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The Rolling Stones — Monkey Man
Album: Let It Bleed
Avg rating:
7.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 3286









Released: 1969
Length: 4:03
Plays (last 30 days): 3
Im a fleabit peanut monkey
All my friends are junkies
That's not really true

Im a cold italian pizza
I could use a lemon squeezer
What you do?

But Ive been bit and Ive been tossed around
By every she-rat in this town
Have you, babe?

Well, I am just a monkey man
Im glad you are a monkey woman too

I was bitten by a boar
I was gouged and I was gored
But I pulled on through

Yes, Im a sack of broken eggs
I always have an unmade bed
Don't you?

Well, I hope we're not too messianic
Or a trifle too satanic
We love to play the blues

Well I am just a monkey man
Im glad you are a monkey, monkey woman too, babe

Im a monkey
Im a monkey
Im a monkey man
Im a monkey man
Im a monkey...
Comments (349)add comment
Iconic bridge
Does it get any better than this?
on this one, you feel their pure joy to rock & roll, brilliant
 phlattop wrote:



I miss WNEW.



Me too!
 Sweet_Virginia wrote:

Could ONLY be the stones.



It's because of them guitar rifts. 
I never realized until now just how hard Mick is selling the monkey thing on this one.
 newbolddrive wrote:

I only discovered this song a few months ago (via RP of course) and it is one of my favourite Stones songs now.



Man, if that's true, I'm so old, lol.
Shock the Monkey, Man.
Def in my 4 favorite stones albums. The whole thing rocks.
I only discovered this song a few months ago (via RP of course) and it is one of my favourite Stones songs now.
Could ONLY be the stones.
 eileenomurphy wrote:



I agree! When it first came out in 1969, they played it a lot on WNEW FM 102.7 NYC! ...totally cool!



I miss WNEW.
Prob the MOST underrated Stones song.   Thanks for playing!
 kenbelanger wrote:


Cant stop staring.


Ohhh The Monkey Man !!!!
Nothing special here. I like good hooks and melodies. And if not, something at least with an interesting atmosphere. This is just barroom filler.
 uksminas wrote:



Is that better than a monkey on your back?
EXCELLENT!!! ICONIC!!!
 cbhutchinson50 wrote:


Yes but please tune your guitar, Keith!

HEAVEN FORBID!!!
 uksminas wrote:
&ct=g


Cant stop staring.
 On_The_Beach wrote:

Loved this song from the first time I heard it.
It's tons of fun and kicks ass at the same time.




I agree! When it first came out in 1969, they played it a lot on WNEW FM 102.7 NYC! ...totally cool!
&ct=g
… and I hope we’re not too messianic, or a trifle too satanic … Yes pls, I’d like to be
Loved this song from the first time I heard it.
It's tons of fun and kicks ass at the same time.
52 years young. Sounds so fresh.
Always loved this song in high school when you'd get so frustrated with all the bullshit that you wanted to flip off the whole world. This is the soundtrack for that adrenalized Monkey Man rage.
 iloveradio wrote:
Let It Bleed is one of the great albums of the 1960s and beyond. The Stones live performance of Gimme Shelter in 2014 at Hyde Park was spine chilling.
 
Was there for the first gig and would add Beast of Burden which was mindblowing!
 bluefrog wrote:
meh. there are plenty of stone's songs i like better...
 
Woah.....
The direction my life was on has now changed.
meh. there are plenty of stone's songs i like better...
 Edweirdo wrote:
This album, with The Beatles' Abbey Road, was my introduction to popular music and remains in my top 5 albums of all time.

I'm with you, mate.   I suspect you and I could talk shop for hours.


I wasn't a big fan of the Stones while growing up but this one's a solid '8'

🤘
This album, with The Beatles' Abbey Road, was my introduction to popular music and remains in my top 5 albums of all time.
 bentonian wrote:
Might the lemons that Mick mentions be the same lemons that Robert Plant talks about?
 

Who is Robert Plant?
Let it Bleed. An all-time great album. 
Great track.
Gimme Shelter an all-time great track.
 SkidMarx wrote:
In case anyone's interested the cake's Delia Smith's creation
 
i doubt that more than a handful of those dumb-ass Yanks know who Delia Smith is?
 DanFHiggins wrote:
Damn that's some fine rock and roll!
 

Yes but please tune your guitar, Keith!
In case anyone's interested the cake's Delia Smith's creation
 lizardking wrote:
As I'm ready to head out of the office for a (too) brief respite for lunch, I'm reminded about how I played this tune a couple weeks ago while making the trip to my favorite lunch place.   One of the fun parts of working in Everett, WA, is people watching; in this case, it's the "junkies" that I'm referring to, or "tweakers" to be exact, there's a growing population of meth heads here, and most are harmless enough, though some do get a bit pissed off about "no, you can't get high in our bathroom" or whatever....and I've grown kinda fond of them.  So the opening lines of this are extra funny to me.  I'd go +1 if I wasn't already at a 9 on this one....Long Live RP!!  And say no to Meth....trust me....it's not how you want to end up.
 
Heh, we called it crank back in the days of this album.  And yes, say no to crank / meth.  As is the old Canned Heat song Amphetamine Annie, Speed Kills !!  True then, true now.  Keep all those monkeys off yer back ...

That said, I still find that much of my favorite music from this era came from those under the influence of smack.  Something about the love / hate struggle that inspired so much great music.
 bentonian wrote:
Might the lemons that Mick mentions be the same lemons that Robert Plant talks about?
 
Probably; the "lemon squeezer" trope goes back to old-time blues guys like Robert Johnson and Blind Boy Fuller at least.
As I'm ready to head out of the office for a (too) brief respite for lunch, I'm reminded about how I played this tune a couple weeks ago while making the trip to my favorite lunch place.   One of the fun parts of working in Everett, WA, is people watching; in this case, it's the "junkies" that I'm referring to, or "tweakers" to be exact, there's a growing population of meth heads here, and most are harmless enough, though some do get a bit pissed off about "no, you can't get high in our bathroom" or whatever....and I've grown kinda fond of them.  So the opening lines of this are extra funny to me.  I'd go +1 if I wasn't already at a 9 on this one....Long Live RP!!  And say no to Meth....trust me....it's not how you want to end up.
 bentonian wrote:
Might the lemons that Mick mentions be the same lemons that Robert Plant talks about?
 
HAHAHA....I'm sure they are.  
Might the lemons that Mick mentions be the same lemons that Robert Plant talks about?
Rock N Roll Monkey
Have a love/hate relationship with the Stones since day one. This tune reaffirms the hate aspect.
Damn that's some fine rock and roll!
 sfyi2001 wrote:

{#Crown}

ROLLING STONES European Tour begins next month, (May- July of 2018).
What's Stephan Phillips (below) up to these days, besides photo-shopping himself to Mr. Richards head? 
 

 
I'm still here baby!


{#Crown}

ROLLING STONES European Tour begins next month, (May- July of 2018).
What's Stephan Phillips (below) up to these days, besides photo-shopping himself to Mr. Richards head? 
 
 Stephen_Phillips wrote:
What is Keith doing these days?

Still monkeying around...
(see photo below, at your own risk)
 
Ack, now there's a disturbing image I won't be able to shake for about 50 years.  ; )
 h8rhater wrote:

The Stones never took Wood over Taylor.  Taylor left the band and Wood was selected as a successor.

Keith is in the studio with the rest of the band working on an album of all new material. 

You could easily have figured this all out for yourself if you weren't so busy spouting rubbish.  Opps!
 
Cool, you're in a gang.... maybe that's why you go by h8rhater

From
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Opps
 
"Opp is a slang word meaning opposition; it is often used by criminals to refer to their enemies, such as rival gang members. This slang isn't considered a nationwide slang, it's mostly used in places Pittsburgh, California, and Chicago. Opps is often considered to be the plural of the word"

Where you looking oops?

interjection
1.
(used to express mild dismay, chagrin, surprise, etc., as at one's own mistake, a clumsy act, or social blunder.)

Classic Richards riff! Good song.
Puts me right back in my cousin's 69 Chevelle SS 396 with this on the eight track blastin. Very cool.
       
Mick, YOU'RE the one who is a "trifle too satanic".


What is Keith doing these days?

Still monkeying around...

Monkey Man 
Monkey woman: she's lean, she's mean...she not too far in between. 
 coloradojohn wrote:
Some of the best mad guitar of the times on this one, for sure. Simple, catchy as hell; wicked jam! They hit it again with Some Girls too

 
YES!  "mad guitar" indeed, such wicked music man party on!  : )
 Skydog wrote:

not on this song but i get your drift
big mistake taking Wood over Taylor
.......and keeping Richard for that matter
opps, i dissed Keith
btw, what's he doing now?
from comments i hear him making lately he sounds like he wants to be the music critic for FOX News 

 
The Stones never took Wood over Taylor.  Taylor left the band and Wood was selected as a successor.

Keith is in the studio with the rest of the band working on an album of all new material. 

You could easily have figured this all out for yourself if you weren't so busy spouting rubbish.  Opps!

Let It Bleed is one of the great albums of the 1960s and beyond. The Stones live performance of Gimme Shelter in 2014 at Hyde Park was spine chilling.
 primm wrote:
MICK TAYLOR ERA SOOOOO GOOOOOD

 
not on this song but i get your drift
big mistake taking Wood over Taylor
.......and keeping Richard for that matter
opps, i dissed Keith
btw, what's he doing now?
from comments i hear him making lately he sounds like he wants to be the music critic for FOX News 
Some of the best mad guitar of the times on this one, for sure. Simple, catchy as hell; wicked jam! They hit it again with Some Girls too
Sounds soooo goood on vinyl!
12! This song is  a 12!
MICK TAYLOR ERA SOOOOO GOOOOOD
 WonderLizard wrote:

IMHO, their "best" is a toss up among Let It Bleed, Beggars Banquet, and Exile on Main St. Some Girls and Tattoo You are close behind.

 
Sticky Fingers??
Bill, I like this song but you should know that the Stones have many others, there is no need to overplay this one.
 hempmandan wrote:
One of their best for sure...so hard to pick one! This album, Get Yer Ya Ya's Out and Tatoo You are the best! Though I do like Undercover In The Night...
 
IMHO, their "best" is a toss up among Let It Bleed, Beggars Banquet, and Exile on Main St. Some Girls and Tattoo You are close behind.
yeah, umm .. I quoted a statement from idiot_wind (a sharp sarcastic fellow), I didn't write that stuff     love the Stones 
now 'scuse me while I indulge in a teeny toke of pleasent cannabis and watch the snow-fall,  Peace 
Hayduke was saying that Rock is dead, and that if all we have are Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, and Linkin Park, then indeed it's dead.
Well, I'd agree with you ... IF that was all there was, as all three of them suck big time.
But RP turns us on to new cool stuff all the time. 
Get up and dance all you primates, you.
Keef's guitar is so raw on this track, absolutely love it. 10++

Image source: https://cdn-media-1.lifehack.org/wp-content/files/2014/07/banksy-apeman-251865.jpg


One of their best for sure...so hard to pick one! This album, Get Yer Ya Ya's Out and Tatoo You are the best! Though I do like Undercover In The Night...

Hey orb, this is an old comment from idiot_wind that I reposted, sorry, their name isn't all that discernable at the bottom.

idiot_wind has got a wicked sense of humor
 hayduke2 wrote:

"Foo fighters. Way, way, way over rated,

They are part of the post Nirvana, "thud and drone" school of rock n roll. 

No soul, no hooks, no great instrumentals, no melodics, no harmonics, no cryptic lyrics. 

Just the PAAD principle: every freakin song must express: Pain, Angst Anger, or Despair. 

Sorry Generation X or Y.  Rock n Roll is DEAD, when all you got is Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, and Linkin Park. "

had to quote some gas passed by i_w  a while ago 
 

 
Hayduke2, you mean to tell me that you don't think that any of the newer rock bands Bill plays here on are any good? YOUR brand of rock may be dead, but there is plenty of good, NEW music out there to listen to.
I discover something new every time I turn on RP.
 
In '69, all of Mick's friends were junkies. 

I bet that made poker night a little tough to get more than a couple hands in before the whole table nodded off...
the opening coda to this song always gets a +20% volume adjustment out of me


i'm glad you are a monkey woman too . . .
the instrumental parts here are really groovy! {#Dance}
 idiot_wind wrote:
Boy oh boy...these guys need some better guitar players...you know like the Foo Fighters.

  Quote:
"Foo fighters. Way, way, way over rated,

They are part of the post Nirvana, "thud and drone" school of rock n roll. 

No soul, no hooks, no great instrumentals, no melodics, no harmonics, no cryptic lyrics. 

Just the PAAD principle: every freakin song must express: Pain, Angst Anger, or Despair. 

Sorry Generation X or Y.  Rock n Roll is DEAD, when all you got is Foo Fighters, Kid Rock, and Linkin Park. "  unquote.

Had to quote some gas passed by idiot_wind  a while ago 
 
 rharvey658 wrote:

I think this was recorded before Taylor joined the band. Great tune, though, and Richard's guitar work is excellent on this track.
 
 
Keith Richards played electric and slide electric guitar on Monkey Man.  Mick Taylor did appear on 2 tracks on Let It Bleed:  Country Honk and Live With Me
 idiot_wind wrote:
Boy oh boy,


Weak guitar playing, souless vocals. Boring lyrics. Rythm section can't keep a beat.


You should play newer rock n roll.     Gosh...get with it! 

 
{#Lol} - Good one

and who is this Nicky Hopkins playing piano?
Boy oh boy...these guys need some better guitar players...you know like the Foo Fighters.
 trailhead wrote:

Yeah, and they had Mick Taylor playing for them!

 
I think this was recorded before Taylor joined the band. Great tune, though, and Richard's guitar work is excellent on this track.
 
I'm nuthin but a mon-key 
m-m-m-m-m-mon-key! 
Mick's momma-momma monkeying is ultra fuckin cool, surrounded by some of the damn coolest slammin music (imo above most Beatles stuff), so way cool its timeless
 bobzane wrote:
It was a golden age when all Stones albums were great

 
Yeah, and they had Mick Taylor playing for them!
What a classic into and riff - loving it
I assume that this is a joke? Excellent guitar, inspired vocals, downright weird and super cool lyrics. Great beat. Play this MORE OFTEN.  

idiot_wind wrote:
Boy oh boy,


Weak guitar playing, souless vocals. Boring lyrics. Rythm section can't keep a beat.


You should play newer rock n roll.     Gosh...get with it! 

 


Boy oh boy,


Weak guitar playing, souless vocals. Boring lyrics. Rythm section can't keep a beat.


You should play newer rock n roll.     Gosh...get with it! 
Best album in rock and roll history.  Therefore, best album in history.
I bought this LP the week it was released.
When I got home, I quickly realized that I had
a copy with two side As pressed into the vinyl.
Indignant, I returned it to the store for a copy
with both sides.

As the third founder of Apple said years after he
quit the company after working for 22 days, ''I made
the best decision with the information available to
me at the time.'' He would now have tens of billions of dollars 
if he had kept his shares.
love the slideshow
Monkey Man seeks Monkey Woman.  Must have lemon squeezer, and you know what I mean, baby.
It turns out that I, too, am a monkey man.
ran out breath
musicmz   must dnce
 Hannio wrote:
That makes no sense within the context of this song.  A monkey man that is glad you are a monkey woman too.  Why would he want a geezer?  Menage a trois?  I don't think Mick was that kinky.  But I could be wrong.
 
You're right, it doesn't really make sense in the context of the song.  Who knows with those crazy, old Stones?
 Proclivities wrote:

I know that Led Zeppelin was "inspired" by those lyrics, but I had also heard that the use of the term "lemon squeezer" in this song was a reference in Cockney rhyming slang: lemon squeezer = geezer.  It could be wrong.
 

That makes no sense within the context of this song.  A monkey man that is glad you are a monkey woman too.  Why would he want a geezer?  Menage a trois?  I don't think Mick was that kinky.  But I could be wrong.
Add this to the pile of great albums released that year
This is good played very loud.

In many ways, this song foreshadowed the fabulous dirt and grime that makes Exile on Main Street what many consider to be the Stones piéce de résistance.
 bachbeet wrote:
A great song from one of their best albums.  I think that's Nicky Hopkins on the piano.
 
It is, in fact, the now deceased Nicky Hopkins .
 Hannio wrote:

Yes, it was.  But as has been said, if you can remember it you weren't really there.
 
Wait. I wasn't there? I thought that was Woodstock, cuz I sure as hell remember getting this album for my uh, 12th birthday....
Fifty Years!  Reviews I read  of their recent NJ shows were "as good or better than ever"  Way to go.
Couple of dozen iconic songs in R&R history along with another 30 or so of simply outstanding.
Soundtrack to my life.  I was 16 when Satisfaction was released—changed me in ways I still feel today.

Sure, they love the money and some members may have huge egos.  So what?  Fifty years of excellence. And in the end it was The Music that counted for them..
 bobzane wrote:
It was a golden age when all Stones albums were great
 
Yes, it was.  But as has been said, if you can remember it you weren't really there.
 TJS wrote:


Actually, most songs are about primates.
 
Well, yes. But, how many reference more than one? Have you done the research? How would you go about it?
 Papernapkin wrote:
It's a good song, but it's been played enough over the past 40 years. Give it a rest for 40 years and then it will be fresh again.
 
PSD there nappy... Sounds fresh to me despite the years.
It was a golden age when all Stones albums were great
It's a good song, but it's been played enough over the past 40 years. Give it a rest for 40 years and then it will be fresh again.
 bachbeet wrote:
A great song from one of their best albums.  I think that's Nicky Hopkins on the piano.
 
Let's turn it up!
I seem to remember them doing a good live version on "get your ya-ya's out." Oh, ya-ya's, lemons; Am I seeing a trend here?
A great song from one of their best albums.  I think that's Nicky Hopkins on the piano.
 Otomi wrote:
lmic wrote:What is it with these English rockers and their squeezed lemons?

They´re recycling some old (1937) Robert Johnson lyrics from his song "Traveling Riverside Blues:"

Now you can squeeze my lemon 'til the juice run down my...
    (spoken: 'til the juice run down my leg, baby, you know what I'm talkin' about)
You can squeeze my lemon 'til the juice run down my leg
    (spoken: That's what I'm talkin' 'bout, now)

 
I know that Led Zeppelin was "inspired" by those lyrics, but I had also heard that the use of the term "lemon squeezer" in this song was a reference in Cockney rhyming slang: lemon squeezer = geezer.  It could be wrong.
 emh wrote:
The rare Stones album with no filler.  Solid start to finish.
 

it is solid from start to finish. but i disagree - exile on main street, beggars banquet...also no fillers. and good for you, too.
back when I was a lad I had a friend who would yell "All my friends are junkies." Memories 
 TJS wrote:


Actually, most songs are about primates.
 
Hoo hoo!
 emh wrote:
The rare Stones album with no filler.  Solid start to finish.
 
Completely Agree.....

 

 
Ya

LizK wrote Nov 04, 2011 - 21:12

 grant wrote:
One of the finest songs ever written and performed about primates.
 

Actually, most songs are about primates.
 rusted1 wrote:

 

NOMEN EST OMAN, Rusty...?

 

I spoke about a band - no specific album!

 

That "Woody" was the guitar-player of CREATION ("Painterman" - remember?) is nothing I forgot!

Take care - this is another trap!

Stingray


GOODFELLAS!!!  {#Cheesygrin}