The same group released Everyday I Wear A Greasy Black Feather On My Hat in '95 under the name Moondog Jr., and shortly thereafter were legally forced to change their name again. They settled on Zita Swoon, which means 'intense desire'. The success of the album resulted in invitations to the Lowlands, Pinkpop and Torhout festivals. They also appeared live on MTV that year in Most Wanted with Michael Blair.
Their first appearance in the US was at the South by Southwest festival in '98. Zita Swoon has played at numerous locations, from New York to the Belgian Rock Werchter festival, the Holland Festival and also in Germany. They have been awarded the title Cultural Ambassador of Flanders in '99 (after DAAU and dEUS) and their work has been supported by the government with 1.5 million Francs.
Moondance
Zita Swoon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The monkey's sin
The monkey with a golden skin
He got news from the diamonds
The monkey's wall
The Monkey's call
The Monkey with the golden skin
Somebody told me so
I can't dance to the diamonds
I think I'll better go
My moon don't mind
It's light just grinds
The faces of the neverminds
They got their eye on the diamonds
The monkey's will's
Tmonkey's thrill
The monkey with the golden skills
He got news from the diamonds
The monkey's - a rocket don't fly
The monkey's - a tears don't cry
He got news from the diamonds
He got news from my hometown
He says the sun don't shine
He came down with the rainfall
And let the moon behind
And that ain't right
The monkey's pride ain't right
The song "Moondance" by Zita Swoon employs a surreal style of writing that is open to interpretation. The opening lines, "The monkey's in, the monkey's sin, the monkey with a golden skin, he got news from the diamonds," may refer to the idea of a figure or a group in power, possibly political or economic, represented by the "monkey with a golden skin." These figures receive news and information from a source represented by the "diamonds." The idea of "sin" may imply a corruptive nature to this power structure, possibly referring to how they exploit their influence for personal gain.
Later in the song, the lyrics, "My moon don't mind, it's light just grinds, the faces of the neverminds, they got their eye on the diamonds," seems to imply that the "moon" represents a more positive, perhaps even revolutionary force. It is uninterested in material wealth and instead focused on "grinding the faces" of those who are blinded by the allure of riches.
The song also touches on themes of disillusionment and displacement with the lyrics, "He got news from my hometown, he says the sun don't shine, he came down with the rainfall, and let the moon behind, and that ain't right, the monkey's pride ain't right." Here, the hometown represents a place of comfort and familiarity, which the character has had to abandon for an unknown reason. The "monkey's pride" emphasizes the pain and alienation that the singer is feeling.
Overall, the lyrics of "Moondance" by Zita Swoon are evocative of a dreamlike world, filled with surreal imagery that is open to interpretation. It touches on themes of power, corruption, disillusionment, and displacement.
Line by Line Meaning
The monkey's in
The monkey is present
The monkey's sin
The monkey is committing a sin
The monkey with a golden skin
The monkey has golden skin
He got news from the diamonds
He received news from the diamonds
The monkey's wall
The monkey's barrier
The Monkey's call
The monkey's summons
Somebody told me so
I was informed by someone
I can't dance to the diamonds
I cannot dance to the diamonds
I think I'll better go
I believe I should leave
My moon don't mind
My moon is indifferent
It's light just grinds
Its light sharpens
The faces of the neverminds
The faces of those who don't care
They got their eye on the diamonds
They are focused on the diamonds
The monkey's will's
The monkey's intentions
Tmonkey's thrill
The monkey's excitement
The monkey with the golden skills
The monkey possesses golden skills
He got news from the diamonds
He received news from the diamonds
The monkey's - a rocket don't fly
The monkey's rocket cannot fly
The monkey's - a tears don't cry
The monkey does not cry tears
He got news from my hometown
He received news from my hometown
He says the sun don't shine
He says the sun isn't shining
He came down with the rainfall
He descended with the rain
And let the moon behind
And left the moon behind
And that ain't right
And that is not proper
The monkey's pride ain't right
The monkey's pride is not proper
Contributed by Ethan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.