Signifyin' Monkey Songtext

von Oscar Brown Jr.

SIGNIFYIN' MONKEY

:
SAID THE SIGNIFYIN' MONKEY
TO THE LION ONE DAY,
'HEY,
THERE'S A GREAT BIG ELEPHANT
DOWN THE WAY,
GOIN' 'ROUND, TALKIN',
I'M SORRY TO SAY,
ABOUT YOUR MAMA
IN A SCANDALOUS WAY.
YES, HE'S TALKIN'
'BOUT YOUR MAMA
AND YOUR GRAN'MA TOO,
AN' HE DON'T SHOW
TOO MUCH RESPECT
FOR YOU.
YOU WEREN'T HERE
AN' I SURE AM GLAD,
'CAUSE WHAT HE SAID
ABOUT YOUR MAMA
MADE ME MAD!'
:
SIGNIFYIN' MONKEY,
STAY UP IN YOUR TREE;
YOU ARE ALWAYS LYIN'
AND SIGNIFYIN';
BUT YOU BETTER NOT
MONKEY WITH ME.
:
THE LION SAID,
'YEAH - WELL I'LL FIX HIM!
TEAR THAT ELEPHANT
LIMB FROM LIMB.'
THEN HE SJUNGLE
WITH A MIGHTY ROAR,
TOOK OFF LIKE A SHOT
FROM A FORTY-FOUR.
HE FOUND THE ELEPHANT
WHERE THE TALL GRASS GROWS
AND SAID,
'I COME TO PUNCH YOU
IN YOUR LONG NOSE!'
THE ELEPHANT LOOKED
AT THE LION IN SURPRISE
AND SAID, 'BOY,
YOU BETTER GO
PICK ON
SOMEBODY YOUR SIZE.'
:
BUT THE LION
WOULDN'T LISTEN,
HE MADE A PASS,
THE ELEPHANT SLAPPED HIM
DOWN IN THE GRASS.
THE LION ROARED
AND SPRANG FROM THE GROUND
AND THAT'S WHEN THE ELEPHANT
REALLY WENT TO TOWN.
I MEAN HE WHIPPED THAT LION
FOR THE REST OF THE DAY
AND I STILL DON'T SEE HOW
THAT LION GOT AWAY.
BUT HE DRAGGED ON OFF,
MORE DEAD THAN ALIVE
AND THAT'S WHEN
THAT MONKEY STARTED
HIS SIGNIFYIN' JIVE.
:
SIGNIFYIN' MONKEY,
STAY UP IN YOUR TREE;
YOU ARE ALWAYS LYIN'
AND SIGNIFYIN';
BUT YOU BETTER NOT
MONKEY WITH ME.
:
THE MONKEY LOOKED DOWN
AND SAID,
'OOOOOEEE!
WHAT IS THIS BEAT-UP MESS
I SEE?
IS THAT YOU, LION?
HA, HA, DO TELL,
MAN, HE WHIPPED YOUR HEAD
TO A FARE-THEE-WELL,
GIVE YOU A BEATIN'
THAT WAS ROUGH ENOUGH
AND YOU SUPPOSED TO BE
'KING OF THE JUNGLE'
- AIN'T THAT SOME STUFF.
YOU BIG OVERGROWN PUSSYCAT,
DON'T YOU ROAR,
OR I'LL HOP DOWN THERE
AND WHIP YOU SOME MORE!'
:
THE MONKEY GOT TO LAUGHIN'
AND JUMPIN' UP AND DOWN,
BUT HIS FOOT MISSED THE LIMB
AND HE PLUNGED TO THE GROUND.
THE LION WAS ON HIM
WITH ALL FOUR FEET,
GONNA GRIND THAT MONKEY
TO HAMBURGER MEAT.
THE MONKEY LOOKED UP
WITH TEARS IN HIS EYES,
AND SAID,
'PLEASE, MISTER LION,
I APOLOGIZE!
I MEANT NO HARM,
PLEASE LEMME GO
AND I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHIN'
YOU REALLY NEED TO KNOW.'
:
SIGNIFYIN' MONKEY,
STAY UP IN YOUR TREE;
YOU ARE ALWAYS LYIN'
AND SIGNIFYIN';
BUT YOU BETTER NOT
MONKEY WITH ME.
:
THE LION STEPPED BACK
TO HEAR WHAT HE'D SAY
AN' THAT MONKEY
SCAMPERED UP A TREE
AND GOT AWAY.
'WHAT I WANNA TELL YA,'
THE MONKEY HOLLERED THEN,
'IS IF YOU FOOL WITH ME,
I'LL SIC THE ELEPHANT
ON YOU AGAIN!'
THE LION
JUST SHEAD
AND SAID,
'YOU JIVE...
IF YOU
AND YOUR MONKEY CHILDREN
WANNA KEEP ALIVE,
UP IN THEM TREES
IS WHERE YOU BETTER STAY!'
AND THAT'S WHERE THEY ARE
TO THIS VERY DAY.
:
SIGNIFYIN' MONKEY,
STAY UP IN YOUR TREE;
YOU ARE ALWAYS LYIN'
AND SIGNIFYIN';
BUT YOU BETTER NOT,
NO, YOU BETTER NOT,
YOU ARE ALWAYS LYIN',
SIGNIFYIN',
BUT YOU BETTER NOT
MONKEY WITH ME