I like this song, and videos are fun, too

[pegkerr]

(kijjohnson, this one's for you.)

kijjohnson turned me onto this song, and I like it a lot. It captures what it's like to be a decent person working at a soul-sucking job while dreaming of a better life. In fact, I find it downright endearing. It's surprisingly touching; listen to it/download it here.

Code Monkey get up get coffee
Code Monkey go to job
Code Monkey have boring meeting
With boring manager Rob
Rob say Code Monkey very dilligent
But his output stink
His code not “functional” or “elegant”
What do Code Monkey think?
Code Monkey think maybe manager want to write god damned login page himself
Code Monkey not say it out loud
Code Monkey not crazy, just proud

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you

Code Monkey hang around at front desk
Tell you sweater look nice
Code Monkey offer buy you soda
Bring you cup, bring you ice
You say no thank you for the soda cause
Soda make you fat
Anyway you busy with the telephone
No time for chat
Code Monkey have long walk back to cubicle he sit down pretend to work
Code Monkey not thinking so straight
Code Monkey not feeling so great

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you
Code Monkey like you a lot

Code Monkey have every reason
To get out this place
Code Monkey just keep on working
See your soft pretty face
Much rather wake up, eat a coffee cake
Take bath, take nap
This job “fulfilling in creative way”
Such a load of crap
Code Monkey think someday he have everything even pretty girl like you
Code Monkey just waiting for now
Code Monkey say someday, somehow

Code Monkey like Fritos
Code Monkey like Tab and Mountain Dew
Code Monkey very simple man
With big warm fuzzy secret heart:
Code Monkey like you

Here is a video of the composer performing it

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And here's an illustration.

Now this is where it gets interesting: a lot of people have gotten interested in this song and have responded by doing videos on YouTube.

Here are three that I like the best:

The Code Monkey Dance:

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An animated video, using art from World of Warcraft:

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The Code Monkey song, using video from the Canadian show "Traders"

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So interesting to see three COMPLETELY different creative takes on this.

Edited to add: And then there are the Code Monkey re-mixes, here.

Comments

[tesla-aldrich.livejournal.com]

The art used in the second one is from a popular MMORPG called "World of Warcraft".

Thanks for sharing these, they're neat!

[handworn.livejournal.com]

That's marvelous! At first I only listened, but now I'm keeping it.

If we only had half a dozen more songs of similar caliber, we could put them with Code Monkey and Stan Rogers's "The White Collar Holler (http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/s/stan_rogers/the_white_collar_holler_crd.htm)" and have a CD that I bet would sell. And perhaps be banned at cubicle workplaces like Dilbert. :-)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

That's marvelous!

*beams* Isn't it though? I've been listening to it on endless repeat today.

Only one thing is better than finding something that brings you joy; it is bringing that same joy to a friend.

[handworn.livejournal.com]

Sat down at the computer, set it to play again, and was listening to it while reading the new messages including yours. :-)

I hope someone tabs it for guitar; I bet it would be fun to play.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

It is adorable, isn't it? A lot of his songs have surprising heart. Skullcrusher Mountain is sweet, too. Really.

[heinous_bitca.livejournal.com]

I've become enamored with Jonathan Coulton since I heard his Re: Your Brains song. The person who did the WoW video for this one also did a WoW video for that song, and a few other from Coulton. I do recommend his podcasts. :)