J. Geils Band, The - Monkey Island Lyrics






No one could explain it
What went on that night
How every living thing
Just dropped out of sight
We watched them take the bodies
And row them back to shore
Nothing like that ever
Happened here before
On the east side of the island
Not too far from the shore
There stood the old house
Of fifty years or more
All the doors and windows
Were locked inside and out
The fate of those trapped in there
Would never be found out
There ain't no life on Monkey Island
No one cares and no one knows
The moon hangs out on Monkey Island
The night has dealt the final blow
The fish jumped from the water
And started walking home
The birds all started screaming
And dove into the foam
The night came out of nowhere
And then a quiet rain
Footsteps in the darkness
Down a half forgotten road
There ain't no life on Monkey Island
No one cares and no one knows
The moon hangs out on Monkey Island
The night has dealt the final blow
There ain't no life on Monkey Island
The night has dealt the final blow
There ain't no life on Monkey Island
No one cares and no one knows
The moon hangs out on Monkey Island
The night has dealt the final blow
There ain't no life on Monkey Island
No one cares and no one knows
The moon hangs out on Monkey Island
The night has dealt the final blow





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J. Geils Band, The Monkey Island Comments
  1. J.... K....

    One of favorite bands growing up this is classic stuff

  2. j.... m....

    The opening 3 minutes were Geils at the top of their game.

  3. N.... O....

    Loved this tune, ♥️

  4. G.... L....

    No one could explain it
    What went on that night
    How every living thing
    Just dropped out of sight
    We watched them take the bodies
    And row them back to shore
    Nothing like that ever
    Happened here before
    On the east side of the island
    Not too far from the shore
    There stood the old house
    Of fifty years or more
    All the doors and windows
    Were locked inside and out
    The fate of those trapped in there
    Would never be found out
    There ain't no life on Monkey Island
    No one cares and no one knows
    The moon hangs cold on Monkey Island
    The night has dealt the fatal blow
    The fish jumped from the water
    And started walking home
    The birds all started screaming
    And dove into the foam
    The night came out of nowhere
    And then a quiet rain
    Footsteps through the darkness
    Down a half forgotten lane
    There ain't no life on Monkey Island
    No one cares and no one knows
    The moon hangs cold on Monkey Island
    The night has dealt the fatal blow
    There ain't no life on Monkey Island
    The night has dealt the fatal blow

  5. L.... C....

    what an ambitious song. Probably their most artistic song. A great album. I challenge any one to find a better dance duet than Surrender; yes that's Whitney Houston's mother trading lines w/ the woofer goofer

  6. C.... ....

    Far as I'M concerned, this is the BEST Geils band album, like EVER! FUCK that "MTV-pop" they did in the miserable eighties.

  7. C.... M....

    Peter Wolf along with the rest of J. Geils were the most underrated rock band of all time.

  8. T.... T....

    One of my favorite J Geils Band albums

  9. m.... a....

    Music from childhood. When I listened to this masterwork, understood how beautiful and wonderful could the world be.

  10. c.... c....

    This is the best never heard of song... Why never heard of? Because it was too long for radio play. Many of my friends who knew of J Giles never even knew this song existed until I played it for them. I truly believe that Monkey Island and wreckage are Giles best.

    c.... c....

    Please forgive the misspelling of Geiles in above post.. Shame on me.

  11. B.... ....

    Meh. No mention of Grog, LeChuck, or even a chicken with a pulley in the middle. And there was life on Monkey Island, dammit; monkeys, Herman, and till they left, the cannibals.

  12. S.... ....

    God I haven’t heard this song maybe very few times since 1982. Thanks YouTube! First heard it in ‘78 . This really brings me back.

  13. F.... H....

    who are you people its not j giels but peter wolf

    F.... H....

    Each of these guys was a master at their instrument, there may not have been a better harp player than Magic Dick in all of rock, and Peter Wolf was a great singer and showman on stage. But it was the J. Geils Band for a reason, his electric slide guitar was as powerful as anyone ever. He had to be heard live to be believed.

  14. A.... R....

    Seems like the times of well orchestrated money backed corporation approved and incidentally great sounding work like this isn't being made maybe for political reasons of ??? origins.

  15. M.... x....

    Reminds me of a night of drugs and alcohol in the 70s on Belle Isle in Detroit

  16. C.... J....

    Love it!

  17. �.... ....

    チンコビンビンですよ 神

  18. c.... ....

    PERFECT! LOVE IT! AMAZING! VOILA! GOOD STUFF! AND YES I KNOW IM FUCKING LATE!

  19. M.... S....

    Full House, Bloodshot, Blow Your Face Out, and the J. Geils Band 1970 Debut album were their best, but I do love the instrumentals on this song. "I'm Not Rough" is also a cool tune from this album.

  20. W.... B....

    Sensacional! Linda! Melhor música do mundo pra fumar um.

  21. l.... ....

    dam this sounds good

  22. k.... ....

    By Far...my favorite J Geils Album

    k.... ....

    Thank you, Karl - it's my favorite, too. This song and "Somebody" make it the best the band ever did. Of course, "Island" came out in 1977, the year I got out of the army, and maybe ALL the music that year still kinda "glimmers."

    k.... ....

    definitely their best! Almost enables you to forgive that techno-pop shit they churned out in the vile eighties!

  23. j.... c....

    Remember when this was released... stupid good then...and now

  24. B.... ....

    One day sailing..

  25. t.... ....

    The shit radio stations NEVER play genius like this!!

    t.... ....

    Amen, good Sir. Amen,

  26. c.... w....

    I would put this album on to get rid of people

  27. C.... H....

    Love it...

  28. M.... T....

    Orgasm waiting to happen......

  29. D.... D....

    The best piano in rock history.

  30. h.... m....

    rip peter wolf

  31. P.... D....

    Never got radio play because it was over 9:00....got to sell more useless shit don't you know!!!!

  32. D.... T....

    ty for the valuable info Chaz Hernandez - i rocked this wicked album years ago when it first came out , and I knew nothing about it (only knew J Geils from radio) - I just now 'rediscovered' this fine piece of music, so i appreciate the insight. \m/

  33. G.... P....

    BLOW YO FACE OUT BABY!!!!!

  34. p.... p....

    WOW.  Its been a day since I heard this!  so so good to hear it once again.   So happy I got to see them open for Seger in Chicago 2 yrs ago.  RIP J. Geils, Jr.

  35. J.... K....

    superb.... classic...
    refined J. Geils. ...

  36. T.... ....

    I had this album, in fact only LP that I owned from this band.Good music.  Real shame this is not played on KQRS out of Minneapolis, which sucks. Public radio is your best bet for finding listenable music.  Sure is hit or miss tho.

  37. A.... S....

    J. Geils passed away today. RIP, original, classic and awesome. Sad day.

  38. d.... ....

    As Good as it Gets !! Rest in peace, J....

  39. D.... E....

    R.I.P. John Geils ! Thanks for the great music you've left to us.

  40. N.... S....

    I have always LOVED this song. I think it was a "Side B" on a 45 that I had years ago (see kids, we can speak a language you don't understand too). SO glad it's on YouTube! RIP J. Geils. LOVE your music.

  41. g.... b....

    Nice, RIP J. Geils

  42. j.... y....

    Rest In Peace John "J".

  43. N.... J....

    One of their better tunes ! R.I.P. J Geils another legend has left us : (

  44. J.... ....

    RIP Brother

  45. j.... g....

    Cape Cod Coliseum 1978
    Backup band Tom Petty
    Insane!!!!!!!
    Love this track

  46. D.... D....

    Forgot how damn good Seth is on keyboard.  Reminds me a lot of Supertramps boy.  Came to my favorite deep cut of theirs once I found out we lost John Warren Geils Jr today. RIP

  47. c.... r....

    rip J.Geils

  48. d.... w....

    RIP J. Geils Thanks for the Music Thanks for the Memories

  49. D.... H....

    Rest In Peace John Geils! Thank you for your songs that always bring back the best memories! <3

  50. k.... ....

    RIP John Warren Geils.

  51. i.... l....

    R.I.P. J

  52. m.... n....

    true story wasn't it off the main island'' never knew what did happen, kids this is talented music arranged by some of thee most finest musicians that will ever be'''. in my world anyways'' and I could bet at greektown a hella lot of others from the 60s, 70s . noke cleveland.

  53. S.... ....

    Great tune. One of my all time favs.

  54. W.... B....

    spit the nut back in my dick

  55. t.... ....

    Why the Eff don't the "Classic Rock" station or any other ever play this??

    t.... ....

    Even classic rock is too commercial. Geils is too above the head.

    t.... ....

    all of these comments +1 !

    t.... ....

    I played this album when I was in radio at the time. But program directors for radio stations have no stones to stand up to the 'orders' from the home office now. You have one 'station' now. Listen to the classic rock station in your city. Then drive 100 miles away, and you'll hear the same guy on the air, same programming. The 'product' is so cheap to produce that way. Yet radio ads are out the wazoo. Raleigh NC recently, $230 for ONE 60 second commercial. And you wonder why cost of living is so high? Advertisers and landlords own you. And radio stations pump out tired b.s. over and over again. You're stuck.

    There ain't no life on Monkey Island
    No one cares and no one knows

    t.... ....

    bro '' don't ya know it'' I am hip '' true though '', I talk to the director of the rr h of fame and he said I do what I can'' cmon'' you know as well as me bro and it kills me that j geils died before he got it'', wtf''

    t.... ....

    tootired76 they don't know music bro like Robin trower,,

  56. V.... J....

    true Rock n Roll and still not in hall of fame, yet AWB is. Just not right.

  57. C.... K....

    Best live band of all time. I love this album, but the 2 best are Full House and Bloodshot.

    C.... K....

    There all amazing. What about Nightmares. That was up with there best. Just my opinionated view. Doesn't matter all there stuffs great

  58. J.... ....

    1978 World Series of Rock , Cleveland Municipal Stadium .

    J.... ....

    If you remember the 70's you weren't doing it right.

    J.... ....

    RIP J. Geils.

    J.... ....

    And they played the final show in 1980 with Def Leppard, Seger, and Eddie Money. @Jeff

    J.... ....

    I was there in 80. Drove from Connecticut to see a friend in Canton. Ended up under a bridge in Cleveland the night before the show. Great time.

  59. S.... K....

    Nas Rewind

  60. M.... M....

    PUT SOME HEADPHONES ON AND CRANK UP THE VOLUME BABY TO 10 IF YOU CAN.this song jam rocks out.you wont be able to leave the island. j.geils band is the real deal specialy live. great comments mostly thanks for great postup.

    M.... M....

    Mathew Maher Hey Matt..crank it to eleven!

  61. T.... Y....

    I am rubber, you are glue.

  62. l.... ....

    this is probably the best j.geils band i ever listen (their 1st LP was also good with funk rock)

  63. E.... S....

    why would a clown even compare geils to nas

  64. E.... S....

    why would a clown even compare geils to nas

  65. R.... Y....

    Listen up Gangsta's and honey's with your hair done....

    R.... Y....

    Ur TheDuke Dog, whatever they call you, God, just listen

    R.... Y....

    I spit a story backwards, it starts at the endin'

  66. b.... ....

    I wish I lived on Monkey Island , Fuck this world ....................

    b.... ....

    If you did, you wouldn't be alive.

  67. t.... ....

    I used to hear this once in a while on a "psychedelic Sunday" radio show in the 90's. Probably their most ambitious, epic song. In my "J.Geils studio" playlist. Thanks for the upload!

    t.... ....

    Sadly that "psychedelic Sunday" program no longer exists it was phased out in 2018 RIP

  68. h.... ....

    This is one of the ALL TIME  great albums ..!!  As  i  still call them ... crap  is  a shitty CD

  69. J.... B....

    wheres the nas sample?

    J.... B....

    +Jackson Brown 3:05

    J.... B....

    When the bassline and guitar and organ and keyboard switch up from Latin jazz to a funk/rock ballad after about 2 minutes into the song. Nas' Rewind contains the bassline, keyboard and guitar part from this song but has a drum sample from a early 80s break dancing song from beatstreet or one of the other movies

  70. H.... E....

    Nas - Rewind

  71. t.... ....

    Geils is very similar to the German word for "horny"!!!

    t.... ....

    @tootired76 In the Netherlands too!!

    t.... ....

    +michel brakenhoff alstublieft!

    t.... ....

    @James T
    :o))

  72. D.... H....

    THEY DON'T MAKE MUSIC LIKE THIS ANYMORE, WHAT A SHAME. WHAT A AWESOME, AWESOME SONG!

  73. t.... ....

    Why don't the CRAP 'Classic Rock" station we have here ever play this???

    t.... ....

    @tootired76  Too long for radio, and there wasn't a radio version...

    t.... ....

    KQ--Is that P.o.S. station still on the air there?

    t.... ....

    Yup! And every other station in Minnesota plays the goddamned same 100 songs! As I'm driving south from Bemidji I can flip from one "Plastic Rock" station to the next and goddamned if the same song that just got done playing from Bemidji starts playing almost immediately from the "Plastic Rock" station from Brainerd!
     

    t.... ....

    when it first came out, it was played all the time. A forgotten classic.

    t.... ....

    @Joe Cozzi When it was released, it got a lot of air play here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, too.

  74. t.... ....

    Thank you! Thank you! I appreciate that U posted one of my most favorite songs ever!!

  75. S.... K....

    Great memories!  35 years later still the greatest kick ass sound!

  76. F.... ....

    OBRA DE ARTE

  77. F.... W....

    older geils better than newer

    F.... W....

    Fred Walthour older albums are better by so many groups than the newer ones just seems to go that way they put all their good stuff out then they go another way

  78. V.... J....

    Notice one thing...this is not the J.Geils Band.  The name of group on the album was and will be Geils. I see others have mentioned this as well. Does anyone know the Real reason?? I always thought they had broken up for awhile after Peter Wolf and Faye Dunaway had a thing going on.  One of my favorite songs.  I listen to it when I want to think....

    V.... J....

    Marketing is all,   But they still rock and this album is a classic under any name.  Buy it.

    V.... J....

    Not sure , but I remember meeting Faye in the audience at a J. Geils concert in Lake Charles Louisiana in about 1980 . Super nice lady , had a great conversation and most people around us didn't even realize who she was . 

  79. R.... P....

    Been looking for this for a long time. Thanks man!

  80. t.... ....

    What a song!

    Woof!

  81. 3.... ....

    The Band should be in the Rockin Roll Hall of Fame! YA J. Geils Band

  82. S.... ....

    This is a quiet song that sounds great when played loud. Not LOUD loud, but simply "loud."

  83. m.... ....

    Going to see them live in three weeks,can't wait!!

  84. S.... W....

    Actually, it's 1976

    S.... W....

    Actually, Monkey Island was released on June 9, 1977. J . Geils had 11 studio albums and 3 live albums. The last studio album was the only one without Peter Wolf, who left the band to release 8 solo albums. Their albums were as follows: J. Geils Debut Album -1970, The Morning After - 1971, Full House - 1972, Bloodshot - 1973, Laidies Invited - 1973, Nightmares...- 1974, Hotline - 1975, Blow Your Face Out - 1976, Monkey Island - 1977, Sanctuary - 1978, Love Stinks - 1980, Freeze Frame - 1981, Showtime - 1982, You're Getting Even While I'm Getting Odd - 1984