They enjoyed working together so much that they decided to create an album together. Co-written by all the group members, the songwriting and recording were accomplished over a ten-day period at Dave Stewart's house, as Dylan was due to go out on tour. Their first studio album, Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 was released on October 18, 1988. The band members were credited under various pseudonyms, all sons of a fictional Charles Truscott Wilbury, Sr. The album was immediately dubbed as one of the top 100 albums of all time by Rolling Stone, and was a critical and commercial success, spawning several successful singles and eventually reaching triple-platinum sales status in the US. Additionally, it was nominated for several awards and won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group in 1989.
The death of Orbison on December 6, 1988 prevented further full collaborations, and the band continued without him. In 1990, they released a second studio album titled Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3. The intentional misnumbering is attributed to Harrison's sense of humor; additionally, the pseudonyms for all members were changed. The album met with less success than its predecessor, and the group eventually disbanded in 1990, their final released recording being the song "Nobody's Child", the title track of a benefit album released to benefit Romanian orphans.
In 2007, a compilation of both albums was released, entitled The Traveling Wilburys Collection. As well as both of the original albums, the release included bonus tracks and music videos; additionally, previously uncredited session drummer Jim Keltner, who appeared in some of the group's music videos, was listed as a member of the group, as was Dhani Harrison, the son of George who had assisted in some parts of the overdubbing of the previously unreleased material.
Tweeter and the Monkey Man
Traveling Wilburys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They stayed up all night selling cocaine and hash
To an undercover cop who had a sister named Jan
For reasons unexplained she loved the Monkey Man
Tweeter was a Boy Scout 'fore she went to Vietnam
And found out the hard way, nobody gives a damn
They knew that they found freedom just across the Jersey line
And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
The undercover cop never liked the Monkey Man
Even back in childhood he wanted to see him in the can
Jan got married at fourteen to a racketeer named Bill
She made secret calls to the Monkey Man from a mansion on the hill
It was out on Thunder Road, Tweeter at the wheel
They crashed into paradise, they could hear them tires squeal
The undercover cop pulled up and said "Everyone of you is a liar
If you don't surrender now it's gonna go down to the wire"
And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
An ambulance rolled up, a state-trooper close behind
Tweeter took his gun away and messed up his mind
The undercover cop was left tied up to a tree
Near the souvenir stand, by the old abandoned factory
Next day the undercover cop was hot in pursuit
He was taking the whole thing personal, he didn't care about the loot
Jan had told him many times, "It was you to me who taught
In Jersey anything's legal as long as you don't get caught"
And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
Some place by Rahwey Prison they ran out of gas
The undercover cop had cornered them, said
"Boy, you didn't think this could last?"
Jan jumped out of bed, said, "There's someplace I gotta go"
She took the gun out of the drawer, said, "It's best that you don't know."
The undercover cop was found face down in a field
The Monkey Man was on the river bridge, using Tweeter as a shield
Jan said to the Monkey Man, "I'm not fooled by Tweeter's curl
I knew him long before he became a Jersey Girl"
And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
Now the town of Jersey City is quieting down again
I'm sitting in a gambling club called the Lion's Den
The TV set was blown up, every bit of it is gone
Ever since the nightly news showed that the Monkey Man was on
I guess I'll go to Florida and get myself some sun
There ain't no more opportunity here, everything's been done
Sometimes I think of Tweeter, sometimes I think of Jan
Sometimes I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man
And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
The Traveling Wilburys' song Tweeter and the Monkey Man tells a story of a couple hard up for cash who turn to selling drugs and eventually become embroiled in a crime spree that ends in tragedy. The song is notable for its references to Bruce Springsteen songs and its use of other iconic imagery from New Jersey, such as Thunder Road and Rahway Prison. The lyrics suggest that even when seeking freedom from the constraints of society, one can never truly escape the walls and consequences of their actions.
The song opens with Tweeter and the Monkey Man selling cocaine and hash to an undercover cop, leading to their introduction to the cop's sister, who is in love with the Monkey Man. Throughout the song, the characters cross over from New York to New Jersey, with Jan, who is married to a racketeer named Bill, making secret calls to the Monkey Man from her mansion on the hill. At one point, Tweeter and the Monkey Man crash into "paradise," which leads to a confrontation with the undercover cop. Tweeter takes the cop's gun, leaving him tied up to a tree, and the group continues their pursuit of freedom. However, the Monkey Man ends up using Tweeter as a shield when Jan reveals that she has a gun.
Overall, the lyrics of Tweeter and the Monkey Man suggest that while running from one's troubles may seem like a solution, it inevitably leads to more problems. The song also touches on themes of love and betrayal, with Jan's secret calls to the Monkey Man driving a wedge between her and her husband. The imagery of the song draws heavily from the landscape and culture of New Jersey, giving it a sense of place that adds to its depth and richness.
Line by Line Meaning
Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hard up for cash
Tweeter and Monkey Man were in financial trouble
They stayed up all night selling cocaine and hash
They sold illegal drugs until dawn
To an undercover cop who had a sister named Jan
They sold drugs to an undercover police officer whose sister was Jan
For reasons unexplained she loved the Monkey Man
Jan had an inexplicable love for the Monkey Man
Tweeter was a Boy Scout 'fore she went to Vietnam
Tweeter was a Boy Scout before she went to Vietnam
And found out the hard way, nobody gives a damn
She learned that no one cared about her hardships
They knew that they found freedom just across the Jersey line
They believed they could find freedom outside New Jersey
So they hopped into a stolen car, took Highway 99
They stole a car and drove on Highway 99
And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
The events that followed were chaotic and no one saw them coming or going
The undercover cop never liked the Monkey Man
The undercover cop disliked the Monkey Man
Even back in childhood he wanted to see him in the can
The cop harbored a grudge against the Monkey Man since childhood
Jan got married at fourteen to a racketeer named Bill
Jan married a criminal named Bill at the age of 14
She made secret calls to the Monkey Man from a mansion on the hill
Jan secretly contacted the Monkey Man while living in a mansion on a hill
It was out on Thunder Road, Tweeter at the wheel
Tweeter was driving on Thunder Road
They crashed into paradise, they could hear them tires squeal
Their car crashed and they heard the tires screech
The undercover cop pulled up and said "Everyone of you is a liar
If you don't surrender now it's gonna go down to the wire"
The cop arrived and threatened everyone with arrest
An ambulance rolled up, a state-trooper close behind
Tweeter took his gun away and messed up his mind
An ambulance and a state-trooper arrived and Tweeter disarmed the cop and confused him
The undercover cop was left tied up to a tree
Near the souvenir stand, by the old abandoned factory
The cop was tied to a tree near a souvenir stand by an abandoned factory
Next day the undercover cop was hot in pursuit
He was taking the whole thing personal, he didn't care about the loot
The next day the cop was determined to catch them and didn't care about the stolen items
Jan had told him many times, "It was you to me who taught
In Jersey anything's legal as long as you don't get caught"
Jan told the cop that he taught her that anything is legal in Jersey if you don't get caught
Some place by Rahwey Prison they ran out of gas
The undercover cop had cornered them, said
"Boy, you didn't think this could last?"
They ran out of gas near Rahwey Prison and the cop caught up to them
Jan jumped out of bed, said, "There's someplace I gotta go"
She took the gun out of the drawer, said, "It's best that you don't know."
Jan left and took the gun with her, telling the cop he didn't need to know where she was going
The undercover cop was found face down in a field
The Monkey Man was on the river bridge, using Tweeter as a shield
The cop was found dead in a field while the Monkey Man used Tweeter as a shield on the bridge
Jan said to the Monkey Man, "I'm not fooled by Tweeter's curl
I knew him long before he became a Jersey Girl"
Jan wasn't fooled by Tweeter's disguise and had known her before she became a Jersey Girl
Now the town of Jersey City is quieting down again
I'm sitting in a gambling club called the Lion's Den
The TV set was blown up, every bit of it is gone
Ever since the nightly news showed that the Monkey Man was on
The town is calm again and the singer is at a gambling club, the TV was destroyed after news of the Monkey Man's actions was shown
I guess I'll go to Florida and get myself some sun
There ain't no more opportunity here, everything's been done
Sometimes I think of Tweeter, sometimes I think of Jan
Sometimes I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man
The singer plans to go to Florida, feeling that there is no opportunity left in New Jersey. They reflect on Tweeter, Jan, and the Monkey Man.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind