“Dancing Monkey, Laughing Crowd” is a song that my friend Alex Lucas and I made in college. It combines computer synthesized melodies, voice, literary elements inspired by the Greek epic, and an Australian Aboriginal instrument known as the didgeradoo to tell the story of a scene common in the 19th century. (And allegorically speaking, one even more common today).
Hello, Hello, This is a song about dancing monkeys, and society, and what have you.
An organ grinder plays a tune, on a summer day, sometime in June. His monkey dances to a sound, and it attracts a laughing crowd.
The organ grinder cries out loud, pay the monkey, laughing crowd. The monkey dances to the sound, Dancing monkey, laughing crowd.
[Oh to be a domesticated pet]
The organ grinder plays the sounds. The monkey dances, to please the crowd. Laugh. Laugh at the monkey. And the crowd laughs, and the monkey dances.
Will you give the monkey money? He reaches out a hat towards you. Will you give the monkey a dollar? Give the dancing monkey a dollar.
[They feed you, you know]
The organ grinder grinds his music. He pleads with the crowd, put money in the hat. Or he will beata the monkey, poor little monkey. Dancing monkey, laughing crowd.
The organ grinder shouts out loud, Pay the monkey laughing crowd. The monkey dances to the sound. Dancing monkey, laughing crowd.
[They clean up your feces for you]
The organ grinder shouts out loud, Pay the monkey, if you’re proud! “Pay the monkey, laughing crowd” The monkey dances to the sound, Bored monkey, and crazy crowd.
The organ grinder grinds away. Grinds away, grinds away The monkey won’t be free today. Free today, free today. It still must dance, and play, and bow. Play and bow, play and bow. It belongs to laughing crowd. Laughing crowd, laughing crowd.
[They make you feel loved]
The dancing monkey says so meek: Did you know that I could speak? “Did you know that I could speak?” All these years I’ve been oppressed. “All these years I’ve been oppressed.” The grider says it’s for the best. “The grider says it’s for the best.”
The laughing crowd all stops to stare. Beware the silent crowd, beware! The talking monkey cowers in fear, Crazed and pissed, the crowd comes near. -Angry mob yelling-
[Even though you're not]
The organ grinder shouts out loud, Pay the monkey, laughing crowd! “Pay the monkey, laughing crowd!” The monkey dances to the sound, Yes it’s a dancing monkey, and a laughing crowd.
The organ grinder shouts out loud, Pay the monkey if you’re proud! The monkey dances to the sound, Poor monkey, selfish crowd. Poor monkey, selfish crowd.
[Everybody loves you, at first]
Crazy monkeys running around, Brutal pissed, they attack the crowd. -Angry monkey noises- The crowd is scared, they fling out money. -Coins bouncing- The monkeys just think that this is funny. -Deranged monkey laughter-
Sick of the organ grinder’s tune, They zero in on the poor buffoon. “There he is!” They smash the organ on his head. No more playing, the grinder’s dead.
Dancing Monkey, Laughing Crowd
“Dancing Monkey, Laughing Crowd” is a song that my friend Alex Lucas and I made in college. It combines computer synthesized melodies, voice, literary elements inspired by the Greek epic, and an Australian Aboriginal instrument known as the didgeradoo to tell the story of a scene common in the 19th century. (And allegorically speaking, one even more common today).
Click here to listen (MP3)
Lyrics: