Lyric discussion by mickey606 

Cover art for Monkey lyrics by George Michael

When George sings about the monkey on your back.... 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

I think you shouldn't interpret the song literally. You could interpret the monkey as representing something that causes someone to think a certain way. You might listen to what your mom tells you, what your friends tell you, or you might just have misgivings about having a sexual relationship because you were brought up in a religious setting. I think the monkey is kinda like a personality disorder.

That's my take on it.