January 23, 2008

Sometimes you get a song stuck in your head that you just can’t forget. Proudest Monkey by Dave Matthews Band is one of those songs. So much so, in fact, that I’ve replaced Hello Dolly (on the backend of my WordPress blog) with the lyrics to Proudest Monkey. While Dave is an incredible songwriter, this one kind of hits home - what with all the election buzz going on and all.

Back in the Summer of ‘96, Dave teased/chatted up the audience with an intro to Proudest Monkey. Eleven years later, seems we haven’t made much progress. Here’s what he said then:

So sometimes I watch CNN. And I sit in front of CNN and watch all that stuff on CNN. The Headline News and everything.

You watch Party of Five. Or you watch Friends.

Or you watch bombs blowing up in Baghdad.

Or you watch people shooting each other, or people going hungry ’cause other people eat too much, and drink too much.

People standing on top of the White House. There’s people standing up on Capitol Hill. I don’t care if they’re Republicans or Democrats - I’m not telling you anything. They stand up there sounding like they know something.

They all still wake up in the morning, drink a cup of coffee and take a shit. They ain’t better than I am.

And they dance around the problems, saying this, talk about the ‘economic implications.’

But their grandfather, their great-great grandfather - was just like my great-great grandfather - just a bunch of monkeys swinging up in trees, shitting in the woods.

If someone tells you they know what’s going on, immediately QUESTION THEM. Yeah!

Especially a government. I don’t care where the government is - it could be in Moscow. It can be in Washington DC.

Don’t just think we got it made.

Just remember that we’re all monkeys - and that’s the first thing to keep us together.
06.07.96 Dave Matthews

May not be the most eloquent sentiment, but the overtone is truly a zinger. And most appropriate right now. Does that make me sound like I’m a supporter of antiestablishmentarianism? Quite possibly. I’ve never agreed with what the propers felt best for the masses. So, in that vein, yes, I am an antiestablishmentarian - a rebel with a cause.

To round out the rest of that particular performance, here’s the lyrics to Proudest Monkey:

Swing in this tree
Oh I am bounce around so well
Branch to branch,
Limb to limb you see.
All in a day’s dream
I’m stuck
Like the other monkeys here
Me, I am a humble monkey
Sitting up in here again.

But then came the day
I climbed out of these safe limbs -
Ventured away
Walking tall, head high up and singing.
I went to the city
Car horns, corners and the gritty.

Now I am the proudest monkey you’ve ever seen
Monkey see, monkey do.

Then came the day
I turned to question me
I wonder do I want the simple, simple life that I once lived in well
Well things were quiet then
In a way those were our better days

But now I am the proudest monkey you’ve ever seen
Monkey see, monkey do - yeah
Monkey see, monkey do…
Shock the monkey…
Monkey see, monkey do…
From the Crash CD ©1996

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