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.
Great Monkey Man has gone the distance
The lucky one's going to get it all
Loving life now
Living on top of
Lucky ones always get it all
Oh, I'm hungry
Don't wanna die like a little dog
Gonna take what I can get
I'm the Monkey Man
With the great, great monkey plan
It's crazy, crazy, little man
You've got yourself entangled
Oh, love to lie to myself
To say everything is fine now
We got to keep it up
Or fall behind
I got to keep it up
Or lose the edge we found there faster
I'll build higher, still higher
I dig deeper down 'til it's down in the ground
It's found, used up and then thrown out
Crazy, crazy little man
What do you think you're doing here?
Big, beautiful world just for us
Good use we must put it to
Any way I can think to use it up
What will I tell my grandson's grandsons?
I could weave a fairy tale
On a great Bible-thumping scale
When he stands empty hands
On his empty land
That's what happened here
Great, great Monkey Man
Where did you think grey was the color of this?
You think I don't know quite what to say
But I'm worried for myself in this
I'm hungry
Don't wanna die like a little dog
Well, I eat what I can get
From the Monkey Man
Great, great monkey plan
Crazy, crazy man
You get yourself turned in a pickle
Crazy, crazy Monkey Man
Who is the one in the middle
Take a walk
Cross the ice
Melts too quickly
For us to reach the other side
It's cold in here
But the sun shines bright, oh
It warms this up well
Oh, the tide is rising higher
Look, it's strange
Floating by
Looks just like ones that
Flow out and ride, oh, I will
Golden age
These golden times
Our golden days seem to have us
Hypnotized or blind, well
The lucky one's going to get it all
Loving life now
Living on top of
Lucky ones always get it all
Oh, I'm hungry
Don't wanna die like a little dog
Gonna take what I can get
I'm the Monkey Man
With the great, great monkey plan
It's crazy, crazy, little man
You've got yourself entangled
Oh, love to lie to myself
To say everything is fine now
We got to keep it up
Or fall behind
I got to keep it up
Or lose the edge we found there faster
I'll build higher, still higher
I dig deeper down 'til it's down in the ground
It's found, used up and then thrown out
Crazy, crazy little man
What do you think you're doing here?
Big, beautiful world just for us
Good use we must put it to
Any way I can think to use it up
What will I tell my grandson's grandsons?
I could weave a fairy tale
On a great Bible-thumping scale
When he stands empty hands
On his empty land
That's what happened here
Great, great Monkey Man
Where did you think grey was the color of this?
You think I don't know quite what to say
But I'm worried for myself in this
I'm hungry
Don't wanna die like a little dog
Well, I eat what I can get
From the Monkey Man
Great, great monkey plan
Crazy, crazy man
You get yourself turned in a pickle
Crazy, crazy Monkey Man
Who is the one in the middle
Take a walk
Cross the ice
Melts too quickly
For us to reach the other side
It's cold in here
But the sun shines bright, oh
It warms this up well
Oh, the tide is rising higher
Look, it's strange
Floating by
Looks just like ones that
Flow out and ride, oh, I will
Golden age
These golden times
Our golden days seem to have us
Hypnotized or blind, well
Lyrics submitted by Nelly
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
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