Released: October 18, 1988
Songwriter: Jeff Lynne George Harrison Tom Petty Bob Dylan Roy Orbison
Producer: Jeff Lynne George Harrison
[Verse 1: Bob Dylan]
Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hard up 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 'fore she went to Vietnam
And found out the hard way nobody gives a damn
They knew that they'd find freedom just across the Jersey Line
So they hopped into a stolen car, took Highway 99
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Verse 2: Bob Dylan]
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's a liar
If you don't surrender now, it's gonna go down to the wire"
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Verse 3: Bob Dylan]
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
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Verse 4: Bob Dylan]
Someplace by Rahway Prison, they ran out of gas
The undercover cop had cornered 'em, said, "Boy, you didn't think that this could last"
Jan jumped up out of bed, said, "There's someplace I gotta go"
She took a gun out of the drawer and said, "It's best if 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"
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Verse 5: Bob Dylan]
Now the town of Jersey City is quieting down again
I'm sitting in a gambling club called A Lion's Den
The TV set was blown up, every bit of it is gone
Ever since the nightly news show that the Monkey Man was on
I guess I'll go to Florida and get myself some sun
There ain't no more opportunity here, everything been done
Sometimes I think of Tweeter, sometimes I think of Jan
Sometimes I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
Tweeter and the Monkey Man were hard up 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 'fore she went to Vietnam
And found out the hard way nobody gives a damn
They knew that they'd find freedom just across the Jersey Line
So they hopped into a stolen car, took Highway 99
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Verse 2: Bob Dylan]
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's a liar
If you don't surrender now, it's gonna go down to the wire"
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Verse 3: Bob Dylan]
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
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Verse 4: Bob Dylan]
Someplace by Rahway Prison, they ran out of gas
The undercover cop had cornered 'em, said, "Boy, you didn't think that this could last"
Jan jumped up out of bed, said, "There's someplace I gotta go"
She took a gun out of the drawer and said, "It's best if 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"
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Verse 5: Bob Dylan]
Now the town of Jersey City is quieting down again
I'm sitting in a gambling club called A Lion's Den
The TV set was blown up, every bit of it is gone
Ever since the nightly news show that the Monkey Man was on
I guess I'll go to Florida and get myself some sun
There ain't no more opportunity here, everything been done
Sometimes I think of Tweeter, sometimes I think of Jan
Sometimes I don't think about nothing but the Monkey Man
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
[Chorus]
And the walls came down, all the way to hell
Never saw them when they're standing
Never saw them when they fell
more tracks from the album
From the album
- Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988)
Traveling Wilburys popular songs
- End of the Line
- Handle with Care
- Tweeter and the Monkey Man
- Last Night
- Dirty World
- Margarita
- You Took My Breath Away
- Maxine
- Runaway
- Cool Dry Place
- Inside Out
- 7 Deadly Sins
- She’s My Baby
- New Blue Moon
- The Devil’s Been Busy
- Congratulations
- Where Were You Last Night?
- Like a Ship
- If You Belonged to Me
- Wilbury Twist
- Poor House
- Rattled
- Nobody’s Child
- Heading for the Light