Post by RockoRoll on Jan 25, 2015 7:10:45 GMT -5
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Data:
Released: 22 November 1968
Recorded: 27 June 1968
Genre: Rock and Roll
Length: 2:24
Label: Apple Records
Writer(s): Lennon-McCartney
Producer(s): George Martin
Video Clip
"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is a song written by John Lennon (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and performed by The Beatles on their 1968 album The Beatles, also known as The White Album.
In 1980, Lennon said: "That was just a sort of nice line that I made into a song. It was about me and Yoko. Everybody seemed to be paranoid except for us two, who were in the glow of love. Everything is clear and open when you're in love. Everybody was sort of tense around us: You know, 'What is she doing here at the session? Why is she with him?' All this sort of madness is going on around us because we just happened to want to be together all the time."
The song's title is the longest of any in the Beatles' catalogue, and it originates from a quote by the Maharishi; however, as for the "and My Monkey" part, George Harrison attested that he didn't "know where that came from."
Recording:
The released version of the song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on 27 June 1968, and an overdub session the next day.
Song Facts:
This has the longest title of any Beatles song.
John Lennon describing this song: "About me and Yoko. Everybody seemed to be paranoid except for us two, who were in the glow of love."
The backing track was sped up to give a frantic pace.
The line, "Come on, Come on, its such a joy" was something the Maharishi said while The Beatles were in India in 1967.
Cover versions
Fats Domino covered the song in 1970, which reportedly pleased Lennon, a long-time fan of Domino's. The American post-punk group the Feelies also covered the song on their 1980 debut album Crazy Rhythms.
Beatallica (a satire tribute band that plays songs derived from those of the Beatles and Metallica ) covered the song as "Everybody's Got a Ticket to Ride Except for Me and My Lightning", which combines the titles of this song, "Ticket to Ride", and the Metallica song "Ride the Lightning".
Kristen Hersh (main singer and songwriter of the Throwing Muses) covered this song on her 1999 Echo EP, which was released in conjunction with her third solo album, Sky Motel. Earlier, as a member of the Throwing Muses, she covered another song from The Beatles album, "Cry Baby Cry", which was released on the Counting Backwards EP in 1991.
The Trews have covered this song during many of their live sets.
Soundgarden would play the song in 1988, and there is a bootleg with a demo of the song.
Cultural references
In the episode Speaking Terms / Tooth and Nail of the Nickelodeon cartoon Rocko's Modern Life, the title of the song was referenced by the main character. In this episode, Rocko has acquired a nail-biting problem and tries to hide his hands under a ham and a monkey puppet as he answers the door. His friends, Heffer and Filburt try to question him, to which Rocko replies "So what? Everyone's got something to hide except for meat and my monkey!"
Marilyn Manson alluded to the song live frequently during the early-mid 90's, as well as wrote a song called "My Monkey" which loosely can said to be influenced from this song.
Robbie Williams released his own song entitled "Me and My Monkey" on his 2002 album, Escapology.
In the Vertigo comic Y: The Last Man, issue #46, Yorick calls "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" the worst Beatles song. He uses it to compare the relationship he has with his pet monkey, Ampersand. Ampersand is the only person he tells everything to.