Released in 1971
Written by Paul McCartney • Linda Eastman / McCartney
Last updated on June 6, 2020
Album This song officially appears on the Ram LP.
Timeline This song was officially released in 1971
Timeline This song was written, or began to be written, in 1970, when Paul McCartney was 28 years old)
This song was recorded during the following studio sessions:
Paul and Linda McCartney go and live in Scotland for a few months
April 10 to August 1970
“Monkberry Moon Delight” is a song from 1971 album “Ram” credited to Paul & Linda McCartney. From Beatles Bible:
Inspired by his children’s use of wordplay, Monkberry Moon Delight featured lyrics chosen more for their phonetic sound than their meaning.
The title was derived from an alternative word for milk that the McCartney children used. Further inspiration came from the 1959 Leiber and Stoller song Love Potion No. 9.
Love Potion No. 9 featured a similarly surreal tale as McCartney’s later song, in which a man looking for love speaks to a gypsy who sells him the titular potion. It causes him to fall in love with all he sees, including a policeman on the street.
Monkberry Moon Delight takes the surrealism a step further, defying interpretation and logic to present an Edward Lear-esque stroll through the lighter recesses of McCartney’s imagination. As with The Beatles’ Glass Onion, it was almost a direct challenge for those fans who looked avidly for hidden meanings in his songs to spend hours poring over his wild free-association in search of autobiographical clues.
While the music is a light canter, McCartney’s vocals were strident and strained, recalling his classic rock ‘n’ roll performances in such songs as Long Tall Sally and Oh! Darling. Linda McCartney provided the perfect counterpoint with her backing vocals, delivered without affectation.
Monkberry Moon Delight was one of two Ram songs included in Blackbird Singing, McCartney’s 2001 collection of lyrics and poetry. It featured in the section headed The Business. The other Ram song in the book was Heart Of The Country.
“Monkberry Moon Delight I liked, so much so that it’s in my poetry book.” Paul McCartney, Mojo magazine, July 2001
McCartney’s gruff delivery clearly found favour with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, who recorded Monkberry Moon Delight for his 1979 album Screamin’ The Blues. McCartney used Hawkins’ version in his pre-concert tape before his 1993 concerts.
When my kids were young they used to call milk ‘monk’ for whatever reason that kids do – I think it’s magical the way that kids can develop better names for things than the real ones. In fact, as a joke, Linda and I still occasionally refer to an object by that child-language name. So, monk was always milk, and monkberry moon delight was a fantasy drink, rather like Love Potion No. 9, hence the line in the song, ‘sipping monkberry moon delight’. It was a fantasy milk shake.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney in "Man On The Run", by Tom Doyle:
I tried to avoid any Beatles clichés and just went to different places. So the songs became a little more episodic or something. I took on that kind of idea a bit more than I would’ve with The Beatles. I suppose I was just letting myself be free. So if I wanted to do “Monkberry Moon Delight” with a “piano up my nose”, then I figured, that’ll be ok.
So I sat in the attic
A pillow up my nose
And the wind played a dreadful cantata (ta-ta ta-ta)
So was I bound to crack with my head in this hole
And the horrible sound of tomato (matoes, matoes).
Ketch up Ketch up Super doorsy
Don't get left behind
Ketch-up behind
Be left behind
Be left behind
When I rattled the brass I'd awoken
The sinews the nerves and the veins
My piano was boldly out-spoken
Had a chance to repeat its refrain
So I stood with a knot in my stomach
Then I gazed at that terrible sight
What do your stars conceal in a barrel
Sucking Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
The sinews,
The nerves and the veins.
My piano was boldly outspoken,
In attempts to repeat its refrain.
So I stood with a knot in my stomach,
And I gazed at that terrible sight
Of two youngsters concealed in a barrel,
Sucking monkberry moon delight.
Monkberry moon delight,
Monkberry moon delight.
Know no banana is older than the rest
In my hair is a tangled buretta (re-ta re-ta)
And I would leave my pyjamas to Phyllis Budapest
Don't get the gist of your letter (letter Ooh)
Ketch-up Ketch up
Cats and kittens
Don't get left behind (get left behind)
Behind get left behind
Be left behind
When I rattled the brass I'd awoken
The sinews the nerves and the veins
My piano was boldly out-spoken
Had a chance to repeat its refrain
So I stood with a knot in my stomach
Then I gazed at that terrible sight
What do your stars conceal in a barrel
Sucking Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Official album • Released in 1971
5:28 • Studio version • B • Mono
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Armin Steiner : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
LP • Released in 1971
5:28 • Studio version • A • Stereo
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Armin Steiner : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
LP • Released in 1977
4:39 • Studio version • C • Stereo • Instrumental version
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington : Producer Richard Hewson : Arrangements, Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Vic Flick : Guitar Clem Cattini : Drums Herbie Flowers : Bass Steve Gray : Piano Roger Coulan : Organ Jim Lawless : Percussion Alan Parsons : Second engineer Unknown musician(s) : Alto saxophones, Clarinets, String section, Trombones, Trumpets, Tuba
Session Recording: Jun 15, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 18, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 1993
5:28 • Studio version • A1993.1 • 1993 remaster by Steve Hoffman
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Armin Steiner : Recording engineer Steve Hoffman : Remastering
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 1993
5:28 • Studio version • A1993 • Stereo • 1993 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Peter Mew : Remastering Armin Steiner : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
CD • Released in 1995
4:39 • Studio version • C1995 • Stereo • Instrumental version. 1995 remaster
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington : Producer Richard Hewson : Arrangements, Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Vic Flick : Guitar Clem Cattini : Drums Herbie Flowers : Bass Steve Gray : Piano Roger Coulan : Organ Jim Lawless : Percussion Alan Parsons : Second engineer Unknown musician(s) : Alto saxophones, Clarinets, String section, Trombones, Trumpets, Tuba
Session Recording: Jun 15, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 18, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Official album • Released in 2012
5:26 • Studio version • A2012 • Stereo • 2012 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Armin Steiner : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2012
5:26 • Studio version • B2012 • Mono • 2012 remaster
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Armin Steiner : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Official album • Released in 2012
4:39 • Studio version • C2012 • Thrillington: 2012 remaster
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington : Producer Richard Hewson : Arrangements, Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Vic Flick : Guitar Clem Cattini : Drums Herbie Flowers : Bass Steve Gray : Piano Roger Coulan : Organ Jim Lawless : Percussion Alan Parsons : Second engineer Unknown musician(s) : Alto saxophones, Clarinets, String section, Trombones, Trumpets, Tuba
Session Recording: Jun 15, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 18, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
Thrillington (Limited Edition - Marbled Black & Red LP)
Official album • Released in 2018
4:39 • Studio version • C2012 • Thrillington: 2012 remaster
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington : Producer Richard Hewson : Arrangements, Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Vic Flick : Guitar Clem Cattini : Drums Herbie Flowers : Bass Steve Gray : Piano Roger Coulan : Organ Jim Lawless : Percussion Alan Parsons : Second engineer Unknown musician(s) : Alto saxophones, Clarinets, String section, Trombones, Trumpets, Tuba
Session Recording: Jun 15, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 18, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
See all official recordings containing “Monkberry Moon Delight”
Unofficial album • Released in 2004
5:22 • Studio version • B • Mono • Original mono promo LP, especially made for the American AM stations. All the songs have different mixes
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Armin Steiner : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Ram - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
5:26 • Studio version • A
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Armin Steiner : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Ram - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
5:26 • Studio version • B • Mono
Paul McCartney : Acoustic guitar, Backing vocals, Bass, Electric guitar, Mandolin (?), Piano, Producer, Vocals Linda Eastman / McCartney : Backing vocals, Producer Denny Seiwell : Drums, Tambourine Hugh McCracken : Electric guitar, Mandolin (?) Eirik Wangberg : Mix engineer Phil Ramone : Recording engineer Heather McCartney : Backing vocals Jim Guercio : Recording engineer Tim Geelan : Recording engineer Ted Brosnan : Assistant recording engineer Dixon Van Winkle : Assistant recording engineer Armin Steiner : Recording engineer
Session Recording: Nov 05, 1970 • Studio CBS Studios, New York City
Session Overdubs: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Session Mixing: March-April 1971 • Studio Sunset Sound Recorders Studio, Los Angeles, USA
Credits & recording details courtesy of Luca Perasi • From the books "Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs" • Buy Volume 1 (1970-1989) and Volume 2 (1990-2012) on Amazon
Ram - Ultimate Archive Collection
Unofficial album • Released in 2015
4:39 • Studio version • C
Percy "Thrills" Thrillington : Producer Richard Hewson : Arrangements, Orchestration Tony Clark : Mixing engineer, Recording engineer Vic Flick : Guitar Clem Cattini : Drums Herbie Flowers : Bass Steve Gray : Piano Roger Coulan : Organ Jim Lawless : Percussion Alan Parsons : Second engineer Unknown musician(s) : Alto saxophones, Clarinets, String section, Trombones, Trumpets, Tuba
Session Recording: Jun 15, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 16, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio Two, Abbey Road
Session Overdubs: Jun 17, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Studio One, Abbey Road
Session Mixing: Jun 18, 1971 • Studio EMI Studios, Abbey Road
“Monkberry Moon Delight” has been played in 1 soundchecks.
Paul McCartney: Music Is Ideas. The Stories Behind the Songs (Vol. 1) 1970-1989
With 25 albums of pop music, 5 of classical – a total of around 500 songs – released over the course of more than half a century, Paul McCartney's career, on his own and with Wings, boasts an incredible catalogue that's always striving to free itself from the shadow of The Beatles. The stories behind the songs, demos and studio recordings, unreleased tracks, recording dates, musicians, live performances and tours, covers, events: Music Is Ideas Volume 1 traces McCartney's post-Beatles output from 1970 to 1989 in the form of 346 song sheets, filled with details of the recordings and stories behind the sessions. Accompanied by photos, and drawing on interviews and contemporary reviews, this reference book draws the portrait of a musical craftsman who has elevated popular song to an art-form.
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b00kface • 7 years ago
The mad howlings and ad-libing near the end sound like Hey Bulldog's conclusion.
Jack Cole • 3 years ago
You've got some odd lyrics there. As PM himself says in the quote you've printed just before the lyrics "So if I wanted to do “Monkberry Moon Delight” with a “piano up my nose”, then I figured, that’ll be ok.". Then you've printed lyrics where he has a pillow up his nose.
Also it's "two youngsters concealed in a barrel" who are sucking the Monkberry Moon Delight
The PaulMcCartney Project • 3 years ago
Hi Jack, thanks for noticing (and sorry for the late feedback). You're right, there are some inconsistencies, but the official lyrics at https://www.paulmccartney.com/albums/songs/monkberry-moon-delight indicate "A pillow up my nose". So the transcript of the interview in "Man On The Run" is wrong ? or McCartney didn't correctly remember those words? Or ...
Kees • 3 years ago
Also « Phyllis Budapest » is « Philly Budapest », where Philly probably is a reference to Philadelphia. Makes more sense than a person called Phyllis Budapest
Jan Verner • 1 year ago
Hi, this is wrong lyrics.
The right is:
So I sat in the attic, a piano up my nose
And the wind played a dreadful cantata
Sore was I from a crack of an enemy's hose
And the horrible sound of tomato
Ketchup, soup and puree
Don't get left behind
Ketchup, soup and puree
Don't get left behind
When a rattle of rats had awoken
The sinews, the nerves and the veins
My piano was boldly outspoken
In attempts to repeat this refrain
So I stood with a knot in my stomach
And I gazed at that terrible sight
Of two youngsters concealed in a barrel
Suckin' monkberry moon delight, ho!
Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Monkberry moon delight
Oh
Oh-oh, oh-oh
Well, I know my banana is older than the rest
And my hair is a tangled beretta (beretta, beretta)
And when I leave my pyjamas to Billy Budapest
And I don't get the gist of your letter
Catch up, cats and kittens
Don't get left behind
Catch up, cats and kittens
Don't get left behind
happyan • 1 year ago
Yeah according to booklets from Ram archive collection, the right lyrics should be what Jan Verner displays here.
Joe Rufer • 2 months ago
is there any information on Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording of "Monkberry Moon Delight"???
The PaulMcCartney Project • 2 months ago
Hi Joe, I usually don't mention covers of Paul McCartney's songs, as I feel this would bring me too far. I'm sorry, but you will have to search for information elsewhere. All the best!