Made A Monkey Out Of Me

MADE A MONKEY OUT OF ME

by Meyers, Black, & Schoebel
as sung by Billy Meyers ("The Original Monkey Man")


I always felt like eighty-three
Standing 'round like an old oak tree
But something wonderful happened to me;
Just wait and see.
A little operation
Filled me full of syncopation
And now I shout with glee!
(monkey screech) I'm just a monkey man.
I feel like a wild monkey
Looking for a chimpanzee.
(monkey screech) See this monkey talk.
Every day in every way I'm getting better in my monkey walk.
(monkey screech) I'm wild as wild can be.
(monkey screech) So don't you monkey with me.
Since my recovery, the other day
I made a discovery, and that's why I say
Understand
It was a monkey gland
That made a monkey out of me.

(monkey screech) I'm happy as a chimpanzee
(monkey screech) Swinging from a monkey tree.
If you don't believe what I say is true,
Just call on me, and I'll throw coconuts at you.
Understand
It was a monkey gland 
That made a monkey out of me.

Note: Those puzzled by this song may be enlightened by the knowledge that in the 1920's a quack medical procedure with alleged aphrodisiac effects was being offered and captured a portion of the public's imagination. The procedure involved the implantation of sterilized monkey testicles, or "glands" (other quacks offered goat glands). In addition to "Made A Monkey Out Of Me", this procedure is immortalized in popular song by Irving Berlin (the "Monkey Doodle Doo" song from THE COCOANUTS, which includes the lyrics, "If you're too old for dancing, get yourself a monkey gland"). Ethel Waters and Louisiana Governor Jimmy Davis also made reference to this phenomena in their recorded songs.

Back to Contents page

Next song alphabetically: My Girl Ran Away