traveling wilburys
From the 1988 album "Traveling Wilburys Vol.1", featuring Charlie T. Jr. Wilbury (Tom Petty), Lefty Wilbury (Roy Orbison), Lucky Wilbury (Bob Dylan), Otis Wilbury (Jeff Lynne), and Nelson Wilbury (George Harrison). A stunt with the Wilbury project, was that all songs were credited commonly. This song telling the story of two drug dealers are obviously mainly Dylan, with assistanse of Petty. It contains a lot of hidden references to Bruce Springsteens life and music, and is the only song in this album without any sign of Orbison, though he was still alive at recording time, I believe.
Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hard up for cash
they stayed up all night long selling cocaine and hash
to an undercover cop who had a sister named Jan
for reasons unexplained she loved the Monkey Man
Tweeter was a boyscout before he went to Viet Nam
and found out the hard way that nobody gives a damn
they knew that they found freedom just across the Jersey line
so they hopped into a stolen car • took highway 99
and the walls came down all the way to hell
never saw them when they're standing
never saw them when they fell
the undercover cop never liked the Monkey Man
even back in childhood he wanted to see him in the can
Jan got married at fourteen to a racketeer named Bill
she made secret thoughts of the Monkey Man from a mansion on the hill
it was out on Thunder Road • Tweeter at the wheel
they crashed into paradise • they could hear them tires squeal
the undercover cop pulled up and said every one of you's a liar
if you don't surrender now it's gonna go down to the wire
an ambulance rolled up • a state trooper close behind
Tweeter took his gun away and messed up his mind
the undercover cop was left tied up to a tree
near the souvenir stand by the old abandoned factory
next day the undercover cop was a hot in pursuit
he was taking the whole thing personal • he didn't care about the loot
Jan had told him many times "it was you to me who taught
that in Jersey anything's legal as long as you don't get caught"
So a place by Ralway prison they ran out of gas
the undercover cop had cornered them • said "Ah, you didn't think that this could last"
Jan jumped out of bed • said "there's someplace I gotta go"
she took a gun out of the drawer • said "it's best that you don't know"
the undercover cop was found face down in a field
the Monkey Man was on the river bridge using Tweeter as a shield
Jan said to the Monkey Man "I'm not fooled by Tweeter's cool
I knew it long before he ever became a Jersey girl"
now the town of Jersey City is quieting down again
I'm sitting in a gambling club called the Lion's Den
the tv-set was blown up • every bit of it was gone
ever since the nightly news show that the Monkey Man was on
I guess I'll go to Florida to get myself some sun
there ain't no more opportunity here • everything been done
sometimes I think of Tweeter • sometimes I think of Jan
sometimes I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
Am G Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hard up for cash F Am they stayed up all night selling cocaine and hash G to an undercover cop who had a sister named Jan F Am for reasons unexplained she loved the Monkey Man Am G Tweeter was a boy scout before she went to Vietnam F Am and found out the hard way nobody gives a damn G they knew that they found freedom just across that Jersey line F Am so they hopped into a stolen car took Highway 99 Am Em and the walls came down all the way to hell Dm never saw them when their standing Am never saw them when they fell
