This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hard up for cash
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 before 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
So they hopped into a stolen car took Highway 99
(Chorus)
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 rackateer 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's a liar
If you don't surrender now it's gonna go down to the wire
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
Someplace by Rahway prison they ran out of gas
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 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 ever 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 been blown up, every bit of it is gone
Ever since the nightly news show that the Monkey Man was on
I guess I'll to to Florida and get myself some sun
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
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 before 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
So they hopped into a stolen car took Highway 99
(Chorus)
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 rackateer 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's a liar
If you don't surrender now it's gonna go down to the wire
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
Someplace by Rahway prison they ran out of gas
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 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 ever 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 been blown up, every bit of it is gone
Ever since the nightly news show that the Monkey Man was on
I guess I'll to to Florida and get myself some sun
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
Lyrics submitted by Dorthonion
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
(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 Park NJ" and "Born to Run" albums. I'm sure they thought the connection between "Will-Bury" and As-Bury" was hilarious.
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.
@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.
Well it's obviously about running away from the authorities and a caper gone bad...quite an excellent song and if you don't have the rock version by the Headstones get it now!
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.
The Headstones version of this song is way better than the Travelling Wilburys.
you must be on crack if you think that the headstones version is better. Its not even in the same league. Nobody can sing the way tom petty can and the wilburys made this tune!!<br /> I wished I had not downloaded that version of the headstones because I wasted the space. you must be a bandmember of the Headstones ha..<br /> Tweeter is definately a tranny ...But why is jan married at 14?
Ya, you probably think Guns and Roses wrote Knock Knock Knocking on Heavens Dahowow, i, i ya ya ya!
It sucks a fat one, you are wrong.
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.