"Monkey" as written by and George Michael....
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving into it
Do you love your monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
Oh, I count to ten
But I don't know how, and I don't know when to open my eyes
Baby, if you kiss me again
Like you did just now, like you did just then (then, then, then)
Just, just, just (do it again)
I've had the rest
Now it's time I had the best
So you tell me that you won't do anymore
Well, I'd write your heart a letter
But I think you know me better
If I keep on asking baby, maybe I'll get what I'm asking for
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving in to it
Do you love your monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, with a monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
Oh, I hate your friends
But I don't know how and I don't know when to open your eyes
Yes, your monkey's back again
Do you want him now like you did back then? (back then, back then)
(D-do it again)
I tried my best but your head is such a mess
So I guess that I don't want you anymore
Well you say you care about me, that you just can't do without me
But you keep on dancin' baby 'til that monkey has you on the floor
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving into it
Do you love the monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, with a monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-m-m-m-monkey)
Don't look now, there's a monkey on your back
Don't look now there's a monkey on you
Don't look now there's a monkey on your back
Don't look now there's a monkey on you
So you tell me that you won't do anymore
If I keep on askin' baby, maybe I'll get what I'm askin' for
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving into it
Do you love the monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, with a monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving into it
Do you love the monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, with a monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-m-m-m-monkey)
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving into it
Do you love your monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
Oh, I count to ten
But I don't know how, and I don't know when to open my eyes
Baby, if you kiss me again
Like you did just now, like you did just then (then, then, then)
Just, just, just (do it again)
I've had the rest
Now it's time I had the best
So you tell me that you won't do anymore
Well, I'd write your heart a letter
But I think you know me better
If I keep on asking baby, maybe I'll get what I'm asking for
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving in to it
Do you love your monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, with a monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
Oh, I hate your friends
But I don't know how and I don't know when to open your eyes
Yes, your monkey's back again
Do you want him now like you did back then? (back then, back then)
(D-do it again)
I tried my best but your head is such a mess
So I guess that I don't want you anymore
Well you say you care about me, that you just can't do without me
But you keep on dancin' baby 'til that monkey has you on the floor
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving into it
Do you love the monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, with a monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-m-m-m-monkey)
Don't look now, there's a monkey on your back
Don't look now there's a monkey on you
Don't look now there's a monkey on your back
Don't look now there's a monkey on you
So you tell me that you won't do anymore
If I keep on askin' baby, maybe I'll get what I'm askin' for
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving into it
Do you love the monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, with a monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
Why can't you do it?
Why can't you set your monkey free?
Always giving into it
Do you love the monkey or do you love me?
Why can't you do it?
Why do I have to share my baby with a monkey?
(Monkey, with a monkey, monkey, yeah, y-yeah)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-monkey)
(Monkey, monkey-m-m-m-monkey)
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Fadi was a recent boyfriend and was definitely not around in the days of Faith album eta.
The amount of stupid people saying things with such conviction is what is wrong with this world.
That being said I think it’s really easy to pigeon hole a song like this but I definitely think it’s about some kind of addiction and I would say it’s more in akin to a sex addiction or even a cheating addiction but the beauty of music is that it can mean anything you want it to mean (except about boyfriends he hadn’t even met yet which is absolutely ludicrous)!
It does sadden me still to even talk about him in the past tense....
It means this:
its anything at all that you find to be a constant burden. You have to finish your BA degree for advancement at work, you are married to someone with an addiction.
Or Having to get that college degree is "a monkey on your back". It usually doesn't refer to actual physical burdens.
It can also refer to having a drug addiction.
It can also refer to a sexual addiction, alchol addiction, porn addiction.
ANYTHING
that a person puts as a high priority in their life....which is not healthy for them.
George is singing about his fustration in the situation that never changes:
Oh I hate your friends
But I don't know how and I don't know when
To open your eyes
Yes the monkey's back again
Do you want him now like you did back then?
I tried my best
But your head is such a mess
So I guess that I don't want you anymore
That's my take on it.
Nota Bene: Mr. Michael's flippant use of this overtly racist slur is quite disturbing.
And further, if anyone was a monkey Fadi was, in the family's opinion. George Michael would never refer to a person and clearly not a black person as a MONKEY. My God, I'm quite sure you are not close to him or his family. Truly, they are really too sophisticated as a people to say something like this.