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Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
The Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Performer
Gregory Davis
Trumpet
Danny Barker
Guitar
Dave Bartholomew
Trumpet
Eddie Bo
Piano
Elvis Costello
Vocals
Kevin Harris
Tenor Saxophone
Roger Lewis
Baritone Saxophone
Jenell Marshall
Snare Drum
Lionel Batiste
Bass Drum
Efrem P. Towns
Trumpet
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Dave Bartholomew
Composer
Pearl King
Composer
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Scott Billington
Producer
Joe McEwen
Executive Producer
Mark Wessel
Mixing Engineer
Tina Hanson
Mixing Engineer
Tom Coyne
Mastering Engineer
David Farrell
Recording Engineer
Jerry Embree
Recording Engineer
Lyrics
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
Now three monkeys sat in a coconut tree
Discussing things as they are said to be
Said one to the other now listen, you two
"There's a certain rumor that can't be true
That man descended from our noble race
The very idea is a big disgrace
No monkey ever deserted his wife
Starved her baby and ruined her life"
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
And you've never known a mother monk
To leave her babies with others to bunk
Or passed them on from one to another
Till they scarcely knew who was their mother
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
And another thing you will never see
A monkey build a fence around a coconut tree
And let all the coconuts go to waste
Forbidding all other monkeys to come and taste
Why, if I put a fence around this tree
Starvation would force you to steal from me
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
Here's another thing a monkey won't do
Go out at night and get all in a stew
Or use a gun or a club or a knife
To take another monkey's life
Yes, man descended, the worthless bum
But, brothers, from us he did not come
Yeah, the monkey speaks his mind
Written by: Dave Bartholomew, Pearl King