Lyric discussion by monkeyman5 

Cover art for Monkey lyrics by George Michael

I think it's obvious what Mr. Michael was addressing: his longtime boyfriend, Fadi Fawaz, had become intimate with a young African-American man and this enraged Mr. Michael. In the song he essentially issues an ultimatum to Fadi, asking "Do you love the monkey or do you love me."

Nota Bene: Mr. Michael's flippant use of this overtly racist slur is quite disturbing.

Song Meaning

Good thing he's dead.

My Opinion

@monkeyman5, Double 44 The song monkey couldn't have been about Fadi Fawaz and his African American lover. George didn't even have his first gay relationship until he was 27. When he wrote that song he was only 25 in 1988. Not to mention that he didn't even start his relationship with Fawaz until 2012. CHECK YOUR FACTS, before you go accusing someone of racism and slander.

@monkeyman5 This is ridiculous. First of all Monkey was released in 1987. That was before Fadi Fawaz was ever on the scene. And further, if anyone was a monkey Fadi was, in the family's opinion. George Michael would never refer to a person and clearly not a black person as a MONKEY. My God, I'm quite sure you are not close to him or his family. Truly, they are really too sophisticated as a people to say something like this.