Today’s Random Weekend track is proof that even The Beatles’ throwaway songs were pretty excellent.
‘Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey,’ a John Lennon track from Side Three of 1968’s “White Album,” is distinctive for boasting the band’s longest-ever song title and not much else. But it does rock, and the instrumentation is spot on (listen to Paul’s wicked bass line).
Lennon says the song was about his then-new relationship with Yoko Ono, and the fact that they felt like the only two sane people in the world.
Others, including Lennon’s bandmates, believed the monkey in the lyrics referred to his use of heroin. The deeper you go, the higher you fly indeed.
Come on and take it easy, come on and take it easy, take it easy, take it easy
Everybody’s got something to hide, except for me and my monkey
Hah, the deeper you go, the higher you fly, the higher you fly, the deeper you go
So come on, come on, come on it’s such a joy, come on is such a joy
Come on and make it easy, come on and make it easy, take it easy, take it easy
Everybody’s got something to hide, except for me and my monkey
Your inside is out, and your outside is in
Your outside is in, and you inside is out
So come on, ha, come on, ha, come on is such a joy
Come on it’s such a joy, come on and make it easy, come on and make it easy
Take it easy, take it easy
Everybody’s got something to hide except for me and my monkey
Come on, come on, come on, come on
Not among my favorite Beatles songs, but those interpretations are interesting.