travelling wilburys tweeter and the monkey man lyrics

"Tweeter And The Monkey Man" lyrics

• The Traveling Wilburys Lyrics

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Tweeter And The Monkey Man

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(Me and my friends listened to this song all day every day for years and drank beer with a psssion . We analyzed the lyrics for years and still wonder about this , who actually wrote this song? Flag muletrainhoeon January 04, 2010)

I would definitely say BOB DYLAN, Classic Dylan storytelling, (This song especially reminds me "Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts")

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@Ricortiz According to George Harrison it was Bob and Tom. He said they were hold up in a corner giggling like school girls when they were writing it. He said it was that Americana shit which he didn't understand so he left them alone. I suspect it was mostly a Bob song with an assist from Tom or Tom would have sung alternate verses. Besides the rhythmic quality of the words is pure Bob Dylan. To me this seems somewhat of an homage to Bruce Springsteen as there are numerous allusion to Springsteen songs, especially from the "Greetings from Asbury Park NJ" and "Born to Run" albums. I'm sure they thought the connection between "Will-Bury" and As-Bury" was hilarious.

The best of all the Wilburys' songs. Just a good old fashioned ballad about crime and punishment. One thing has always confused me, though - is Tweeter a transsexual or something? They say he was a boy scout, and went to Vietnam, but they also say "she"; and I don't understand the line "I'm not fooled by Tweeter's curl (?) I knew HIM long before HE ever became a Jersey GIRL." Did he have a sex change, like in Dog Day Afternoon? I don't know. Anyway, great song.

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I've listened to this song quite a bit throughout my life and it always sounded like Bob was saying "Tweeter was a boy scout before HE went to Vietnam" so it could simply be a misquote. I don't think Tweeter is a tranny, I think at some point in the story for whatever reason Tweeter and the Monkey Man came up with the idea of Tweeter cross dressing so that it looked like the Monkey Man found a random hostage. I could be wrong but that's what I got from the line.

@Kafziel I know its like 20 years later, but let me provide closure. Back in vietnam, many soldiers would be gay and cross dress to get sent home. It goes back to the old "don't ask don't tell" law. If it came out that you're gay back then, you'd get dishonorably discharged.

I've never heard someone sing a Dylan song better than Dylan.

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I am sorry, but the Headstones version is just plain god awful! The original has this dark coolness about it, but this headstones version sounds like a piss-take, Weird Al parody on crack. It just ruins absolutely any organic expression from out the song.

Well it's obviously about running away from the authorities and a caper gone bad...quite an excellent song and if you don't have the rock version by the Headstones get it now!

The song is a Bruce Springsteen parody/pastiche, done in the style of Bruce's crime epics and the lyrics allude to over a half-dozen Springsteen songs (Thunder Road, Born to Run, Mansion on the Hill, etc.)

Great crime ballad epic. And yes, Tweeter is a tranny.

The Headstones version of this song is way better than the Travelling Wilburys.

you must be on crack if you think that the headstones version is better. Its not even in the same league. Nobody can sing the way tom petty can and the wilburys made this tune!!<br /> I wished I had not downloaded that version of the headstones because I wasted the space. you must be a bandmember of the Headstones ha..<br /> Tweeter is definately a tranny ...But why is jan married at 14?

Ya, you probably think Guns and Roses wrote Knock Knock Knocking on Heavens Dahowow, i, i ya ya ya!

It sucks a fat one, you are wrong.

As for the parody of Springsteen, the whole thing is obviously tongue in cheek, but at the same time, there's an air of acknowledgement on Dylan's part toward the Boss. It seems like more of a friendly ribbing from Dylan than anything else. I like that, because I lile Bob Dylan and I like the Boss.

As for the Headstones version being better, I've never heard it, but it certainly wouldn't be the first time someone sang a Dylan song better than Bob Dylan.

I love Bob's raw voice too Mr Blue Sky, but the easiest example is All Along the Watchtower. You can't look me straight in the eye and tell me the Dylan version is better. Anyway, it was more of a joke. I wouldn't change a thing about Bob Dylan's voice.

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• The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1
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Tweeter And The Monkey Man by The Traveling Wilburys

• Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hard up for cash They stayed up all night selling cocaine and hash To an undercover cop who had a sister named Jan For reasons unexplained she loved the Monkey Man Tweeter was a Boy Scout 'fore she went to Vietnam And found out the hard way, nobody gives a damn They knew that they found freedom just across the Jersey line So they hopped into a stolen car, took Highway 99 And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell The undercover cop never liked the Monkey Man Even back in childhood he wanted to see him in the can Jan got married at fourteen to a racketeer named Bill She made secret calls to the Monkey Man from a mansion on the hill It was out on Thunder Road, Tweeter at the wheel They crashed into paradise, they could hear them tires squeal The undercover cop pulled up and said "Everyone of you is a liar If you don't surrender now it's gonna go down to the wire" And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell An ambulance rolled up, a state-trooper close behind Tweeter took his gun away and messed up his mind The undercover cop was left tied up to a tree Near the souvenir stand, by the old abandoned factory Next day the undercover cop was hot in pursuit He was taking the whole thing personal, he didn't care about the loot Jan had told him many times, "It was you to me who taught In Jersey anything's legal as long as you don't get caught" And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell Some place by Rahwey Prison they ran out of gas The undercover cop had cornered them, said "Boy, you didn't think this could last?" Jan jumped out of bed, said, "There's someplace I gotta go" She took the gun out of the drawer, said, "It's best that you don't know." The undercover cop was found face down in a field The Monkey Man was on the river bridge, using Tweeter as a shield Jan said to the Monkey Man, "I'm not fooled by Tweeter's curl I knew him long before he became a Jersey Girl" And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell Now the town of Jersey City is quieting down again I'm sitting in a gambling club called the Lion's Den The TV set was blown up, every bit of it is gone Ever since the nightly news showed that the Monkey Man was on I guess I'll go to Florida and get myself some sun There ain't no more opportunity here, everything's been done Sometimes I think of Tweeter, sometimes I think of Jan Sometimes I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell Writer/s: Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind
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• Tweeter And The Monkey Man Lyrics

Traveling Wilburys - Tweeter And The Monkey Man Lyrics

Artist: Traveling Wilburys

Album: Vol 1

Genre: Rock

Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hardup for cash They stayed up all night selling cocaine and hash To an undercover cop who had a sister named Jan For reasons unexplained she loved the Monkey Man Tweeter was a boy scout course he went to Vietnam And found out the hard way, nobody gives a damn They knew that they found freedom just across the Jersey line So they hopped into a stolen car, took Highway 99 And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell The undercover cop never liked the Monkey Man Even back in childhood he wanted to see him in the can Jan got married at fourteen to a racketeer named Bill She made secret calls to the Monkey Man from a mansion on the hill It was out on Thunder Road, Tweeter at the wheel They crashed into paradise, they could hear them tires squeal The undercover cop pulled up and said "Everyone of you is a liar If you don't surrender now, it's gonna go down to the wire" And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell An ambulance rolled up, a State-Trooper close behind Tweeter took his gun away and messed up his mind The undercover cop was left tied up to a tree Near the souvenir stand, by the old abandoned factory Next day the undercover cop was hot in pursuit He was taking the whole thing personal, he didn't care about the loot Jan had told him many times, "It was you to me who taught In Jersey anything's legal, as long as you don't get caught" And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell Some place by Rahwey Prison they ran out of gas The undercover cop had cornered them, said "Boy, you didn't think this could last?" Jan jumped out of bed, said, "There's someplace I gotta go" She took the gun out of the drawer, said, "It's best that you don't know" The undercover cop was found face down in a field The Monkey Man was on the river bridge using Tweeter as a shield Jan said to the Monkey Man, "I'm not fooled by Tweeter's curl I knew him long before he ever became a Jersey Girl" And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell Now the town of Jersey City is quieting down again I'm sitting in a gambling club called the Lion's Den The TV set was blown up, every bit of it was gone Ever since the nightly news showed that the Monkey Man was on I guess I'll go to Florida to get myself some sun There ain't no more opportunity here, everything's been done Sometimes I think of Tweeter, sometimes I think of Jan Sometimes I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man And the walls came down All the way to hell Never saw them when they're standing Never saw them when they fell

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Tweeter and the Monkey Man

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About Tweeter and the Monkey Man

"Tweeter and the Monkey Man" is a song by the British–American supergroup the Traveling Wilburys that first appeared on the 1988 album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1.

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The Traveling Wilburys were a British-American supergroup consisting of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. Originating from an idea discussed by Harrison and Lynne during the sessions for Harrison's 1987 album Cloud Nine, the band formed in April 1988 after the five members united to record a bonus track for Harrison's next European single. When this collaboration, "Handle with Care", was deemed too good for such a limited release, the group agreed to record a full album, titled Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. Following Orbison's death in December 1988, the Wilburys continued as a quartet and released a second album, titled Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, in 1990. The project's work received much anticipation given the diverse nature of … more »

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Know any other songs by the traveling wilburys don't keep it to yourself, image credit, the web's largest resource for, music, songs & lyrics, a member of the stands4 network, watch the song video, more tracks from the album, the traveling wilburys, vol. 1 [bonus tracks].

• #1 Handle with Care
• #2 Dirty World
• #4 Last Night
• #5 Not Alone Any More
• #6 Congratulations
• #7 Heading for the Light
• #8 Margarita
• #9 Tweeter and the Monkey Man
• #10 End of the Line
• #11 Maxine [*]
• #12 Like a Ship [*]
• #12 Like a Ship

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