Pixies – Monkey Gone to Heaven

General Commentit's been said before, but not on this site seemingly, but this song seems to be about the ruinous effect on the environment of human pollution. Black Francis said that the inspiration for the song was a sense of anger at the destruction of the natural world, and this is clear from the lyrics...

In the first verse some kind of underwater worker is killed by all the trash from N.Y and N.J being dumped in the sea. I think the line "this monkey's gone to heaven" refers to this fellow. Humans are 'monkeys' we evolved from them, and this one has died and gone to heaven.

The second verse continues on a broader note, refering to the depletion of the ozone layer ("there's a hole in the sky") and the global warming consequences thereof ("everything's gonna burn...") this is everybody's problem: ("we'll all take turns") and now I think that the line about the monkey going to heaven instead refers to the singer dying due to the collapse of the earths environment.

I've no idea how the final verse relates to this, although I like the interpretation given by tenniel above.

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  @zot
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  couldnta said it better myself

  Flag IZFERNORon February 12, 2009  

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  "Humans are 'monkeys' we evolved from them, and this one has died and gone to heaven."
  
  This is the most obvious example.
  I think that they are actually referring to how we are destroying the planet and simply for power. Humans evolved from monkeys; evolved being the key word. However, we seem to have the comprehension and foresight of our hominid brothers. I am not saying that monkeys are not intelligent creatures, but you would think that our capacity of understanding would be better. It's kind of ironic really, humans are being referred to as monkeys-destroying the planet and killing each other and all-however, monkeys, as far as observations go, are more in tune with nature. Whereas we humans continually try to find new ways to destroy each other and further distance ourselves from nature.
  
  I think that "the guy undersea" is the ecosystem of the hydrosphere.
  
  As far as man is 5; devil is 6; god is 7 goes... I think that if we were to look at the biblical aspect, we would see that God is the greatest conceived being. Therefore, man starts out at 5, and since we have an obsession with linear time frames, he ends at 7. Man is a priori at birth because he is an innate being; he is 5. He then grows through life and becomes tainted and disillusioned by the want and the need of power. Power consumes man and he would sell his soul to attain as much power as he can consume; now man is at 6, the middle of his life. On man's death bed he realizes that power is not worth anything at the end of his life. Notice how this is all linear. He then dies, and lets go of all the power he has acquired throughout his life and he reaches a state of nirvana; now man is 7.
  If God is the ultimate being, and nothing greater than God can be conceived, then it would make sense that on the linear scale, he is the highest and ultimate number. Perhaps the reason he is "7" instead of "10" is because "7" is the highest conceivable state of being.

  Flag tifnzon February 21, 2009  

  -4

  yeh, that sounds cool only there would be no heaven if we are evolved from monkeys.
  I think it means something like a grease monkey or just a plain laborer.

  Flag TwotoneTwoon December 28, 2010  

  +2

  Yeah, this makes sense. But I don't think the "underwater guy who controlled the sea" is some kind of worker. I believe he's referring to Neptune. If Neptune is the “spirit of the sea” who was killed by the sludge from New York and New Jersey it fits perfectly with your interpretation of the song. I’m a go with that.

  Flag fasteddie72on April 20, 2011  

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  Actually there is a interview , where he gets asked whether the song is about Pollution and stuff and he says it is not.

  Flag PinbaIIVVizardon July 17, 2011  

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  Actually there is a interview , where he gets asked whether the song is about Pollution and stuff and he says it is not.

  Flag PinbaIIVVizardon July 17, 2011  

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  i agree with TwotoneTwo. We evolved from a common ancestor according to the currently accepted theory of evolution. It would be impossible to coexist with a species that we would have evolved from. Sorry to stray from the meaning of the song. But i am an academic asshole *_*

  Flag robdogkio23on October 03, 2011  

My InterpretationWhen trying to figure out what Black Francis was talking about, it's important to erase your current knowledge and put yourself back in the late 80s. There are two environmental events specifically mentioned that were top issues at that time.

The "10 million pounds of sludge from New York and New Jersey" refers to what became known as "Syringe Tide." Medical waste that was dumped illegally in the Atlantic and escaped from a landfill on Staten island. It then washed up all in various places around New York and New Jersey, particularly the Jersey Shore. A 50 mile slick made it way to NJ shore towns in the summers of 1997 and 1998, ruining both vacation seasons. Hypodermic needles, blood vials and discarded medicine was found among the debris.

As for the Creature in the Sky verse, it refers only to the hole in the ozone layer. That hole, which was found in the stratosphere over the Antarctic, was confirmed in 1985. There was widespread awareness of the hole and the effect if it spread to populated areas. The ozone layer absorbs UVB ultraviolet light from the sun. The cause was CFCs, which reacted with the sun to deplete the ozone. Without the layer, life on earth would be impossible. After the hole was discovered, many feared it could not be reversed, and that life on earth was under threat. A worldwide CFC ban was enacted in 1987. The Antarctic hole still develops every spring, and atmopsheric ozone levels aren't expected to return to pre-1980 levels till as late as 2075.

As for this verse also being a warning about climate change, back in the late 80s, the consensus on the threat posed by rising temperatures was just beginning to form. The possibility that carbon emissions could unnaturally raise the earth's temperatures was first discovered in 1896. It was not until 2001 that scientific debate on the existence of climate change and that it was caused by man ended. Knowledge of the threat posed by climate change in the late 80s was out there, but not widespread.

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  @dk50b

General CommentFor a long time, I thought this song was about the death of religion as a way of explaining the world. The "underwater guy who controlled the sea" is clearly the Greek god Neptune. "got killed by 10 mllion pounds of sludge from New York and New Jersey" seemed to me to be a metaphor for our modern society taking control of the Earth in such a way that we no longer have any use for superstition, myth and religion to comfort ourselves and explain things. "Hole in the sky" would be the void created by the removal of God, "the creature in the sky," from people's lives. Without any hope for the afterlife, everyone is screwed: "Everyone is gonna burn, we'll all take turns." Then the 5-6-7 verse is just a maniacal kind of mocking of the hierarchy of man, devil and god.

The "monkey" could be the monkey that was on mankind's back for so many years, again, religion. Saying that the monkey is dead by saying it's "gone to heaven" could be another ironic way to mock the idea of religion and afterlife.

But I may be overthinking this. The environmental interpretation makes plenty of sense, too.

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  @yowza_bean
  0

  Wow I was on board with the environment interpretation, but this makes a lot more sense! Great explanation. the only thing is, if this is what was intended in this song, is it a pro-religion song or an anti-religion song?

  Flag modestmooseon May 07, 2012  

My Interpretationthis song is written in a biblical & social aspect.

I believe the remark on the first line being written about Neptune is spot on, but what he was referencing was that we're no longer polytheists because all of our intelligent religion has lead us to another religion (that he thinks is garbage).
The "hole in the sky" is heaven, he's trying to show how ridiculous the prospect is.
The "ground's not cold" implies hell, which again is a sarcasm about "everything's gonna burn, we'll all take turns. I'll get mine too" (everyone burns in hell, right?)

The line "if man is 5, then the devil is 6, then god is 7" is the implication that there are beings beyond us, which again is a sarcasm, that because we're 5 clearly evil is greater, but good is greater than that. the alliteration in the bible of the 6 being the number of the devil and 7 being the number of god is clear, it's to suggest that good is greater than evil in a very primitive sense.

The obvious chorus "monkey gone to heaven" is a sarcasm which in itself alludes to evolution but suggests we still believe we're going to go to heaven.

That's how I see it all anyway. :)

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  @nopointsurrender

General CommentI think this is such a great song, and one of my favourite pixies songs. the number part is so cool - man is 5 cos we count in fives/tens cos of our fingers, the devil is 6 cos 666 is the number of the beast, and god is 7 cos that's the heavenly number (tons of 7s in revelation, world created in seven days etc etc). I <3 the pixies and I know someone who wants this song at his funeral - but I can't decide if this is great, or freaky?

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  @tenniel
  0

  good interpretation of the end, makes sense to me
  and thats great, since its about death to most people

  Flag IZFERNORon February 12, 2009  

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  yep, its Kaballah.
  
  also:
  5=the Pentagram
  
  the pentagram is the vehicle for making spiritual energy physical.
  we are pentagrams (head, arms, legs)
  
  thus man is 5, devil 6, the Eternal 7,
  thats basic numerology

  Flag darncaton February 10, 2012  

  +2

  Track 5 - Here Comes your Man (Man)
  Track 6 - Dead (Devil)
  Track 7 - Monkey Gone to Heaven (God)
  
  

  Flag rossb93on June 22, 2013  

General CommentFrancis said the verse 'This monkeys gone to heaven' was just some words he made up so he wouldn't forget the tune. He was originally planning out replacing it (like how Paul McCartney started with Scrambled Eggs and turned it into Yesterday) but he liked it so he kept it in.
The number part is supposed to be from Hebrew scriptures. Some kind of hierarchy in the Hebrew religion.

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  @plosion

General Commentits Kaballah.

5=the Pentagram

the pentagram is the vehicle for making spiritual energy physical.
we are pentagrams (head, arms, legs)

thus man is 5, devil 6, the Eternal 7,
that's basic numerology, ancient ideas really...

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  @darncat

My InterpretationI think it's about God leaving your life.

Think about this:

The creature in the sky
Got sucked in a hole
Now there's a hole in the sky

Doesn't that sound like losing your faith in God?

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  @jedkc

General Commentah I just realised it could be that numerology is used as a metaphore to explane why man does this to the earth he lives on - amazing

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  @craigus

General Comment6 is the number of the beast, 7 is the number of perfection(among others), and man was created on the 5th day, i think

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  @oidimed