Monkey Man

Rolling Stones

From the album 'Let It Bleed'
Written by M. Jagger and K. Richards

Standard tuning (!!!)
Capo at 2nd fret

Intro:

( first four bars omitted )

with a funky feel

   C#m7     C#m6      A     N.C. C#    C#m7     C#m6      A     C# riff
                                (*)
|---9----|---9----|---9----|--------|---7----|---6----|---5----|---------|
|--12----|--11----|--10----|--------|---5----|---5----|---5----|---------|
|---9----|---9----|---9----|--------|---6----|---6----|---6----|---------|
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|
|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|--------|---------|

N.C.: no chord
(*) : I think a C# chord is played here, but I№m not sure! Any suggestions are
welcome!

BTW, notice the alterations between C# and C#m.

The C# riff part is written below. It's almost impossible to get the exact notes,
since Keith hardly plays two bars the same twice. Just play along with the record
to get the right feeling.


|-------------------------|
|----6-6--7--7-7-7--7--6--|
|----6-6--6--6-6-6--9--6--|
|----6-6--8--8-8-8--------|
|7/8----------------------|
|-------------------------|


The chords in the verse are:

| E | E | C# riff | C# riff |
| E | E | C# riff | C# riff |
| A | B | C# riff | C# riff |
| A | B | C# riff | C# riff |

The E is played using the following pattern:

 E
|----------|
|-8p7--8p7-|
|---7----7-|
|---7----7-|
|---5----5-|
|----------|

Remember the capo, so the A can be played as a regular G and the B can be played as a regular A.


The next part is the instrumental after the first two verses. Again, listen to
the record to get the timing right! This section was previously published in
Guitar World, December 1988 and transcribed by Dave Whitehall.


|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|--------6----7--7--7--6--|--7-7---7-------6-6h7-6--|-------6----7-----7-7-6--|
|--4/6---6----6--9--9--6--|--9---9-9---9---6-6---6--|-------6----6-----9-9-6--|
|--4/6---6--6-8-----------|------------------6h8-6--|----------6-----8--------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-7--8--------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|


|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-6-----6----6--------6---|-----------7----7--7--6--|--6-----6----7-----8--6--|
|-6-----6--6-6-----9--6---|------6----6--9-9--9--6--|--6-----6----------9--6--|
|-------6--6-----8--------|------6--6-8--8-------6--|--6-----6--8-----8----6--|
|-7--8------------------7-|-7--8--------------------|--7--8-------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------|


|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|--6h7----7--6h7---6--6---|--6h7----7--6-6h7-----6--|
|--6------6--6-----7--6---|--6------6--6-6----6--6--|
|--6h8-8--8--6h8-8------8-|--6h8--8----6-6h8--8--6--|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|
|-------------------------|-------------------------|


This instrumental part is followed after a while by the next chord progression:

(With capo!)

 E     B     A     B
|--4--|--2--|--5--|--2--|
|--5--|--4--|--3--|--4--|
|--4--|--4--|--3--|--4--|   play 4 times
|--2--|--4--|--3--|--4--|
|-----|--2--|--4--|--2--|
|-----|-----|--5--|-----|


And then back to the instrumental part, accompanied by Mick's shouting:

I'M A MONKEEEEYYY-AAAAHHHHH!!!!!


Finally, the lyrics:


I'm a fleabit peanut monkey, all my friends are junkies
That's not really true.
I'm a cold Italian pizza, I could use a lemon squeezer
What'd you do?
I've been bitten, I've been tossed around, by every she-rat in this town
Have you, babe?
Well I am just a monkey man, I'm glad you are a monkey woman too!

I was bitten by a boar, I was gouged and I was gored
But I pulled on through.
Yes, I'm a sack of broken eggs, I always have an unmade bed
Don't you?
Well I hope we're not too messianic, or a trifle too satanic
We love to play the blues.
But when I am just a monkey man, I'm glad you are a monkey woman too.