Monkey Man

Let It Bleed
Track 8
"Monkey Man" – 4:15




Not the Toots and the Maytals song of the same name. In case you were wondering.

This song is the very definition of album filler. The track drags itself along like a man reluctantly making his way to the dentist, barely driven by a pedestrian and forgettable Keith riff, finishing with a coda featuring Mick babbling "I'm a monkey!" over and over – I'll bet he thought they were going to fade that part out.

The only notable aspect of the song are the lyrics, which are hilariously over the top. "I'm a cold Italian pizza"? Really, Mick? That's what it's come to? "I'm a sack of broken eggs"? Jesus.

I'm a flea-bit peanut monkey
All my friends are junkies
That's not really true
I'm a cold Italian pizza
I could use a lemon squeezer
How'd you do?

I've been bit and I've been tossed around
By every she-rat in this town
Have you, babe?

Well, I'm 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
Yes 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
We love to play the blues

Well I am just a monkey man
I'm glad you are a monkey, monkey woman too

Apropos of nothing at all, here is Toots' "Monkey Man":