Most of the band's equipment was purchased from thrift shops, and the band was known for stealing things out of clubs that didn't pay or treat them well. They often toured their native California in a vintage 1950s ambulance converted to a band "van" (the car was the same model as the Ghostbuster's). Their albums were recorded in their homes in a pre-digital age, mixing everything live and using no computers or dubbing of any kind.
On the Planet of the Apes
The Mummies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
not unlike my own.
Men were caged like beast
monkeys free to roam.
Soldier apes on horseback
soldier apes on foot.
Learned apes with orange hair,
give you dirty look.
Well you must fight to live,
You must fight to live,
You must fight to live,
You must fight to live,
On the planet of the apes!
Try and fight one ape
and much to my shagrin.
He began to speak to me
so I began to listen.
Well you must fight to live,
You must fight to live,
You must fight to live,
You must fight to live,
On the planet of the apes!
Realise this was terran soil.
This was to be man's fate.
Monkeys treating me like shit.
You stinking apes, you filthy apes.
Learn all their customs.
Never tell them no.
Ape shall not kill ape.
God help those who do.
You must fight to live,
You must fight to live,
You must fight to live
On the planet of the apes
The Mummies's "On the Planet of the Apes" portrays a narrative about a man landing on a distant planet that is similar to his own. However, he finds that the planet is ruled by apes and the humans are caged like beasts while the monkeys are free to roam. The planet is patrolled by soldier apes on horseback and foot, and the learned apes with orange hair give him a dirty look. The lyrics suggest that on this planet, the man must fight to live, a notion reiterated throughout the song. Despite his initial anger towards the apes, he soon realizes that he must learn their customs and never tell them no. The song ends with a warning that "ape shall not kill ape" and anyone who does so will face dire consequences.
The lyrics of "On the Planet of the Apes" offer subtle social commentary and satire about how humans sometimes treat each other as inferior beings. The narrative of the song serves as a cautionary tale for humanity, warning us to be mindful of how we treat other living beings. The song emphasizes the need for respect and understanding towards others, even on an alien planet. Moreover, the Mummies use the planet of the apes as a metaphor for a dystopian society, where power and control are concentrated among a select few.
Line by Line Meaning
I landed on a planet
I arrived on a foreign planet.
not unlike my own.
It appeared to have some similarities to my home planet.
Men were caged like beast
Human beings were confined like animals.
monkeys free to roam.
Meanwhile, monkeys were allowed to wander freely.
Soldier apes on horseback
Military primates were riding on horseback.
soldier apes on foot.
Other soldier apes were traversing the land on foot.
Learned apes with orange hair,
Some intelligent apes had orange hair.
give you dirty look.
These apes would give you a hostile stare.
Well you must fight to live,
It is imperative to engage in combat to survive.
You must fight to live,
Again, one must fight to stay alive.
Try and fight one ape
I attempted to brawl with a solitary ape.
and much to my shagrin.
To my disappointment, something unexpected occurred.
He began to speak to me
The ape surprisingly communicated with me.
so I began to listen.
I gradually started to hear out his words.
Realise this was terran soil.
I became aware that this was Earth's soil.
This was to be man's fate.
This was apparently the future of humanity.
Monkeys treating me like shit.
The primates were treating me very poorly.
You stinking apes, you filthy apes.
I directed an insult at the apes.
Learn all their customs.
I made an effort to familiarize myself with their ways.
Never tell them no.
One must avoid refusing their requests or commands.
Ape shall not kill ape.
The general rule is that primates must not kill other primates.
God help those who do.
Severe consequences await those who violate that code.
You must fight to live,
Once again, physical combat is a requirement for survival here.
You must fight to live,
Repeated for emphasis, fighting is a key aspect of life on this planet.
You must fight to live
The song's refrain underlines the importance of knowing how to fight in order to thrive or survive on this hostile planet.
Contributed by Elena W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@101Volts
Guitar Chords for "(You must fight to live) on the Planet of the Apes"
Intro - B major.
Verse - Bmaj, G5 (or Gmaj?) Bmaj.
Chorus: Alternating between Dmaj and C5 or Cmaj?
Interlude (Is that what to call this? The bit before the solo.) - F#, G#.
EDIT: I've written a guitar tab for this song. I've completed most of it, but I need to complete the solo and polish the tab before I publish it to Ultimate Guitar. Dated April 11, 2020.
@J.R.Psych74
Thanks Little Steven for playing this on his Halloween a go go. Awesome 👌
@commandergoliath6392
that trumpet or conchshell at the beginning, whatever it is, is so fucking cool. you MUST FIGHT TO LIVE
@britsoule4216
"Here come the Mummies" totally ripped these guys off...the REAL MUMMIES Rule...those Fake funk mummy posers are shameless thieves...It's like "Hey let's dress EXACTLY like KISS but don't play anything like them and call it "Here comes KISS"...I almost, mistakenly, went to see "Here come the Mummies"...but figured it out before I got duped....
@googleuser5032
I was wondering the same thing. Unbelievable.
@bababooey3579
I think here come the mummies are much better musicians.
@musicdump7795
@Baba Booey you really just said that on a MUMMIES video? you think we literally give a fuck if we're listening to The Mummies lol
@joebrewer4529
Yeah the title is so misleading of here come the mummies. So when it reads off in the local paper. It comes across as like a advertisement for the mummies. And I almost went to the show. I got on YouTube and saw a video and was completely disgusted that they had done this. It's like a form of misleading advertisement worked into a name.
@Dylan90210
Yeah, they suck pretty hardcore.
@ingallswilder123
My favorite song from the 80's garage scene.
@Mewted
This is from 1993.