“Me And My Monkey”: Analysis of Robbie Williams's Song

“Me and my monkey” is a song by Robbie Williams released in 2003 and is part of the album Escapology. The title of the song called “Me and my monkey” and there is only one way to interpret this song. Moreover, only one way it was meant to be understood. Me and my monkey is about Robbie Williams and the monkey is an metaphorical embodiment of himself on cocaine and how he struggles with this. Firstly, the lyric reads “Like Butch and the Sundance Kid [...] Why he did what he did”. This is evidence that narrator compares his drug problem with the two main characters’ deaths which came as a result from their inability to curb their illegal behaviours.

William is drawing a parallel between Butch and Sundance kid’s lack of self control to him and his monkey. Furthermore, the outro of the song also refers to Butch and the Sundance kid meeting their faith in the end of the movie in “Looks like we've got ourselves a mexican standoff here boy huh.. And I ain't about to run” This is further evidence that Williams monkey should be compared to Butch and Sundance kid. Secondly Williams struggles with being famous and having money along with an addiction is reflected in the lyric “'If your monkey's got that kind of money sir, then we've got a monkey bed!” the way this lyric should be deciphered is that society is willing to bat an eye as a result of his influence and status. Hence it was harder for him to end his addiction.

The Monkey bed is in this case a metaphor for the acceptance of drug addiction in people with affluence. On the contrary a few might say that the monkey is in fact a friend to Williams. This friend lead Williams to bad decisions as strengthened by the lyric “Me and my monkey with a dream and a gun”. Some may say that the friend encourage Williams to do atrocious things. This way of understanding the song is false by the many mentions of drugs or drug related substitutes reinforced by the mention of “okey doke” in the lyric which is a reference to cocaine. Furthermore a “Monkey” or “having a monkey on the back” is a term for drug addiction which further strengthen the thesis.

Me and my monkey is a song about Robbie Williams past problems with cocaine and not about a friend who brings bad to his life. The lyrics support the fact that the song is about Williams past drug problems and how he tried to conquer them but it hard because of his affluence. And the countless metafores like Butch and sundance kid and their faith to okey doke etc. Therefore it is on only one way it was meant to be understood.