Yeah, I’m a sack of broken eggs
I always have an unmade bed
Don’t you?
This song is a great album cut. The way I would describe the song? It is the actual sound of sleaze, and that is a compliment. It was used well in Goodfellas, the 1990 movie, in a scene where the gangsters are trafficking cocaine. One of my favorite Stone songs. I always liked the Stones album cuts more than their hits. This is when they had the perfect producer (Jimmy Miller), the perfect guitar player (Keith Richards), and the perfect sound. This is the Stones I love, their golden period.
What makes this song is Keith Richards’ riff, and it is menacing and on the prowl, practically alive in this song, stalking you outside your bedroom window. Only Keith could make a riff sound dangerous, and it builds up through the song. Richards laid down the main riff on a late-night jam, a hypnotic riff, with just enough space for Nicky Hopkins to work in his piano. Hopkins’ playing on this is greatness: melodic and sinister all at once. He reportedly improvised much of it, adding those runs that make the song snarl.
This song was on Let It Bleed, and it was recorded after Brian Jones was fired and before Mick Taylor replaced him. On Monkey Man, Keith Richards played electric and slide electric guitar, Bill Wyman played bass, and producer Jimmy Miller assisted drummer Charlie Watts on tambourine. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote “Monkey Man” as a tribute to Italian pop artist Mario Schifano, whom they met on the set of his movie Umano Non Umano! (Human, Not Human!).
This song is the Let It Bleed track I always come back to when I want to feel the Stones at their most human and feral.
Monkey Man
I’m a fleabit peanut monkey
And all my friends are junkies
That’s not really true
I’m a cold Italian pizza
I could use a lemon squeezer
What you do?
But I’ve been bit and I’ve been tossed around
By every she-rat in this town
Have you babe?
But I am just a monkey man
I’m glad you are a monkey woman too
I was bitten by a boar
I was gouged and I was gored
But I pulled on through
Yeah, I’m a sack of broken eggs
I always have an unmade bed
Don’t you?
Well I hope we’re not too messianic
Or a trifle too satanic
But we love to play the blues
But well I am just a monkey man
I’m glad you are a monkey woman too
Monkey woman too babe
I’m a monkey man
I’m a monkey man
I’m a monkey man
I’m a monkey man
I’m a monkey
I’m a monkey
I’m a monkey
I’m a monkey
Monkey, monkey
Monkey
Monkey
I’m a monkey
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The slow build leading to the cool guitar riff was cool and then it goes on a bit of wild rock bender – great stuff. Weird, how I didn’t recall it from Goodfellas. It reminds me a bit of ‘Gimme Shelter’ from same album which was used in another Scorsese film – The Departed.
‘Monkey Man’s a keeper – 4 sure.
When I heard it in Goodfellas…it just stuck with me…here is the scene:
If you hadn’t mentioned it in the article and pointed out its place in the movie, I never would have remembered that music in that scene. Thanks!
I was just thinking about this song recently. Some great elements to it. Interesting to see the lyrics.
I guess I never bothered to decipher the lyrics before. Whew. The music always got to me, though. You could pick any song off Let It Bleed and be OK. Good one.
Yea this one stuck with me more than any other for some reason.
That is a great photo of the Stones. Poor Brian. On a totally different note, there’s a good-sized article on the Raspberries in Goldmine magazine. I still get a paper copy in the mail, but I hadn’t really had time to look through it until today. I guess there’s a tribute album to them coming out. Just thought you might be interested.
Oh thanks! I’ll have to check that out. I’m always interested in them, Badfinger, and Big Star.
You’re welcome. Have a good week.
yep that’s a rocker! I like the Keith riff you mention. I don’t remember it in ‘Goodfellas’, but it’s been some years since I last saw that.
I just posted the scene on a comment… I love that guitar in this…when I heard it on Goodfellas I fell in love with it lol.
Haven’t heard this in ages and maybe only a few times in total. Always great to appreciate a Keith riff!
I seem to be the oddball lol…this is the one I think about when I hear of this album. I think Goodfellas really cemented this song in my head.
Let It Bleed is my favorite Stones album, and I used to listen to this all the time and it never gets old. I love the way you describe the music in this song, Max.
Thank you Jim…I had fun writing this one.
“Monkey Man” is a neat track, Max, and what I would call a deeper cut. While I’ve definitely listened to “Let It Bleed” in its entirety before, I didn’t recall it. I agree Keith’s guitar riff is really cool. I also like Bill Wyman’s bassline. Great pick!
Two things…that riff and Goodfellas…just made me love this song. Of course Nicky Hopkins is on it…it would be easier to pick what Hopkins didn’t play on in the 60s.
Great song from a truly great album
”Let It Bleed” is my personal favorite Stones and this is a great track from that album!
Thanks! Yea I always favored this one a lot! Yes great album!
Yes Max, you can almost feel the decadence oozing off the grooves in this one. Nicky Hopkins was the best session player they had for their style, and that is not to dismiss Ian Stewart’s efforts, it just means Nicky had the right feel and nuance for so many Golden Era songs. His contribution on ‘Salt Of The Earth’ was the one that really showed me what a perfect support to a great band can add.
This song makes you want to go have a shower doesn’t it? (And off this album ‘Love In Vain’ tears your heart out.)
Yes decadence…and it’s not all about the lyrics either…it’s the sound of it…just a low down dirty kind of atmosphere. To me…this was the Stones at their peak during those years.
Yes it does!
Yes it’s a good one and like you I alsp lean more towards the album cuts. Here’s another song for the “Monkey/Ape” songs take. Martin uses music to a great effect in his films with some help from Robbie Robertson.
Yes he does CB. I had this album but Goodfellas is where it really stuck with me.
One of those songs you recognize from the first notes. My favorite Stones album, and I’ll confess that there were a lot of spring days when my speakers were facing out the windows and this album played for the whole neighborhood while we threw a Frisbee in the street. I think the statute of limitations has passed for that offense.
Yea…I think that offense will slide…
I’m glad you knew the song. I was surprised at how many didn’t know it. For me…it hits the top 5 of my personal Stones songs…with Memory Motel number 1.
I couldn’t agree more with you. Monkey Man is in my top 5 favorite Stones songs, and the Let it Bleed is their best album.
Thank you! I was surprised at how many people didn’t know this song…when I hear it…it screams Stones like Gimme Shelter does.
Many of us, the “casual fans”, rely on the stuff that plays on the classic rock radios. My wife worked at a warehouse in Atlanta, back in the early 2000 and her manager was a fanatic Stones fan. He allowed us to borrow his CD collection, to make copies, that was how we came to know this song.
It’s a KICKASS song, and I love the intro because you have no idea what’s coming next. You know how much I love The Rolling Stones.
I LOVE this one Lisa…one of their great songs to me…although yes it was only an album cut…don’t care! Great song!
When I read this comment, do I understand you right that people think less of songs that weren’t released as singles? Yes it is a great song. One of their best, imo.
Right…no it was not a single…just called an album cut. Bands used to just fill up albums with any song at all…just to surround the hits…but that was before The Beatles and Stones who made everyone up their game and make the album cuts sound good.
Good info to know, thanks, Max.
One of my faves off Let It Bleed.
excellent post…classic song..
Thank you!
Monkey Man and You Got the Silver are my favourite tracks on this album. I’ve loved it since it first came out (and heard it a LOT at gigs in those days, particularly at The Roundhouse in London) I play it many, many times a year every year. Good things cds don’t wear out like vinyl does! (I don’t know if you have the same thing there, but in the UK, the track list is wrong on the CD version).
Btw, it goes straight into Sympathy for the Devil after your embedded version of Monkey Man! Not complaining at all…!
Hope you’re okay, Max. Working hard, I’ll bet.
I was shocked that people here didn’t know this song. With Goodfellas alone I thought it was more popular…
LOL…that is right! It did that to me the other day and I just ignored it…but yea…that is good!
Yes I am…plus I’ve been watching the World Series every night…the Dodgers are about to lose it but we will see….
I’ll tell you in email about Bailey going….
People don’t know the song? Weird! (That said, I don’t remember it in Goodfellas – must be time to watch the movie again!)
Okay, Max.