Kill The Monkey

KILL THE MONKEY [Outtake from Rise and Shine]

Music, lyrics, guitars, samples, and vocals: Ed Hale. Lead guitar: Duane Allen. Piano and keyboards: Joe Trainer. Drums: Ricardo Mazzi. Bass guitar: Stro. Recorded at Sunflower Recording Studios, Hollywood, FL 2000. Produced by Ed Hale, Stro Stroman, Cliff Rawnsley. Engineered by Cliff Rawnsley. Mixed by Gary Bosko at HeartForge.

Kill the Monkey was another song written way back during the Broken Spectacles days but we just never got around to recording it. It used to be a staple of the TRANSCENDENCE live shows. We recorded it during the Rise and Shine recording sessions. I had written it in the open A tuning that I had been so obsessed with back then. Still am. The lyrics speak for themselves. Perseverance above and beyond any obstacles that may get in your way. For me personally the bridge section of the song is the most exciting. That’s the part I always look forward to as a listener. Ricky co-arranged the song and approached it very creatively with the drums. But again Rise and Shine had too many songs recorded and not enough space for all of them. Though the song fit thematically we never felt like we really nailed the song professionally enough and that it wasn’t of the same caliber in its execution as the rest of the songs we recorded. So the song has been shelved the last eight years. Truth be told our plan was to re-record it one day. But life moves on. One thing TRASCENDENCE doesn’t need with three prolific songwriters in the band is more songs. After a few listens to this final mix of the song we finally decided to just release it as is. It doesn’t sound nearly as bad as we originally thought. Ironically this particular song may epitomize the Rise and Shine sound more than several other songs that made the cut. Anyone that hears the song will find it easy to recognize that the song was obviously recorded during the Rise and Shine sessions. Now the song has found a good home and resting place.

Lyrics

Never has a man been so down

And got up from the bottom to achieve his crown

I’ve been round and round with my prejudices

Putting people down and saying they’re the clown

When in fact it’s me that is the fool

Thinking I’m so cool

I’m a fool I never even graduated high school

Kill the monkey

Kill the monkey on your back

Kill the monkey

Get your life back on the track

If you keep doing what you been doing

Your going to keep getting what you been getting

If you keep feeling what you been feeling

Your going to keep getting what you been getting

If you keep thinking what you been thinking

Your going to keep getting what you been getting

If you keep giving what you bee giving

Your going to keep getting what you been getting

I’ve been around and I’ve been to heaven

And this is what I’ve found here

In this old museum of lives that I’ve lived

You can’t deny yourself look fear in the eye

Go to the mountains look up at the clouds

And tell me what you see

Soul kiss coming down

I’ve got some friends of mine

Who just sit and wait

For life to pass them by oh my

Go to the river and wash yourself clean

Be a clean machine

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