Punish The Monkey Lyrics
You've been having sleepless nights.
You've gone quiet as a church mouse,
And checking on your rights.
The boss has hung you out to dry,
And it looks as though
They'll punish the monkey
And let the organ grinder go.
Are you going to pretend
That you and your employer
Are still the best of friends?
Somebody's going to take the fall,
There's your quid pro quo.
They'll punish the monkey,
They'll punish the monkey,
They'll punish the monkey,
And let the organ grinder go.
He won't be sidetracked.
He's asking about a smoking gun,
He's after the facts.
You've dropped your poison cup.
The telephone is ringing
But you're not picking up.
Time's up, Sir Lord Flunkey,
And everybody knows
They'll punish the monkey,
They'll punish the monkey,
They'll punish the monkey,
And let the organ grinder go.
Punish the monkey,
Punish the monkey,
And let the organ grinder go. [x2]
An organ grinder is a street performer who plays a street organ and, in old times, sometimes had a trained monkey to scamper around with a cup for coins. Now they often use stuffed or brass monkeys in an homage to those days.
That being said, to me, that makes "punish the monkey" means the little guy gets punished, while "let the organ grinder go" means the person with the power gets away with it. I think this could be applied to many things, from criminal enterprise to the government. It often seems the lackeys get punished heavily, and the guys pulling the strings get off with little or no punishment.
I don't believe this song is about Scooter Libby, tka2013 (though i don't know who, if anyone, it specifically refers to).
"They're driving long nails into coffins"
means they are smoking a lot of cigarettes (coffin nails). something you might do in a stressful office environment.
"You've been having sleepless nights You've gone as quiet as a church mouse And checking on your rights"
means what it says.
"The boss has hung you out to dry And it looks as though Punish the monkey And let the organ grinder go"
Your boss is going to let you take the blame for something. You (the monkey) are not the person in power. The boss (organ grinder) is going to get away with whatever wrong-doing was done.
"you've been talking to a lawyer Are you gonna pretend That you and your employer Are still the best of friends"
The executive who will probably be blamed is getting a lawyer. There will probably be a lawsuit, but nobody is admitting it yet.
Here comes a policeman He won't be sidetracked He's asking 'bout a smoking gun He's after the bad
"It's a quiet life from here on in You dropped your poisoned cup The telephone is ringing But you're not picking up"
Should say "dropped your poison pill", which is also a corporate expression. Refers to effect of hostile takeover on the acquired company (stock options vest, that sort of thing - which is "poison" to the acquiring company). Hinting at more difficulties with keeping the job.
@jorbru Actually, the phrase IS "You've drunk your poisoned cup," a reference to the death of Socrates by drinking a CUP of highly poisonous hemlock, as decreed by of his Athenian critics.
@jorbru Actually, the phrase IS "You've drunk your poisoned cup," a reference to the death of Socrates by drinking a CUP of highly poisonous hemlock, as decreed by of his Athenian critics.
Socrates was an ancient (~300 BCE) Greek philosopher famous for telling the truth at all costs, so when his critics brought him up before a kangaroo court and demanded he recant his heresies, he chose the other option offered to him -- drinking from the poisoned cup...
Socrates was an ancient (~300 BCE) Greek philosopher famous for telling the truth at all costs, so when his critics brought him up before a kangaroo court and demanded he recant his heresies, he chose the other option offered to him -- drinking from the poisoned cup...
Love this song
Would love to hear some interpretations
Given the timings I suspect MK was inspired to some degree by the events surrounding the death of WMD expert David Kelly who leaked data to the BBC. He was scape goated by the Blair Government and subsequently committed suicide.
Given the timings I suspect MK was inspired to some degree by the events surrounding the death of WMD expert David Kelly who leaked data to the BBC. He was scape goated by the Blair Government and subsequently committed suicide.
u2nspenserfan You are exactly right.. I believe the same thing.. and with "Here comes a policeman, He won't be sidetracked" hes possibly talking about corruption in police or atleast I apply this to the US.
It is obvious to me that the monkey is a symbol for punishing someone completely innocent while letting the bad person go.
The policeman is asking about a smoking gun. Why would he do that? Is the gun still smoking in his oppinion? Yes he seems to be corrupted, "He is asking about the facts".
But who is the person described in the lyrics? It seems to me it is someone who has been overpowered
Yup, I think that this describes how political corruption is usually handled. Some low-level functionary is found, implicated and then all the public venom is directed at him. Kind of like how everyone is fascinated by the monkey's antics, forgetting that everything the monkey does, he learned from the organ grinder. - v
Yup, I think that this describes how political corruption is usually handled. Some low-level functionary is found, implicated and then all the public venom is directed at him. Kind of like how everyone is fascinated by the monkey's antics, forgetting that everything the monkey does, he learned from the organ grinder. - v
I would think the song refers to Scooter Libby, the fall guy in the George W Bush administration's leakage of the identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame. Libby was the only member of the adminstration who was convicted of perjury among other things for his role in the leak and subsequently pardoned by President Bush.
Tom Brady and coach= Organ Grinder - suspended equipment guys = Monkey.