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Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers — Tweeter and the Monkey Man (live)
Album: Live 2013
Avg rating:
6.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 377









Released: 2014
Length: 8:43
Plays (last 30 days): 0
Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hardup for cash
They stayed up all night 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 boy scout course he went to Vietnam
And found out the hard way, 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 calls to 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 "Everyone of you is a liar
If you don't surrender now, it's gonna go down to the wire"

And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell

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 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
In Jersey anything's legal, as long as you don't get caught"

And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell

Some place by Rahwey Prison they ran out of gas
The undercover cop had cornered them, said
"Boy, you didn't think this could last?"
Jan jumped out of bed, said, "There's someplace I gotta go"
She took the 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 curl
I knew him long before he ever became a Jersey Girl"

And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell

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 showed 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's been done
Sometimes I think of Tweeter, sometimes I think of Jan
Sometimes I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man

And the walls came down
All the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
Comments (40)add comment
7 -> 3 
 LowPhreak wrote:
Wish you guys would play the original studio Wilbury's version sometimes. Dylan does the lyrics great as only he can.
 
According to the song info, that version has been played twice in the last thirty days.
 CJT wrote:
two songs in less than 90 minutes. 
 
Long ago, there were things called 'albums', and then CDs.  People back then were mythic heroes, they could listen to 10 or 12 songs in a row by the same artist.  They did it on purpose.  It culled the weak, apparently.

The strongest among them would dabble in double albums.  Best we not talk about that now.
One of the reasons I've grown to dislike Tom Petty (R.I.P.) is that he's overplayed. 104.5 KFOG in San Francisco seemed to play TP every 90 minutes, so I stopped listening to the station. RP seems to be followoing in the same footsteps. two songs in less than 90 minutes. 
How can you hate Tome Petty and Bob Dylan? Go away!

 
CoYoT51 wrote:
Boring... always "hated" Tom Petty... but specially here where he deliberately sounds like Dylan. Horrible!
 

walked in while they were doodling
"Is this a live version of Aja?"
Wish you guys would play the original studio Wilbury's version sometimes. Dylan does the lyrics great as only he can.
A Poor Man's Bob Dylan.
Boring... always "hated" Tom Petty... but specially here where he deliberately sounds like Dylan. Horrible!
Both Tom & Bob have done better than this.
It sounds like they wrote it after reruns of "watching the detectives" late at night.
Blow your nose Bob...sorry...Tom!
 jared_w wrote:
Sounds like Dylan.  Also sounds like I've heard it several times recently on RP — must be one of B&R's favorites :)

 
That's exactly what I thought! Is the slightly overdramatic "bada-gish" on drums when the "walls came down" also in the original? First I thought he was making a tongue-in-cheek version of it (but I guess he wasn't?).

 Dinges,_the_Dude wrote:

I like this song, wether it's a cover or not...



 
Dinges, as far as I can tell, you are  submerged in the IJsselmeer - can you email while scuba diving, or are your coordinates a bit off? 4deg88minE is a funny way to put it. Anyway, have a good one! pxd 
{#Hearteyes}
Great live version of a wickedly cool, clever song that tells the story of the Joisey Film Noir that plays in the mind whenever it's heard...
 hayduke2 wrote:

Cool, thank you Lazarus, thank you!

I like this version best 
 
Thanks to you, hayduke2...  I hope you are having a wonderful time right this minute...

this is a great cover of a marvelous original... everybody in my mushrooming multitude of homeless camps loves them both...  time flies when we're having fun... 

I like this song, wether it's a cover or not...


Gosh - wonder why nobody has transcribed the lyrics ;)

I always took this as Tom and Bob taking a good natured rip on every Bruce Springsteen "plight of the working man" song and just having some fun with it.


Heard him play this 2 weeks ago in San Diego. Its a Traveling Wilbury's song so it has a lot of Dylan in it. You can tell Tom likes to jam this one out.
Awesom Version
 jared_w wrote:
Sounds like Dylan...

 
Off and on, Tom Petty has been sounding like Dylan for about 40 years.
 WonderLizard wrote:
Tried to get my old band to do this, but the lead guitarist, a Dylan purist, huffed and grumped so much we finally gave it up. Nice version.

 
Get another guitarist!
Sounds like Dylan.  Also sounds like I've heard it several times recently on RP -- must be one of B&R's favorites :)
Very cool version of a great tune! Thanks again, Bill & Rebecca. {#Cool}
 ScottN wrote:
Very nice.  TP certainly has a knack for telling stories in his songs. (not sure who wrote this...too lazy to research it) {#Yes}

 
Bob Dylan.  Originally did it with The Traveling Wilburys (including Tom P)
I'm baffled. Checked iTunes, amazon, the Tom Petty web site, nothing. Is there a source for this?
Very nice.  TP certainly has a knack for telling stories in his songs. (not sure who wrote this...too lazy to research it) {#Yes}
Where does one purchase this version? I love it. So GD'ish.
 wrangler wrote:

Bill - the Beacon Theatre is in NYC, not Boston.  Hence the loud cheers at all the Jersey references!  {#Cowboy}



 
Duh. Brain fart.  Hill = Boston.  Theater = NYC.
 apd wrote:
Did Bill just say Tom Petty did this on the Wilbury's album? Wasn't it Dylan?
 

 
I assume Bill was referring to Petty playing on the track, maybe singing vocals, etc.  Yes, this was Dylan's song, he had lead vocals.
Tried to get my old band to do this, but the lead guitarist, a Dylan purist, huffed and grumped so much we finally gave it up. Nice version.

Bill - the Beacon Theatre is in NYC, not Boston.  Hence the loud cheers at all the Jersey references!  {#Cowboy}


Did Bill just say Tom Petty did this on the Wilbury's album? Wasn't it Dylan?
 
I prefer the Wilbury's version with Dylan on lead vocals...guess I'm just used to it.
I love nearly everthing he is doing in music, so i like this very much! One of my favorite band!
Nice to here some TP that isn't one of the obvious!

Solid 8 for me.