Darnielle began the new millennium with The Coroner's Gambit for Absolutely Kosher before signing to 4AD for the release of the surprisingly polished Tallahassee in 2002. We Shall All Be Healed followed in 2004, and one year later, Darnielle was back with The Sunset Tree. Remaining as prolific as ever, Darnielle turned away from the intensity of The Sunset Tree for a calmer, more reflective set of songs on 2006's Get Lonely. The accessible and assured Heretic Pride appeared in 2008. Next up was the Bible verse-inspired The Life of the World to Come, the group's sixth album for 4AD, in 2010. Switching to Merge Records in 2011, Darnielle released All Eternals Deck, which was recorded in four different studios in Brooklyn, Boston, North Carolina, and Florida with four different producers -- John Congleton, Scott Solter, Brandon Eggleston, and Morbid Angel guitarist and Hate Eternal frontman Erik Rutan -- helming various tracks. That year the band was also handpicked by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that he was curating in Minehead, England, but they were ultimately unable to appear due to scheduling issues.
The Monkey Song
The Mountain Goats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The planets in the heavens are perfectly aligned
I take in my surroundings
I memorize them all
The scuff marks on the stone floor,
The powder burns on the eastern wall
There's a monkey in the basement
There's a monkey in the basement
Where did the monkey come from?
Where did the monkey come from?
Where did the monkey come from?
The animal noises you used to make
The andalusian coral snake
All hail when standing beside this room
And the heavy hot rains and the sonic boom
There's a monkey in the basement
Where did the monkey come from?
There's a monkey in the basement
How did the monkey get there?
How did the monkey get there?
How did the monkey get there?
The Mountain Goats's song The Monkey Song is a song that is full of mystery and intrigue. The song begins with the image of cool air falling through the venetian blinds and the planets in the heavens aligning perfectly. The singer takes in his surroundings and memorizes every detail. He notices the scuff marks on the stone floor and powder burns on the eastern wall. All of a sudden, there is a shift in tone, and we hear the repeated chorus, "There's a monkey in the basement. How did the monkey get there? Where did the monkey come from?"
The lyrics of the song are shrouded in ambiguity, and it is left up to the listener to come up with their interpretation. However, some possible interpretations could be that the monkey represents something exotic and unexpected, like a shift in the status quo. It could be seen as a symbol of chaos and unpredictability that throws the singer off-balance. The singer seems to be disturbed by the monkey's presence, but it is unclear whether the monkey is real or a metaphor for something else. The animal noises and references to a coral snake add to the sense of unease and tension within the lyrics.
Overall, the Monkey Song is a song that leaves room for many different interpretations. It is a song that creates a sense of unease and tension with its mysterious lyrics and shifting tone.
Line by Line Meaning
Cool air falls through the venetian blinds and
I notice the sensation of the cool breeze coming through the blinds and
The planets in the heavens are perfectly aligned
I observe the perfection of the alignment of the planets in the sky while
I take in my surroundings
I examine and absorb my environment by focusing on the details of
I memorize them all
I commit all the details to my memory by making sure to remember
The scuff marks on the stone floor,
I notice the marks left on the stone floor by shoes or objects that have scraped against it and
The powder burns on the eastern wall
I see the marks left by gunpowder on the wall and wonder how they got there by looking at
There's a monkey in the basement
I am surprised to find out that there is a monkey in the basement
How did the monkey get there?
I wonder how the monkey could have possibly ended up in the basement and try to figure out
Where did the monkey come from?
I question where the monkey originated or who brought it here by asking myself
The animal noises you used to make
I recall the sounds that you would make imitating animals and
The andalusian coral snake
I remember the specific type of snake that is native to Andalusia and
All hail when standing beside this room
I acknowledge the power and presence of something or someone when I am near this room and
And the heavy hot rains and the sonic boom
I think of intense weather conditions and sudden explosive sounds like that of an explosion and imagine their impact on
How did the monkey get there?
I am still curious about how the monkey ended up in the basement and continue to wonder
There's a monkey in the basement
I am still in disbelief that there is actually a monkey in the basement
How did the monkey get there?
I continue to ponder and try to figure out the mysterious circumstances behind how the monkey got into the basement
Where did the monkey come from?
I am still puzzled as to the monkey's origin or how it got here and can't help but wonder
Contributed by Camilla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.