Tiger Tunes - The Tale of a Monkey

Lyrics

Sung by Aileen Crater
as Cynthia Cynch

In Hindustan
Lived a monkey man,
And an imitative monk was he.
This nosy monk
Had a cosy bunk,
In the branches of a Banyan tree.
An imitative monk was he!
With no originality!
To ape his friends,
Was his only plan,
Oh wait for the finish
Of this monkey man
For thereby hangs a tale.

(Chorus)
This is the tale of a monkey,
Who thought of nothing new.
A monk who'd always copy,
What he saw other monkeys do.
It was quite plain, he had no brain,
New things he would not plan.
Don't play that game or you'll end the same,
As the tale of a monkey man.

(Chorus repeat)

An elephant strayed
To the leafy shade,
'Neath the branches
Of the Banyan tree.
That nosy monk saw the elephant's trunk
And he thought it was a tale you see.
His brother pulled
The big brute's tail.
To imitate he did not fail,
He pulled the elephant's mighty trunk
That trunk was the finish of the foolish monk
And that's no idle tale!

(Chorus)
This is the tale of a monkey, etc.

The Tale of a Monkey

From the 1903 Broadway Musical
The Wizard of Oz
Words by Vincent Bryan
Music by Leo Edwards
(1905)

The Tale of a Monkey, is one the harder to find song sheets from the 1903 Broadway Musical The Wizard of Oz. Written in 1905, it was the latest in a succession of "Animal" numbers sung by the character Cynthia Cynch, the Lady Lunatic, in Act I. Previous "Animal" songs included The Tale of a Cassowary,and The Bullfrog and the Coon, etc.

This particular song was written for Aileen Crater (soon to be Mrs. Fred Stone!) by lyricist/music publisher Vincent Bryan who was a close friend of Stone's. Vincent Bryan wrote most of Montgomery and Stone's specialty numbers including the hit of the show, Hurrah for Baffin's Bay. This new song for Miss Crater was likely commissioned by Stone to "improve" his fiancee's part.

You can download or play a MIDI of this little known song from The Wizard of Oz; or you can download the sheet music in PDF format which will allow you to save it to disc or print copies for yourself.

Arrangement and MIDI file copyright © 2001 James Patrick Doyle

View/Save a PDF of the Sheet Music

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