The Monkey Song
Tim Noah Lyrics


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I want to do just what I please
Build a house up in the trees
Raise myself a family of monkeys.

I will have my own place
Where I can go at my own pace
No one will say wash your face
In my secret space.

I want to do just what I please
Build a house up in the trees
Raise myself a family of monkeys.

Every animal will be my friend
I'll learn their language if I can
They'll tell me jokes, stories and
I will understand.

I want to do just what I please
Build a house up in the trees
Raise myself a family of monkeys.

And on a rainy afternoon
I'll sip my soup without a spoon
And every night I'll watch the moon
From my tree top room.

I want to do just what I please
Build a hotel in the trees
And fill it up with families of rhinoceroses.





And zebras, and gazelles, and giraffes,
And hippopotamuses, and uh, maybe a few uh, armadillos.

Overall Meaning

In "The Monkey Song" by Tim Noah, the singer expresses his desire to build a house up in the trees and raise a family of monkeys. He dreams of having his own place where he can go at his own pace without anyone telling him what to do. He wants to build a secret space where he can live on his terms, free from any interference.


He also expresses his desire to learn the language of the animals and befriend them. He imagines that they will tell him jokes and stories, and he will understand them. He then envisions sipping soup on a rainy day without a spoon, watching the moon from his tree-top room every night.


Finally, the singer dreams of building a hotel in the trees and filling it up with families of rhinoceroses, zebras, gazelles, giraffes, hippopotamuses, and maybe a few armadillos. The song celebrates the beauty and simplicity of nature and highlights the singer's desire to live a life free of social norms and constraints.


Line by Line Meaning

I want to do just what I please
I desire complete freedom to live life on my own terms.


Build a house up in the trees
I want to build a house in the trees, away from the noise of the world.


Raise myself a family of monkeys.
I want to create a family of monkeys to live with me and keep me company.


I will have my own place
I want to have my own private space where I can be alone and do my own thing.


Where I can go at my own pace
I want to live life without any rush or hurry, taking things as they come.


No one will say wash your face
I don't want anyone to order me to do something against my wishes.


In my secret space.
I want to keep my space a secret from everyone else.


Every animal will be my friend
I want to be friends with all the animals, regardless of their appearance or nature.


I'll learn their language if I can
I want to learn the language of animals to better communicate and understand them.


They'll tell me jokes, stories and
I believe animals have a sense of humor and can tell interesting stories.


I will understand.
I will try to understand and interpret animals' words and actions.


And on a rainy afternoon
During rainy days, I want to relax and take it easy.


I'll sip my soup without a spoon
I want to enjoy my soup without traditional utensils, in a simpler way.


And every night I'll watch the moon
I want to appreciate the beauty of the moon every night from my tree-top house.


From my tree top room.
My room will be high up in the trees, enjoying nature's beauty and peace.


Build a hotel in the trees
Besides my private tree-top house, I also want to create a hotel for animals and their families.


And fill it up with families of rhinoceroses.
I want to welcome families of rhinoceroses to my tree-top hotel and make them feel at home.


And zebras, and gazelles, and giraffes,
I also want other animals to come and stay at my hotel.


And hippopotamuses, and uh, maybe a few uh, armadillos.
I want to welcome a diverse group of animals to my hotel, including hippopotamuses and armadillos.




Contributed by Hudson K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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