Counting Crows – Monkey

All dressed up
No place to go
Hey monkey, when you gonna show your face around me?
I know all the wrongs and rights
And I just want a little light to fall on me

Hey monkey, where you been?
This lonely spiral I've been in
Hey monkey, when can we begin?
Hey monkey, where you been?

We'll I'm all messed up
That's nothing new
Hey monkey, when you open up your blue eyes,
I don't know if I'm wide awake or dreaming
But all I ever need is everything

Hey monkey, where you been?
This lonely spiral I've been in
Hey monkey, when can we begin?
Hey monkey, where you been?

Just get the world off your shoulders
and close your pretty blue eyes
Hey monkey, what's life without an occasional surprise?

Got nowhere but home to go
Got Ben Folds on my radio right now
I'm in trouble for the things I need
Hey monkey don't you want to be needed too?

Hey monkey, where you been?
This lonely spiral I've been in
Hey monkey, when can we begin?
Hey monkey, where you been?



Lyrics submitted by 3ssence

"Monkey" as written by Adam Fredric Duritz David Lynn Bryson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Monkey song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • +1
    General CommentAlright. This is a stab in the dark, but i really like this rhythm and flow of this song's lyrics and insturmentals.

    "Monkey" may represent an alternate sort of personality of good feeling. At the time, the narrator is in a "lonely spiral" not going much of anywhere or doing much of anything:
    "All dressed up
    No place to go"
    Monkey might just be the narrator's self confidence which he thinks of as a seperate person sort of like an invisible friend. When the monkey is around its like there buddies, and they go out on the town and meet people. The narrator feels like he needs monkey to be able to get out, and he wonders why monkey doesn't need him too:
    Hey monkey don't you want to be needed too? "

    That's what i think. maybe im just completely missing the broadsdie of the barn and monkey is a nickname for an actual person or something. who knows!?
    chris8843on September 12, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI'm surprised no one has touched on it yet, but this song was written about Courteney Cox. It's about their relationship, and how he loved CeCe so intensely.
    crying_aloudon October 17, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General CommentI know it sounds weird but I have always taken Counting Crows and put on own spin on the meaning of the song and what it means to me. I have always loved this song but recently it has had a greater meaning for me.

    I call my 8 month old daughter my little "monkey" and the lines in the sounds always hits me with her:
    "We'll I'm all messed up That's nothing new
    Hey monkey when you open up your blue eyes
    I don't know if I'm wide awake or dreaming But all I ever need is everything"
    It always makes me think of my blue eyed "monkey" and makes me can't wait to get home to see her after working all day. I probably way off on the meaning but I don't care.
    rjcla30on March 12, 2006   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationI'm not sure about anyone else, but from the chorus, this is what I get.

    "Hey monkey where you been?
    This lonely spiral I've been in"

    I think this is Adam asking the girl where she's been all his life - so far, it's only consisted of loneliness, and now that she's here, he wants to know why he didn't find her sooner.

    "Hey monkey when can we begin?
    Hey monkey where you been?"

    This to me, seems like Adam wanting to start his life with this girl, because he's waited so long for the perfect person.

    Also, the background vocals are as follows for the chorus:

    "Hey Monkey, (Isn't it a shame) where you been?
    It's a lonely (Gone away again, that's where I've been) spiral I've been in,
    Hey Monkey (Can't you see the pain that I'm in?) when can we begin?
    (And Monkey where you been?) Hey Monkey, where you been?"
    epicpaigeon January 05, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General CommentTo me it speaks about a woman that the speaker is in love with but doesn't know when he will see her again because she is Flakky. ("Isn't it a shame"), "Where you've been?"

    The use of "Monkey" can be a sarcastic way of the speaker calling her reckless or haphazard with his emotions.

    "Monkey" is also a slang term for Vagina.

    He wants her to pay some attention to him "I just want a little light to fall on me"

    He's appealing to her sensitive side but as a monkey she can't understand him, they speak two different languages.
    neversaycant1on January 13, 2011   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General Commentany thoughts? i dont get it, i do love 'Hey monkey when you open up your blue eyes
    I don't know if I'm wide awake or dreaming
    But all I ever need is....everything'
    sambo28on September 12, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General CommentIt's a love song. It's about how lonely & empty you feel when the one you love is not around and how just being near them can make you the happiest, "Hey Monkey, when you open up your blue eyes, I don't know if I'm wide awake or dreaming"
    Rainking003on September 25, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Commentdoesnt he hate her now?... and didnt they write a song together? and adam doesnt like playing it becuase he hates her? or was that just another roumor?
    sambo28on May 06, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Commentrecovering the satellites is on my top 3 albums of all time list, but this song was one of the mediocre ones. i just like the reference to ben folds, because he is freaking amazing
    Ben Folds Sevenon June 05, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment1. ben folds five - whatever and ever amen
    2. counting crows - recovering the satellites
    3. live- throwing copper
    Ben Folds Sevenon June 05, 2004   Link

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