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Dire Straits' lyrics

Posted by Bruce Kahl on October 25, 2002

In Reply to: Dire Straits' lyrics posted by Gary on October 25, 2002

: : I may be completely off base on this one, but... The song "Money for Nothin'" includes the line "...banging on the bongos like a ???" I checked various websites and they say that the missing word is chimpanzee. However, the word I hear when listening to this song has only 2 syllables and sounds like (and here's where I am not too sure) chimpvet or something like that. For years I assumed I was making up this word until I saw it in a P. D. James novel, which led me to believe that this may be British English. Is there such a word, or have I gone completely mad?

: You sound sane enough, but there is no such word. If my name were Knopfler and I were looking for a rhyme for 'chicks for free' and 'MTV', I'd pass over chimpvet and go straight to chimpanzee.

I shoulda learned to play the guitar
I shoulda learned to play them drums
Look at that mama, she got it stickin' in the camera
Man we could have some fun
And he's up there, what's that? Hawaiian noises?
Bangin' on the bongoes like a chimpanzee
That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Get your money for nothin' get your chicks for free

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