Lyrks
Lyrks
Sign In
Cover Art

New Monkey Lyrics by Elliott Smith

New Moon

2004

Here comes the sidewalk boss again
Telling me how I can't cave in
That I'm a study in black
Need a pat on the back
I look up and smile
A picture of dissatisfaction
That he can only see as a junkie
Though I might be straight as an arrow
He's busy shaking hands with my monkey
Busy shaking hands with my monkey

I go in my car
Straight to the bar
Where my sweetie pours the beer
For the millions of fans ignoring the bands
He's in my ear
Wants me to live in denial
Says, "You've got to settle for something
Though it might not be really living
Anything is better than nothing
Anything is better than nothing"

No half-dead action man going to move in to take my place
I'll be pumping out the product
Just a total waste

Look at your hands unoccupied
Look at the lengths you'll go to hide
You're under the veil
Pretending to fail
Got a whole lot of empty time left to go
Now you've got to fill it with something
I know what you could do, don't you know
Anything is better than nothing

No half-dead action man going to move in to take my place
I'll be pumping out the product
Just a total waste

I'm here with my cup
Afraid to look up
This is how I spend my time
Lazing around, head hanging down
Stuck inside my imagination
Busy making something from nothing
Pictures of hope and depression
Anything is better than nothing
Anything is better than nothing
Anything is better than nothing
Anything is better than nothing

About “New Monkey” by Elliott Smith

Read the complete lyrics to "New Monkey" by Elliott Smith from the album "New Moon" in 2004. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Acoustic, Indie Pop, Folk.

"New Monkey" is performed by Elliott Smith. from the album "New Moon" in 2004 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "New Monkey", explore more songs by Elliott Smith using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Elliott Smith · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"New Monkey" is credited to Elliott Smith. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"New Monkey" appears on "New Moon" in 2004.

Visit the Elliott Smith artist page at /artist/elliott-smith for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features


© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.