The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
You were daddy's girl nice and sweet
Never in trouble mommy's honey
Little child who just couldn't see
The pressure from her so called friends
Was simply too much
The monkey slowly climbed on her back
Offering an aid for her pain
Giving love and care
No-one cared, no-one cared
Fragile like a rose on the snow
Eating all your strength and your money
Walking in the shade day and night
Never letting sunshine in your eyes like before
Cannot shake the monkey off your back
Did I see a spark on your eye
Was it just the last light of hope
That died, hope that died
"Forgive me, Father, my daily sin"
How can I forgive you, never leave you
You know that if you live like, you will die like
Haven of Emotion, Mournful Ocean
Heiress of the Evening Sings in silence
"I need to have now, my daily sin"
For all your life I prayed for time
To show you where the light lies
Now this is the end
One rose for the memory of the innocence
"I know, my Father, I cannot win"
Never will forgive you, never leave you
You know that if you live like, you will die like
How can I erase your pain and aid you
When Death wants to kiss you and you want kiss Him back
Never in trouble mommy's honey
Little child who just couldn't see
The pressure from her so called friends
Was simply too much
The monkey slowly climbed on her back
Offering an aid for her pain
Giving love and care
No-one cared, no-one cared
Fragile like a rose on the snow
Eating all your strength and your money
Walking in the shade day and night
Never letting sunshine in your eyes like before
Cannot shake the monkey off your back
Did I see a spark on your eye
Was it just the last light of hope
That died, hope that died
"Forgive me, Father, my daily sin"
How can I forgive you, never leave you
You know that if you live like, you will die like
Haven of Emotion, Mournful Ocean
Heiress of the Evening Sings in silence
"I need to have now, my daily sin"
For all your life I prayed for time
To show you where the light lies
Now this is the end
One rose for the memory of the innocence
"I know, my Father, I cannot win"
Never will forgive you, never leave you
You know that if you live like, you will die like
How can I erase your pain and aid you
When Death wants to kiss you and you want kiss Him back
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This is a song easy to understand... It's about drugs. A girl doesn't bear his friend's pression to take drugs, and the "monkey" is the addiction, who in a first moment gave comfort to her, but then stolen her soul... So she does not bear anymore her addiction and falls in the arms of Death...
I really like this song. But the idea of a monkey on your back, which can't be shaken off.. and it feeds off your soul.. it's just too funny xD satan's minion monkeys!
Did I see a spark on your eye, or was it just the last light of hope that died?
Powerful.
Just want to point out that "The Monkey on your back" is an actual expression used for drug addiction.
Anyways, very powerful sounding song. The keyboard at the beginning gives me chills everytime. The lyrics are pretty straight forward. A good girl with so much going for her gets hooked on drugs, mainly from peer pressure from her friends and all of a sudden, things start falling apart for her.
Totally right on this you are. Powerful song of hope and an invitation to live the rest of your life without being crushed by the weight of problems like drugs.
Absolutely beautiful you guys
Ye :D Should rather be a blood and brainsucking monsterparasite, sth like that. But well, it would be too much of cliché, at least the monkey is something new and also really good to understand. And this song is awesome, like everything of Sonata Arctica, which I heard yet.
How could this song not have many comments? It's amazingly beautiful! I love Sing in Silence. ^ ^
I made a drawing to this song, and I think it conveys the message of the song, but I don't think the monkey necessarily has to be drugs, maybe an addiction to just about anything. Too much of a good thing becomes a bad. Again this is my interpretation of the meaning.