| ""Monkey Man"" | |||||
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| Song by The Rolling Stones
from the album Let It Bleed |
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| Released | December 5, 1969 | ||||
| Recorded | April, 1969 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 4:11 | ||||
| Label | Decca/ABKCO (UK) ABKCO (US) |
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| Writer | Jagger/Richards | ||||
| Producer | Jimmy Miller | ||||
| Let It Bleed track listing | |||||
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"Monkey Man" is a song by the English rock and roll band The Rolling Stones featured on their 1969 album Let It Bleed.
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote "Monkey Man." It features a distinctive opening of twinkling vibes, bass and whining guitar. The Stones recorded "Monkey Man" in April 1969. Richards plays the jumpy guitar riff as well as the slide guitar solo. Jagger provides vocals, producer Jimmy Miller plays tambourine on the song, Nicky Hopkins plays the piano Charlie Watts provides drums, while Bill Wyman plays vibes and bass.
Mick and Keith composed a working version of the song, known as "Positiano Primo", while on holiday in Italy in 1968.
The lyrics, dense but certainly not leaden, include Jagger at one point singing:
| “ | Yes, I'm a sack of broken eggs. I always have an unmade bed, don't you? | ” |
The song forms of the rare few self-referential songs in the Stones' repertoire (along with "Torn And Frayed", "Jigsaw Puzzle" and "Dance Part I"), as evidenced in the line:
| “ | I hope we're not too messianic or a trifle too satanic — we love to play the blues | ” |
Some commentators think that the song refers to the Stones' use of drugs at the time of composition. Many fans may best remember the song for its centre and ending. An extended guitar solo by Richards takes over from Jagger's singing near the middle of the song and leads into an arching piano solo by Nicky Hopkins. Jagger resumes singing with the refrain of "I'm a monkey". At one point near the end he begins to scream and wail the line, displaying his vocal range.
A "monkey man" is a man who has sex with a married woman (refer to Blind Boy Fullers song "Pistol Slapper Blues"). Jagger is implying that he will have sexual intercourse with married women, innuendo.
The Stones performed "Monkey Man" heavily on their 1994/1995 Voodoo Lounge Tour. A performance of the song features on Live Licks from their 2002/2003 Licks Tour.
Many movies and television shows (such as Entourage) have used the song; and an episode of 21 Jump Street covered it. Many fans may remember its use in Martin Scorsese's 1990 film Goodfellas.
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