Year of the Monkey Quiz | Science and Nature in Songs

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 1968, the monkey of the year was brought to us by a band that often tops the list of greatest bands of all time. Who gave us "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey"?

Answer: The Beatles

"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except For Me and My Monkey" appeared on the Beatles' "The Beatles" album, popularly known as "The White Album". John Lennon said the song was about Yoko Ono and himself, although Paul McCartney later claimed that the song was about Lennon's drug experiences, with "the monkey" being heroin.

2. In 1969, the monkey of the year was "Monkey Man". Two songs with this name were popular that year, one by the reggae band Toot and the Maytals and the other by which legendary rockers?

Answer: The Rolling Stones

Composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Monkey Man" was included on the "Let it Bleed" album. There were various interpretations of the meaning of the song, with most suggesting that the "monkey" was drugs or an effeminate man.

3. In 1982, the monkey of the year was brought to us courtesy of the former lead singer of a band that first became famous in the 1970s. Who told us we were going to "Shock the Monkey"?

Answer: Peter Gabriel

"Shock the Monkey" was a hit single from Peter Gabriel's fourth solo album, "Peter Gabriel" (which, oddly enough, was the title of his first three albums also - the fourth album is commonly called "Security"). Despite the images from the accompanying video, "Shock the Monkey" apparently had nothing to do with experiments on animals; according to an interview given by Gabriel, the song was actually about love and jealousy.

4. In 1987, the monkey of the year came from a white hip hop trio. Who told us they drank "Brass Monkey"?

Answer: Beastie Boys

"Brass Monkey" was a single off of the Beastie Boys' extremely successful debut album, "Licensed to Ill", the first hip hop album to reach number one in the United States. The "Brass Monkey" of the song is a cocktail usually containing beer and orange juice (although other variations exist).

5. In 1990, the monkey of the year was brought to us by a band that first became famous in the early 1970s. Which Boston rockers told us that the devil made them do it in "Monkey on My Back"?

Answer: Aerosmith

"Monkey on My Back" appeared on Aerosmith's blockbuster album, "Pump", which also featured their Grammy-winning song about incest and murder, "Janie's Got a Gun". Apparently, the band wanted to deal with serious issues on this album, as "Monkey on My Back" was about the bands' struggles with drug and alcohol addictions.

6. In 1996, the monkey of the year came to us courtesy of a band that became popular a few years earlier with a song about parading insects. Which politically-active group gave us "Proudest Monkey"?

Answer: Dave Matthews Band

Dave Matthews Band first achieved fame in the U.S. with their 1994 singles "Ants Marching" and "What Would You Say". But they had been popular live band since the early 1990s, and "Proudest Monkey" started out as a jam song that was played at concerts for several years before it was recorded for the "Crash" album. Depending on the source, the song is either about the bands' rise to fame or about the trappings of fame.

7. In 1997, the monkey of the year was brought to us by a group, led by a man who first achieved fame as the drummer for a legendary grunge band. Which Seattle band gave us "Monkey Wrench"?

Answer: Foo Fighters

"Monkey Wrench" was a single released from the Foo Fighters' second album, "The Colour and the Shape". Both the album and the song were about the evolution of a relationship, with "Monkey Wrench" dealing with the break-up of Dave Grohl's first marriage. The phrase "monkey wrench" has several slang meanings, and apparently it was used here to mean "fool" or "tool".

8. In 2000, the monkey of the year was "Porcelain Monkey", a song about Elvis Presley. Which sardonic artist included this song on his ironically-titled "Life'll Kill Ya" album released a few years before his death?

Answer: Warren Zevon

Warren Zevon was inspired to write the song after seeing a simian statue in a picture of a TV room at Graceland. He said it just summed up what had become of Elvis: "He threw it away for a porcelain monkey, gave it all up for a figurine. He traded it in for a night in Las Vegas and his face on velveteen".

In the 1980s, Zevon also had a minor hit with another monkey - "Leave My Monkey Alone".

9. In 2002, the monkey of the year was a confessional song by a mega-successful English artist (and early 1990s boy band member). Which singer gave us "Me and My Monkey"?

Answer: Robbie Williams

Robbie Williams was one of the original members of the British boy band, Take That, before leaving to start a solo career in the mid 1990s. "Me and My Monkey" appeared on Williams' fifth album, the introspective "Escapology". The song is alleged to be about his struggle with drugs and the alter ego that developed during his addiction.

10. In 2003, the monkey of the year came to us courtesy of a band often considered to be a one-hit wonder from the 1980s. Which band whipped up "Go Monkey Go" for the "Powerpuff Girls" TV show?

Answer: Devo

Devo wasn't really a one-hit wonder despite the song "Whip It" being their only major hit. They moved into other types of media, including providing the theme song ("Working in a Coal Mine") for the Fred Savage 1990s TV show "Working". The monkey in "Go Monkey Go" was the character of Mojo Jojo on the "Powerpuff Girls" show.

Source: Author PDAZ

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor kyleisalive before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Year of the Monkey Trivia Quiz

Musicians and monkeys go together like... well, I'm not sure. But for some reason, there have been a plethora of "monkey" songs throughout the years. Let's take a listen...

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>

NEXT>