Well, I hope we're not too messianic, Or a trifle too satanic

March 13, 2008 12:52 PM

Ms Monkey and I are getting married in the fall. Current plan is to walk down the aisle together. What are some songs about monkeys we can walk to?

We're interested in almost all kinds of music, including bluegrass, blues, country, folk, punk, rock. (See last.fm somewhat recently-played list.)

(We're also broadly interested in music about monkeys (& mammals in general), so if you've got something that probably wouldn't work for the wedding (or wouldn't be appropriate to play for our 5-year-old cousins and 80-year-old grandparents) but which we oughta hear anyway, let us know about that, too.)

(I think maybe I use too many parentheses.)

We already thought of The Monkees theme song, but we hate that song. I suppose it would be a bit too much for the Animals to have done a song about monkeys. . . .

posted by FlyingMonkey to media & arts (66 comments total)

The Proudest Monkey by The Dave Matthews Band

The Monkey Dance by The Wiggles (that will make your nieces and nephews very happy)

I'm sure there's plenty more but that's all I've got right now.
posted by fenriq at 12:54 PM on March 13, 2008

Stones' Monkey Man?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:55 PM on March 13, 2008

Ape Man, by the Kinks, which is awesome. There's at least one live version that's got sort of a tropical feel that might be fun.

Can't really recommend Shock the Monkey for the occasion, but maybe for the reception?
posted by theredpen at 12:55 PM on March 13, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Also, go to allmusic.com, choose Song search, keyword Monkey, and find your faves.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 12:55 PM on March 13, 2008

Monkey songs
posted by kittens for breakfast at 12:56 PM on March 13, 2008

CODE MONKEY!!!
posted by TrueVox at 1:01 PM on March 13, 2008

'Tweeter and the Monkey Man,' on the first Traveling Wilburys album, is a parody of Bruce Springsteen written by Bob Dylan.
posted by box at 1:03 PM on March 13, 2008

Bongo Bong by Manu Chao. Man, what a cool idea for a wedding! Congrats!
posted by kimdog at 1:03 PM on March 13, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Brass Monkey - Beastie Boys
posted by otherwordlyglow at 1:04 PM on March 13, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain", which is playing in the background during the scene where flying monkeys attempt to stop Dorothy's escape from the Witch's castle, would be awesome.

The Animals did do a monkey song.
The Animals - One Monkey Don't Stop No Show

Toots and The Maytals - Monkey Man
Peter Gabriel - Shock the Monkey
Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey
Elvis Costello - Monkey to Man
posted by iconomy at 1:05 PM on March 13, 2008

Dance Like a Monkey by the New York Dolls
posted by OmieWise at 1:05 PM on March 13, 2008

Speaking of Springsteen, "Part Man, Part Monkey". Also the song "Down Home Girl" includes the line (from memory) "when you do the monkey girl, take my breath away"
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 1:05 PM on March 13, 2008

Though I don't think it's really about the primates.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 1:05 PM on March 13, 2008

There's a full version of Stimpy's "I'm Gonna Be a Monkey!" song on the You Eediot! album.

This would probably necessitate you guys butt-bouncing down the aisle together.
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:06 PM on March 13, 2008

I'd point out that the Headstones' cover of Tweeter and the Monkeyman far outstrips the original, as mentioned by box above.

Low's "Monkey" would do it if you want to sort of lurch up the aisle, gnashing your teeth and crying.
posted by Shepherd at 1:07 PM on March 13, 2008

The Beatles song that goes "Everybody's got somethin to hide, 'cept for me and my monkey!" The name escapes me at the moment.
posted by contessa at 1:07 PM on March 13, 2008

The Mountain Goats - The Monkey Song
John Prine - Space Monkey
posted by MsMolly at 1:09 PM on March 13, 2008

It doesn't have "Monkey" in the title, but "Jealous Daddy's Death Song" off the Have Moicy! album (a collaboration by various folk artists) might work.

At the end of every verse comes these lines:
I'm tellin' you boys
Doncha monkey with my woman when I'm gone
posted by LionIndex at 1:11 PM on March 13, 2008

herman düne have a great song called the monkey song (prolly not wedding appropriate)
posted by noloveforned at 1:12 PM on March 13, 2008

The eponymous song by The Monkeys?
posted by Nick Verstayne at 1:12 PM on March 13, 2008

For the honeymoon, "Ain't Nothing but Mammals":

Baby you and me ain't nothing but mammals,
so let's do it like they do it
on Discovery Channel...
posted by Evangeline at 1:13 PM on March 13, 2008

Little Red Monkey - no question!
posted by dirtdirt at 1:17 PM on March 13, 2008

Do you like hockey? If you like hockey AND monkeys, then the Zambonis' Hockey Monkey is the song for you!
posted by dersins at 1:18 PM on March 13, 2008

Do gibbons count? I guess not. But can't help but point you toward this for the reception: British comedy trio The Goodies sing Do the Funky Gibbon

Bonus: animated version attributed to The Beatles.
posted by ceri richard at 1:19 PM on March 13, 2008

Ring a Ding Ding, I'm Rotten Inside by Ass Ponys:

Sitting in a barber shop, monkey on my knee
Shit on my good corduroys, gonna kill that monkey
Yessirree, kill that monkey dead
I'm gonna smash that fucker's head
posted by Bernt Pancreas at 1:21 PM on March 13, 2008

Another Jonathan Coulton, "My Monkey":

He says he’ll stay with you for always
It doesn’t matter what the job pays
Cause everybody has their bad days
It doesn’t mean my monkey doesn’t love you

[My monkey butler Brian Dennehy screwed up again and he’s sorry]
[My monkey he loves you My monkey loves you very much]
[My monkey says My monkey says]
[My monkey says he’s sorry he’s a monkey but he’s got to be a monkey and there’s nothing he can do]
posted by Evangeline at 1:21 PM on March 13, 2008

Ooh! Twink's "Monkeyshines" would be awesome. Twink's a toy-instrument band out of Boston, very sample-heavy, extraordinarily awesome.
posted by Shepherd at 1:22 PM on March 13, 2008

James Kochalka's "Monkey Versus Robot" contains one of the best lines ever, when he sums up the song by shouting:

"MONKEY HATES TECHNOLOGY
ROBOT HATES THE MONKEY"

It also has a really great sing-along at the end of the song. But it's probably not all that appropriate for a wedding. The Drowsy Chaperone's "Bride's Lament" is a bit more romantic, but it's a sad song, overall. But: monkeys.
posted by Greg Nog at 1:28 PM on March 13, 2008

Barenaked Ladies, Another Postcard

♪ Some chimps in swimsuits, some chimps are swinging from a vine
Some chimps in jackboots, some chimps that wish they could be mine.
Starsky and Hutch chimps, a chimp who's sitting on the can
A pair of Dutch chimps who send their love from Amsterdam. ♫

posted by XMLicious at 1:30 PM on March 13, 2008

Probably not great for a wedding, but, for the sake of completeness: <>Mark Knopfler - Punish The Monkey.
posted by TurkishGolds at 1:31 PM on March 13, 2008

Monkeys in the House

Here's the chorus:
Monkeys monkeys monkeys.
Monkeys in the house!
Monkeys monkeys monkeys.
Monkeys in the house!
They tease the dog, they eat my food,
They have this monkey attitude.
I miss my days of solitude.
Wanna buy a monkey?
posted by mkb at 1:31 PM on March 13, 2008

D'oh. Here's the link: Mark Knopfler - Punish The Monkey.
posted by TurkishGolds at 1:31 PM on March 13, 2008

Warren Zevon: "Gorilla, you're a desperado"

A truly bizarre lyric, even by his standards.
posted by drjimmy11 at 1:42 PM on March 13, 2008

Louis Prima "I Wanna Be Like You" from the Jungle Book. Or the Smash Mouth cover.
posted by JeremiahBritt at 1:43 PM on March 13, 2008

Human Radio, Monkey Suit.

You'd figure I'd know that one...
posted by Guy_Inamonkeysuit at 1:44 PM on March 13, 2008

Monkey Gone to Heaven by the Pixies? Maybe too pessimistic for walking down the aisle though. ;)
posted by yellowbinder at 1:51 PM on March 13, 2008

David Lindley and Ry Cooder do a pretty awesome cover of Warren Zevon's "Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse" that's fun.

Monkey wash donkey rinse
Going to a party in the center of the earth
Monkey wash donkey rinse
Honey, don't you want to go?.
posted by EarBucket at 2:04 PM on March 13, 2008

Gillian Welch also has a great, surreal song called "One Monkey," but it's too dirge-y for a wedding.
posted by EarBucket at 2:07 PM on March 13, 2008

... I suppose I should know better than to be surprised by 36 answers in an hour.

@stupidsexyFlanders : I have that one already, and it's already a leading candidate. The fact that the internets can't seem to decide whether it's about sex or a bad acid trip or heroin made me second-guess it, though...

@kimdog: Are you referring to the both of us walking down the aisle together idea? This is apparently a Ukrainian tradition, which I discovered recently while trying to find other Ukrainian and Russian symbols that might substitute for the Celtic knot thing so popular among ringmakers... but that's an AskMe post of a whole different shade of green...

@ceri richard: Gibbons are close enough!

@yellowbinder: We've got that one already, and yeah, I think we'll stay away from the environmental destruction theme here... ;)
posted by FlyingMonkey at 2:11 PM on March 13, 2008

I also like the Specials cover of the aforementioned Toots and the Maytals song "Monkey Man"
posted by Seamus at 2:17 PM on March 13, 2008

I highly recommend Monkey Rag by the Asylum Street Spankers on the My Favorite Record Album (you can here it on their website). Does use the word "ass" once in the lyrics.


Straighten up and Fly Right (I vote for the Nat King Cole version), though may be more of a reception song.
posted by brookeb at 2:18 PM on March 13, 2008

Abba Dabba Honeymoon? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4X7NYRvILQ
posted by whatsupdoc at 2:20 PM on March 13, 2008

Mickey's Monkey, which comes in flavors including The Miracles, Smokey Robinson solo, The Hollies, The Young Rascals, John Mellencamp, and, most importantly, Mother's Finest.
posted by notashroom at 2:22 PM on March 13, 2008

I never thought I would say this, but I totally recommend Counting Crows.
posted by sian at 2:38 PM on March 13, 2008

Seconding Monkey by Counting Crows. Upbeat, sort of even about love! Also All dressed up no place to go. Like a wedding!
posted by wemayfreeze at 2:42 PM on March 13, 2008

"Monkey and the Engineer" by the Grateful Dead.
posted by diggerroo at 2:47 PM on March 13, 2008

The Monkey Tuesday theme from Penn Jillette's radio show/podcast...no words however.
posted by legotech at 2:51 PM on March 13, 2008

Cracker - Guarded by Monkeys
off of Forever | lyrics
posted by krix at 3:16 PM on March 13, 2008

My first thought was "Another Postcard" by Barenaked Ladies, as suggested by @XMLicious above.

That (great) song notwithstanding, I think "Hey Hey We're the Monkeys" is the obvious choice:

Here we come...Walkin' down the aisle...
posted by johnvaljohn at 3:17 PM on March 13, 2008

You know what you should do? You have MORE than enough suggestions for a song down the aisle.

What you need now is a song for the first dance. You should start it off with something like Michael Bolton's "When a man loves a woman" or something equally lame. THEN OUTTA NOWHERE:

BRASS MONKEY...that funky monkey. THAT will make an impact on your entire party.

Do it like these folks did it.
posted by hal_c_on at 3:26 PM on March 13, 2008

It's not monkeys, but Mancini's "Baby Elephant Walk" from the Hatari! soundtrack is processional and swingin' cool jungle/veldt, and would certainly conjure notions of Monkey-like environs for all who recognize it. Your parents and grandparents would get it, if not the 5 year old cousins.
posted by mumkin at 3:34 PM on March 13, 2008

Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
posted by nax at 3:37 PM on March 13, 2008

Good heavens. There are 9,228 tracks with "monkey" in their title at Last.fm. That's an awful lot.
posted by mumkin at 3:42 PM on March 13, 2008

Wild Honey by U2: It doesn't have monkey in the title, but there's a reference to a monkey, and sometimes the line "you were my shelter and my shade..." echoes through my head on a busy workday.

In the days
When we were swinging from the trees
I was a monkey
Stealing honey from a swarm of bees
I could taste
I could taste you even then
And I would chase you down the wind...
posted by eleyna at 4:37 PM on March 13, 2008

Seconding the suggestion of "I wanna be like you" from the Jungle Book. Los Lobos does a great version.
posted by umbú at 6:23 PM on March 13, 2008

Can it really be that no one's said "The Monkey Time" by Major Lance? Awesome '60s soul song!

Monkey Man - Toots & the Maytals (another vote)
Ape Man - The Kinks (also another vote)
Monkey in the Jungle - Gorillaz (bonus for the band name!)
Unfinished Monkey Business - Ian Brown (album of the same name)

Other mammals:

Lions - Ian Brown (same album)
Waiting on the Lions - Number One Cup (album: Wrecked By Lions)
Joe the Lion - David Bowie
Hungry Wolf - X
Animal Farm - The Kinks
Dog Eat Dog - Adam and the Ants
Wild Cats of Kilkenny - The Pogues (instrumental, but guaranteed to make everyone dance!)
posted by scody at 7:29 PM on March 13, 2008

Sonnerie pour réveiller le Roi des singes — that's "fanfare to awaken the Monkey King," more or less.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:40 PM on March 13, 2008

Monkey to Man, Elvis Costello.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9_EyXPs2_Jk
posted by wv kay in ga at 7:54 PM on March 13, 2008

I have the perfect song.

No, really.

There's a wonderfully joyous midtempo 60s soul tune about dancing like a monkey that's just the thing: "The Monkey Time" (god bless YouTube). It was written by Curtis Mayfield and performed by a Chicago ex-boxer named Major Lance, who's now forgotten but was amazing (and damn popular) for a few minutes there. It was a big hit and actually started a dance craze:

Lance's second single, "The Monkey Time," was a monster. Released in the summer of 1963, "The Monkey Time" reached number two on the R&B charts and number eight pop, establishing not only Lance as a singer but the revitalized OKeh Records as a pop music force.

Check the lyrics and tell me they're not perfect for walking down the aisle together:

Now the dance that the people do, I don't know how it started
All I know is that when the beat brings a feel
It's so hard to get parted

And then the music begins to play
Automatically you're on your way
Are you ready (are you ready)
Well, you get yours, cause-a I got mine
For the Monkey Time (Monkey Time)
(Monkey Time)

Do the Monkey, yeah (do the Monkey Time)
Do the Monkey, yeah (do the Monkey Time)
Ah-twist them hips (twist them hips)
Let your backbone slip (let your backbone slip)
Now move your feet (move your feet)
Get on the beat (get on the beat)
Are you ready (are you ready)
Well, you get yours, cause-a I got mine
For the Monkey Time (Monkey Time)
(Monkey Time)

It's one of the great lost soul songs of the 60s, imho, and should be played at the wedding of anyone who likes monkeys. I think it's the repeated 'Are you ready?'s in the chorus that do it. :)
posted by mediareport at 8:31 PM on March 13, 2008

Not EXACTLY a monkey song... But "Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson? :o)
posted by Mookbear at 8:35 PM on March 13, 2008

Or, on the album Colours Are Brighter, "The Monkeys are Breaking Out the Zoo" by Belle & Sebastian. :o)
posted by Mookbear at 8:43 PM on March 13, 2008

Simon and Garfunkel's "At the Zoo," because "the monkeys stand for honesty" and the song involves the audience...

Someone told me
Its all happening at the zoo.

I do believe it,
I do believe its true.

It's a light and tumble journey
From the east side to the park;
Just a fine and fancy ramble
To the zoo.

But you can take the crosstown bus
If its raining or its cold,
And the animals will love it
If you do.

Somethin tells me
Its all happening at the zoo.

The monkeys stand for honesty,
Giraffes are insincere,
And the elephants are kindly but
They're dumb.
Orangutans are skeptical
Of changes in their cages,
And the zookeeper is very fond of rum.

Zebras are reactionaries,
Antelopes are missionaries,
Pigeons plot in secrecy,
And hamsters turn on frequently.
What a gas! you gotta come and see
At the zoo.
posted by carmicha at 8:54 PM on March 13, 2008

Bungle in the Jungle by Jethro Tull mention monkeys a couple of times.
posted by marxchivist at 6:21 AM on March 14, 2008

Toots and the Maytals - Monkey Man has been covered by, amongst others, The Specials (with the fantastic quote "This is dedicated to the bouncers at the back!") and Amy Winehouse...

Man, I love that song!
posted by mattr at 12:36 PM on March 14, 2008

Monkey Ska by Dereck Herriot. It's so cute and happy, it always makes me smile.
posted by 8k at 5:03 PM on March 14, 2008

I can't say that I think that any of these songs are "walk down the aisle" type of songs, but then again, I think that "walk down the aisle" type of songs shouldn't mention monkeys at all, so what do I know?

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2008/02/post-1.html

Ten tracks of monkey-mentioning garage rock/surf/old rock n roll.
posted by 23skidoo at 3:21 PM on March 17, 2008