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Monkeyland Lyrics
I shake my head and shiver
They smile and they stab my back
As they shake my hand
Send out an S.O.S. please, come quickly
I'm marooned in monkeyland.
Is there anyone there
Who understands me?
Anyone at all..
I'm idly staring at the sky
Did anybody hear me sigh?
A million stars are a moving sight.
To all you out there hearing me tonight
It's just a trick of the light
Yeah, its just a trick of the light
I have to know what is real
and what is illusion
Oh, how does it feel beyond this confusion?
Is there anyone there?
Do I dismiss this with a sigh?
Oh yes, you must from time to time.
And let the answers pass me by?
More questions set to bend the mind.
Is my creator God or a man?
Yes, yours too.
Does someone somewhere care and understand?
It's just a trick of the light.
Yeah, it's just a trick of the light
I have to know what is real and what is illusion
Tell me how does it feel beyond this confusion?
For all the tricks of the light,
Yeah, for all the tricks of the light out there tonight
Tonight
I have to know what is real
And what is illusion
Oh, how does it feel beyond this confusion?
Is there anyone there?
Is there anyone there? ...
Life's an optical illusion like other optical illusions
Oh, Beware
Oh, Beware
There it goes again.
They smile and they stab my back
As they shake my hand
Send out an S.O.S. please, come quickly
I'm marooned in monkeyland.
Who understands me?
Anyone at all..
Did anybody hear me sigh?
A million stars are a moving sight.
To all you out there hearing me tonight
Yeah, its just a trick of the light
and what is illusion
Oh, how does it feel beyond this confusion?
Is there anyone there?
Do I dismiss this with a sigh?
Oh yes, you must from time to time.
More questions set to bend the mind.
Is my creator God or a man?
Yes, yours too.
Does someone somewhere care and understand?
Yeah, it's just a trick of the light
Tell me how does it feel beyond this confusion?
For all the tricks of the light,
Yeah, for all the tricks of the light out there tonight
Tonight
And what is illusion
Oh, how does it feel beyond this confusion?
Is there anyone there?
Life's an optical illusion like other optical illusions
Oh, Beware
Oh, Beware
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It expresses a sense of disorientation and confusion in the face of a world that seems duplicitous and uncertain. The protagonist is wary of those around them, who may appear friendly but are ready to betray them. The phrase "marooned in monkeyland" adds a sense of isolation and desperation. The question "Is there anyone there?" gives us a sense of loneliness and a desire for understanding. The protagonist seems to be searching for some kind of connection or meaning in a world that seems confusing and uncertain.
"I have to know what is real/And what is illusion/Tell me how does it feel/Beyond this confusion" They are looking for desire, clarity, and truth. The protagonist is struggling to distinguish between reality and illusion and is seeking some kind of anchor in the face of the uncertainty around them. "Life's an optical illusion/Like other optical illusions/Beware/If there's anyone there," gives us the impression that the world is full of deception and that it is easy to be misled.
Mark's note from their official site (www.thechameleons.com):
"By the late seventies Middleton had become a very dull and insular place to live. Although nearby Manchester has always been a fresh and interesting place to hang out, whenever I was skint, which was most of the time, I'd feel very trapped in Middleton. The first section really refers to people I found myself surrounded by early on in the band's development, all of which served to remind me of the depth of the rut we had all seemingly fallen into. The song as a whole was inspired by what the author Colin Wilson described as "the triviality of everydayness". Ironically, several years later, Middleton's nickname with those that lived in other areas around Manchester was 'Monkeytown'."
A million stars are a moving sight To all you out there Reading this tonight
=
A million stars are a moving sight To all you out there Hearing me tonight
It’s actually about being stranded in the Heywood which is the town next to Middleton
Music industry is full of sharks who do not care about what musicians feel. They're just there to make you sign contracts, suck your creativity and drop you off. Confusion and illusions. " They smile and then stab my back as they shake my hand." Millions stars is just a trick of the light... Illusions.