Friendly Fire recording act, the Whitsundays are the brainchild of Paul Arn… Read Full Bio ↴Friendly Fire recording act, the Whitsundays are the brainchild of Paul Arnusch who assumes the Brian Wilson-esque role of the band's lead singer & songwriter. The group hail from Edmonton, Alberta in Canada where they craft reverb drenched pop with a 60's feel. They utilize older keyboards & vintage guitars to augment stylized vocal harmonies that have tonal & texture commonalities with other groups like XTC, The Zombies, Apples in Stereo, The Shins, and others.

Arnush also has played in the Faunts & The Floor

http://www.myspace.com/thewhitsundays

http://www.friendlyfirerecordings.com/Bands/Whitsundays/whitsundays.html

There's a Monkey on My Back
The Whitsundays Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't know just how it started
Broken, throwing stars in my neck
Dreams that go to sleep in silence
'Til they reappear

Pass my day to (?)
And I roam to far off places
Seize(?) the only difference there is

I will never know

(?) if I keep going there I'll
Always wanna go
And it comes
Like a ghost
Yeah, it comes
Then it goes

I know when things are (?)
When it's time to hit the sack
There's a monkey on my back
But when it's time to face the day
And the monkey goes away
Then I'm really feeling grey
Maybe I'll see another sign
You don't know what I might find
With a monkey in my spine
But when I try to stay on track
I'm still laying on this tack(?)
There's a monkey on my back

Somewhere out there you might find (?)
Lonely (?) organ grinder
Who's (?) his only sidekick
I know where it is

Faces coming through the window
Open doors inside my mind show
(?) something I'll need to find when
I don't know what's real

Something I don't wanna find out
'Til I know it's real
And it comes
Like a ghost
Yeah, it comes
Like a ghost
Yeah, it comes
Like a ghost

Yeah, it comes
Then it goes

Overall Meaning

The Whitsundays’ song “There’s a Monkey on My Back” seems to be about the feeling of being weighed down by something – whether it be a traumatic event, a mental health struggle, or a lingering addiction. The lyrics are cryptic and open to interpretation, but seem to suggest that the singer is haunted by something that they can’t quite shake. The phrase “there’s a monkey on my back” is a common idiom used to describe addiction, but the song’s lyrics are more abstract and can be interpreted in many different ways.

The opening lines suggest a kind of disorientation and physical pain – perhaps the singer is experiencing the after-effects of drug use or withdrawal. The lyrics “dreams that go to sleep in silence ‘til they reappear” suggest a pattern of recurring nightmares or flashbacks. The second verse introduces the image of an organ grinder and his sidekick, which could be a metaphor for the singer’s demons or personal struggles.

The chorus seems to describe the push-and-pull of the singer’s emotions – when they wake up in the morning feeling clear-headed, they feel “really grey” without the “monkey” weighing them down. But when they are feeling weighed down by their struggles, they can’t stay on track and feel like they are “laying on this tack” – perhaps a metaphor for feeling trapped or suffocated. The song ends on the image of a ghost, which could represent the lingering effects of trauma or addiction.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know just how it started
The singer is unsure of the origin of their current struggles

Broken, throwing stars in my neck
The singer feels physically and emotionally burdened

Dreams that go to sleep in silence
The singer's aspirations remain unspoken and unfulfilled

'Til they reappear
Until the artist is reminded of their dreams and desires

Pass my day to (?)
The artist spends their days distracted or avoiding their problems

And I roam to far off places
The singer seeks escape from their struggles by traveling to distant locations

Seize(?) the only difference there is
The singer tries to find something new or different in their travels but is ultimately unsuccessful

I will never know
The artist doubts they will ever find true fulfillment or happiness

(?) if I keep going there I'll Always wanna go
The artist fears that if they continue to flee from their problems, they will never be able to stop

And it comes Like a ghost
The artist's struggles come and go unexpectedly, like haunting apparitions

I know when things are (?)
The singer is aware of when they are struggling and need rest

When it's time to hit the sack
When it is time to sleep

There's a monkey on my back
The singer feels burdened by their problems

But when it's time to face the day And the monkey goes away
The singer feels relieved when they wake up and their problems are temporarily forgotten

Then I'm really feeling grey
The singer's mood is downcast or depressed

Maybe I'll see another sign You don't know what I might find With a monkey in my spine
The artist hopes for a sign or solution to their problems, but feels overwhelmed by them

But when I try to stay on track I'm still laying on this tack(?)
The artist struggles to stay focused and motivated

Somewhere out there you might find (?) Lonely (?) organ grinder Who's (?) his only sidekick I know where it is
The singer imagines a lone musician who has found contentment through their struggles

Faces coming through the window Open doors inside my mind show (?) something I'll need to find when I don't know what's real
The singer experiences vivid hallucinations or visions, which make it difficult for them to discern reality from fiction

Something I don't wanna find out 'Til I know it's real
The artist fears discovering an unpleasant truth and wishes to avoid it until they are certain

And it comes Like a ghost Yeah, it comes Like a ghost Yeah, it comes Like a ghost Yeah, it comes Then it goes
The artist's struggles and doubts persistently return but are ultimately fleeting

Contributed by Henry H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS