"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey"

"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 double-disc album The Beatles, also known as "The White Album."

Origins

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' catalog, 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." The most common interpretation is that John's "monkey" was a pet name for Yoko Ono, though the most obvious interpretation is that the use of "monkey" is to refer to an addiction of some kind, which would make the title humorous.

Recording

The released version of the song was recorded at Abbey Road Studios on 27 June 1968, and an overdub session the next day.

Personnel

* John Lennon: lead and harmony vocals; lead and rhythm guitar; percussion.
* Paul McCartney: bass, fireman bell, harmony vocals.
* George Harrison: lead guitar, harmony vocals.
* Ringo Starr: drums.

Cover versions

* Fats Domino covered the song in 1970, which pleased Lennon, a long-time fan of Domino's.
* Ramsey Lewis included an instrumental version of the song on his 1968 album Mother Nature's Son.
* The American rock group the Feelies also covered the song on their 1980 debut album, Crazy Rhythms.
* Phish covered the song when they played the entire album on Halloween 1994, which they released as Live Phish Volume 13.
* 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".
* Kristin 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.
* The Trews have covered this song during many of their live sets.
* Soundgarden would play the song in 1988, and there is also a bootleg with a demo.
* 60ft Dolls put a live cover of the song on track two of their 'Happy Shopper' CD Single in 1996.
* Tea Leaf Green played a cover of the song around midnight on New Years Eve, December 31, 2008.

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 living being he tells everything to.

Album: The Beatles
Released: 22 November 1968
Recorded: 27 June 1968
Genre: Rock and roll, hard rock
Length: 2:24
Label: Apple Records
Writer: Lennon/McCartney
Producer: George Martin

Wikipedia