Tweeter And The Monkey Man Lyrics
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
And found out the hard way nobody gives a damn
They knew that they found freedom just across the Jersey Line
So they hopped into a stolen car took 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
Even back in childhood he wanted to see him in the can
Jan got married at fourteen to a rackateer named Bill
She made secret calls to the Monkey Man from a mansion on the hill
They crashed into paradise - they could hear them tires squeal
The undercover cop pulled up and said "Everyone of you's a liar
If you don't surrender now it's gonna go down to the wire
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
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
The undercover cop had cornered them said "Boy, you didn't
think that this could last"
Jan jumped out of bed said "There's someplace I gotta go"
She took a gun out of the drawer and said "It's best if you dont' know"
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 ever became a Jersey girl"
I'm sitting in a gambling club called the Lion's Den
The TV set been blown up, every bit of it is gone
Ever since the nightly news show that the Monkey Man was on
There ain't no more opportunity here, everything's been done
Sometime I think of Tweeter, sometime I think of Jan
Sometime I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man
(Me and my friends listened to this song all day every day for years and drank beer with a psssion . We analyzed the lyrics for years and still wonder about this , who actually wrote this song? Flag muletrainhoeon January 04, 2010)
I would definitely say BOB DYLAN, Classic Dylan storytelling, (This song especially reminds me "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts")
@Ricortiz According to George Harrison it was Bob and Tom. He said they were hold up in a corner giggling like school girls when they were writing it. He said it was that Americana shit which he didn't understand so he left them alone. I suspect it was mostly a Bob song with an assist from Tom or Tom would have sung alternate verses. Besides the rhythmic quality of the words is pure Bob Dylan. To me this seems somewhat of an homage to Bruce Springsteen as there are numerous allusion to Springsteen songs, especially from the "Greetings from Asbury...
@Ricortiz According to George Harrison it was Bob and Tom. He said they were hold up in a corner giggling like school girls when they were writing it. He said it was that Americana shit which he didn't understand so he left them alone. I suspect it was mostly a Bob song with an assist from Tom or Tom would have sung alternate verses. Besides the rhythmic quality of the words is pure Bob Dylan. To me this seems somewhat of an homage to Bruce Springsteen as there are numerous allusion to Springsteen songs, especially from the "Greetings from Asbury Park NJ" and "Born to Run" albums. I'm sure they thought the connection between "Will-Bury" and As-Bury" was hilarious.
It’s a riddle to me, every time you think it’s solved, it slips away- like Lilly Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts. Stones Monkey Man Junkie Man character is featured and the gender bending is almost over the top. A TV bleeds in Jammin Me a Bob and Tom gem.
The best of all the Wilburys' songs. Just a good old fashioned ballad about crime and punishment. One thing has always confused me, though - is Tweeter a transsexual or something? They say he was a boy scout, and went to Vietnam, but they also say "she"; and I don't understand the line "I'm not fooled by Tweeter's curl (?) I knew HIM long before HE ever became a Jersey GIRL." Did he have a sex change, like in Dog Day Afternoon? I don't know. Anyway, great song.
I've listened to this song quite a bit throughout my life and it always sounded like Bob was saying "Tweeter was a boy scout before HE went to Vietnam" so it could simply be a misquote. I don't think Tweeter is a tranny, I think at some point in the story for whatever reason Tweeter and the Monkey Man came up with the idea of Tweeter cross dressing so that it looked like the Monkey Man found a random hostage. I could be wrong but that's what I got from the line.
I've listened to this song quite a bit throughout my life and it always sounded like Bob was saying "Tweeter was a boy scout before HE went to Vietnam" so it could simply be a misquote. I don't think Tweeter is a tranny, I think at some point in the story for whatever reason Tweeter and the Monkey Man came up with the idea of Tweeter cross dressing so that it looked like the Monkey Man found a random hostage. I could be wrong but that's what I got from the line.
@Kafziel I know its like 20 years later, but let me provide closure. Back in vietnam, many soldiers would be gay and cross dress to get sent home. It goes back to the old "don't ask don't tell" law. If it came out that you're gay back then, you'd get dishonorably discharged.
@Kafziel I know its like 20 years later, but let me provide closure. Back in vietnam, many soldiers would be gay and cross dress to get sent home. It goes back to the old "don't ask don't tell" law. If it came out that you're gay back then, you'd get dishonorably discharged.
I've never heard someone sing a Dylan song better than Dylan.
I am sorry, but the Headstones version is just plain god awful! The original has this dark coolness about it, but this headstones version sounds like a piss-take, Weird Al parody on crack. It just ruins absolutely any organic expression from out the song.
The song is a Bruce Springsteen parody/pastiche, done in the style of Bruce's crime epics and the lyrics allude to over a half-dozen Springsteen songs (Thunder Road, Born to Run, Mansion on the Hill, etc.)
Great crime ballad epic. And yes, Tweeter is a tranny.
As for the parody of Springsteen, the whole thing is obviously tongue in cheek, but at the same time, there's an air of acknowledgement on Dylan's part toward the Boss. It seems like more of a friendly ribbing from Dylan than anything else. I like that, because I lile Bob Dylan and I like the Boss.
As for the Headstones version being better, I've never heard it, but it certainly wouldn't be the first time someone sang a Dylan song better than Bob Dylan.
I love Bob's raw voice too Mr Blue Sky, but the easiest example is All Along the Watchtower. You can't look me straight in the eye and tell me the Dylan version is better. Anyway, it was more of a joke. I wouldn't change a thing about Bob Dylan's voice.
I’m sorry but it is not "a friendly ribbing from Dylan " Dylan hates the Boss! He feels that he plays on jersey and patriotism to much also the line "In Jersey anything's legal as long as you don't get caught" is about how Dylan thinks the Boss stole his singing and lyric style...also all along the watchtower has a different feel when Hendrix does it then when Dylan does it, Dylan has more of a political feeling to it Hendrix is just raw and power full but I do agree most (not all) Dylan songs sound better song by other people but the headstones version blows...