Aldo Nova - Monkey On Your Back Lyrics






Let me tell you a story
About two kids in the city
See they both have a problem with life
And it isn't very pretty

There's a kid called Timmy
He used to be pretty witty
But then too many rides on the horse
Got him hooked and it's a pity

Cause now he's got a monkey
He's got a monkey can't fight it
Monkey
On his back he can't deny it
Monkey
He found a dragon that bites
A hole in his arm at night
Where all the money goes

Monkey, monkey on his back
Monkey, monkey on his back
A dirty monkey

Well there's a girl called Sally
She walks the streets in the city
She works down on the corner every night
Gives her money up to Willy

You see her man's Big Willy
And when he met her she was pretty
But he gave her a habit that she didn't want
Now that's a pity

Cause now she's got a monkey
She's got a monkey can't fight it
Monkey
She's gotta walk the streets to buy it
Monkey
She found a dragon that bites
A hole in her arm at night
Where all the money goes

Monkey, monkey on his back
Monkey, monkey on his back
A dirty monkey

Well now listen everybody
Cause there's a moral to the story
Clean up your act
Get the monkey off your back
Or you'll be sorry

Keep yourself clean
Cause the monkey plays mean
He'll put a knife in your back
Then the man in the black
Will show you a dragon that bites
And you'll wind up with a

Monkey, monkey on your back
Monkey, monkey on your back
Monkey, monkey on your back
Monkey, monkey on your back





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Aldo Nova Monkey On Your Back Comments
  1. j.... e....

    Must be one of the most underrated artist ever 🤬

  2. R.... C....

    I AM LOVING IT!

  3. E.... ....

    I was playing drums in Aldo's private home in Canada with his son and daughter about a decade ago. Aldo came in after they had already left and sat down and picked up a guitar. We jammed for 20 minutes or so and then he just shook his head and said "I really don't like playing the guitar"!!! He was just all played out and enjoyed the piano and other instruments much more by that time.

    Good times, great music! Jam on!

  4. T.... ....

    These 80's tunes just pop into my head. And here they are on YouTube. Sweet!!!

  5. M.... H....

    Great music. Good preformers, talented writers. Aldo Nova was among the best live preformers. Not like these lip synching, computer generated so called "artists" that you see today.

  6. V.... O....

    God jest lost friend was a good kid but like this video i lost him week's ago R.I.P Nicky

  7. G.... ....

    Monkey says "why don't you find out with your friends"

  8. P.... B....

    Aldo Nova, perhaps one of the most underrated music in history.

  9. J.... S....

    That pimp dude couldn't look any sleazier. 👹💩

  10. J.... S....

    Sally was oozing that sexy late 70s penthouse model look! 😁😈 Bet she was sporting a sexy beaver too! No disturbing bald pedo look.

  11. J.... S....

    The video effects during Aldos solo are still badass! Back in 1983 baked watching it was like... whoa dude... lol

  12. P.... ....

    I can’t put into words how cool this video is😎

  13. S.... T....

    Who's the scientist in the beginning of the video? He's also in Fantasy

  14. M.... M....

    Sad I never heard of this song or band before

  15. y.... y....

    Voice kinda sounds like early Don Dokken

  16. Q.... ....

    I F$%&ing love this song!

  17. J.... K....

    GREAT SONG

  18. R.... M....

    Thanks Aldo Nova 🌺 ❤🎼🌺🎧🎼🎼

  19. R.... R....

    They're tryin to make another song out of Fantasy,f'n dumbass 🤫😄}:‑)

  20. B.... S....

    I dont get it. Aldo Nova could rock it but never exploded.

    I do know he didnt get much air play. Music executives know nothing about the public's likes.

  21. M.... d....

    aldo nova kicked ass in 82 83..i remember them well

  22. S.... S....

    Ok, take me straight back to high school why don't you.

  23. C.... S....

    Whomever came up with this video should be fired immediately

  24. j.... r....

    The pusher punk looks like a young neville brand the chick looks very familar cant place it

  25. j.... r....

    God that chick was hot

  26. J.... P....

    Clean up your act , and get your monkey off your back. Aldo nova was right about that one.

  27. R.... M....

    Thanks "Aldo Nova" 🎼💜🌺🙋‍🎼

  28. G.... M....

    This song helped me tremendously in getting off some bad ass prescription drugs 12 days ago. I was on 60 mg Opana ER a day. This crap is 8x stronger than morphine and VERY hard to quit. Did it Cold Turkey which my doc was against, but I pushed through. I literally listened to this song over and over and over for sometimes hours at a time. I know this may sound stupid, but it really did help me a LOT! Thank you Aldo.

  29. J.... S....

    Kudos to the video guy!

  30. K.... S....

    I got the Monkey off Sally's Back, She's Hot again and All Mine

  31. M.... W....

    Old school special effects.

  32. R.... H....

    ohhh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

  33. R.... M....

    Merci Aldo Nova :
    💖♪ ♫ 🎸🎷 🎻🎹🎺🌺🎧🎼🎩🎩🎩

  34. d.... 5....

    That David Sykes on Bass? i know that's Billy Carmassi...younger brother to his more 'famous' older Bro, Denny Carmassi. such a cool time period for Rock, and "Rock Videos. miss this Era. before too much technology took over.

  35. d.... p....

    great tune

  36. 1.... ....

    willy looks like a genuine dirt bag , lol

  37. S.... T....

    Nobody had a voice like Aldo. That's what made him cool.

  38. S.... T....

    I'm 50. And I still give the metal horns sign when I hear " let me tell you a story"

    S.... T....

    I'm 51,nothing like hearing great tunes like this,to deal with my mid-life crisis.

    S.... T....

    Kids...I am 59 and loved it then and appreciate it more now!

  39. P.... ....

    I know it goes against the songs message, but we use to do a lot of drugs while blasting this song on huge cabinet speakers. Good Times were had by all!

  40. G.... S....

    This cool song reminds me of 8th grade and hanging with the stoners in Jr. High. For the time it looks high tech!!! 😎

  41. k.... l....

    Seattles new theme song!

  42. V.... B....

    That was a true progressive metal song with a mighty message to tell young Canadians and young Americans to say no to drugs and alcohol!

  43. D.... B....

    Appropriate song for today!

  44. S.... ....

    Takes me right back to The Early 80's. Wow, Time flies.

  45. C.... P....

    I saw these guys open for Rainbow in 1983 in New Haven,CT. Great concert!!

  46. D.... C....

    Ahhh...the 80s ❤️❤️❤️

  47. n.... M....

    HAH ! LOUDEST CONCERT I HAVE EVER BEEN TO !!!!!😆😆😆😆 EARS RANG FOR THREE DAYS !!!!!! 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆✊✊✊✊✊🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘✊🤘🤘 the good ol dsys lol.

  48. G.... ....

    The greatest video ever. #80's

  49. D.... W....

    I miss rock music like this....Getting old sucks. I'm 54 now. Need my youthful days back.

  50. R.... n....

    Been down that road, seen too many friends go down it too. More people need to listen to this classic and its message.

  51. J.... O....

    Aldo Nova, Tom Scholz, and Ted Nugent all had something in common.....None of them did drugs!

    J.... O....

    Sorry but not sure if this is 'tongue in cheek'. Aldo has been in rehab. It was years ago.

    J.... O....

    I have not found anything in reference to Aldo doing drugs of any kind any time...can you reference where I may find an inquiry to this online? Anyone? Thanks in advance...

  52. J.... O....

    This my favorite song Aldo had done up to this point. I really liked the original video. There was a message behind this song and it flat out rocked! This was a big reflection on the music that was coming out in the 80's. I loved MTV when it first started into the 2nd or 3rd year before in manifested into something else. MTV was a big help to Aldo. Music is so much better with video of the band and is a great back drop for any message being conveyed. This song was so relevant at the time. It is just as relevant now. "Fantasy" and "Monkey on your back" are timeless master pieces that Aldo introduced to all of us. Thank you so much for sharing Aldo!!! I can't wait to here an instrumental album that is in you. I want you to write it all and play every instrument. The best album you ever did has still yet to be written and recorded.... I can't wait!!!! Thank you Aldo!

  53. p.... f....

    It's great that if you are in a position to be heard that you convey a message that is meaningful. It's too bad in my opinion that the band Aldo Nova could not present more rock songs. If you let the keyboards in your song the flood gates are open to pure pop or pure puke. Lol.

  54. a.... ....

    I'll never forget being 10 years old, and hearing this song!

  55. M.... ....

    Aldo is one of the greatest guitar virtuosos not many outside of Canada know about. Excellent professional musician.

    M.... ....

    I've always liked Aldo Nova!! I wish I could have seen him live!!

  56. C.... ....

    418 ass-hats, that do not know good music; amazing! 😈

    C.... ....

    And the delusion continues...

  57. B.... B....

    Aldo Nova was so sexy❤️

  58. S.... H....

    Miss these days

  59. J.... C....

    So, they get another guy to play the part in the video and all they could find was a goofy looking DORK with a FAT GUT? At least give him a baggy shirt to cover up that beer and pizza gut!

  60. Q.... M....

    Aldo write s some meaningful tunes thanks Aldo a fan the man in black will stab you in the back and show you the dragon device words to live by great solo a very underrated songwriter

  61. T.... S....

    Still listening in 2019.

    T.... S....

    Me too!! I've liked Aldo when he first came out, and I still like him in 2019!

  62. D.... H....

    Aldo Nova, the original Bon Jovi.

    D.... H....

    He actually worked with it and helped Bon Jovi when they started. I'm not sure if I'm remembering correctly, but I think he came up with the keyboard piece for their song "Runaway".

    D.... H....

    @R C he played guitar on Runaway and also came up with the riff to Blaze of Glory. Jon then helped produce/write Aldo's 1991 release.

  63. D.... ....

    Back in the day when girls were hot, not like the 200 lb cows of today...

  64. R.... B....

    Bellissima

  65. J.... D....

    Just me? Or a Bon Jovi inspiration? No disrespect to Bon Jovi

  66. J.... D....

    Awesome underrated song, lyrics are timeless, music is kickass, Aldo Nova, an underappreciated Canadian import

  67. D.... R....

    How did Mike Judge ever miss this one ? Beavis and Butthead would have been brutal on this

  68. s.... ....

    fuck vevo

  69. S.... F....

    Here in Toronto our FM powerhouse the Mighty Q107.1 plays Bon Jovi on heavy rotation But I never hear Aldo ???? WTF ????

  70. k.... c....

    toronto ca

  71. D.... J....

    Pure cheese all day the also Nova way

  72. B.... H....

    Them special effects were hot! That's some cutting-edge CGI work, from the time of our great-great-grandparents.

  73. M.... 7....

    One of my favorite albums of the 80's. SUBJECT

  74. b.... ....

    Nice Canadian mullet Aldo...

  75. J.... S....

    STOLEN RIFF FROM CONEY HATCH'S "DEVIL'S DECK".....PFFT

  76. a.... ....

    whats the girls name? i saw her in another video

  77. S.... S....

    The producers spent so much money on those special effects they couldn't afford a shirt for Aldo...or the drummer.

  78. t.... ....

    Shirts evidently were not a part of the budget!

  79. i.... ....

    35 years later this song is still thought provoking.

  80. M.... A....

    CLASSIC!

  81. b.... b....

    Little known fact, I played the monkey in this video. It was a demanding roll, but I needed to get some braces for my gigantic front incisors. I did get to fuck the brunette, but they cut that part. I admit it was fun. I was on her back and it just slipped in, what can I say? Anyway, 9 months later she calls me saying she was preggers with my monkey child. It didnt even look much like me but whatever, I paid the child support. Youll never guess who that little monkey boy grew up to be!

  82. C.... B....

    Who came first him or Don Dokken? His phrasing sounds so much like Don Dokken on this song.....

  83. D.... ....

    Aldo just had a great ear for simple but Powerful Riffs . This and Fantasy just kill and the more Distorted and dirty they get the better they sound ...

  84. V.... O....

    this was true life i lived it....respect to Aldo Nova the song hit hard ..i know....

  85. e.... 1....

    awww the good ole days!

  86. B.... A....

    This dude can wale on the guitar!

  87. W.... L....

    Operator was awesome like the first year I started getting high this shit was so banging

  88. M.... Y....

    And it was this video that ended Aldo's career!

  89. E.... B....

    The sad truth of addiction. Excellent song Aldo Nova is great

  90. g.... a....

    I was a teenager when this song came out.

  91. P.... C....

    Cleaned up the vid and music since a few years ago, awesome!

  92. T.... L....

    THIS SONG IS ABOUT HEROIN ADDICTION!(CAPT OBVIOUS)

  93. S.... F....

    the song as relevant today as it ever was Aldo Nova made a great body of work I enjoy it all

  94. v.... ....

    The rhythm guitar was Kevin Carlson. I used to take guitar lessons from him in Fremont California. Nice guy if I remember correctly. Brings back memories. I read he passed away from cancer around 2008 or so. Sad.

  95. J.... S....

    I got the also nova best hits CD and I hate when people say he only had one good fuckin song. Cry baby cry, hey operator, monkey on your back, fantasy.... the list goes on. Rock on aldo nova big fan I live in seargant Nebraska so boring love to meet you dude.

  96. L.... J....

    Great song, but Lord this video is dated.

  97. C.... C....

    the dude at the end is also in the classic horror film Horror House On Highway 5

  98. r.... s....

    ANY_BODY? GOT WHAT THIS SONG IS ABOUT?

    r.... s....

    Drug addiction.

    r.... s....

    done wid dat*