightly lit roof.

Put was only white.
But it was only white.

And our Johnny
And our Johnny (referring to the previously mentioned Johnny)

Saw the light.
Saw a heavenly or enlightening experience.

Christmas eve was rolling in
The night before Christmas was approaching.