♫ Manic Monday ♫

Posted on by under Bits 'n Pieces, History, music

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a song with the word ‘Monday’ in the title on … a Monday, of course.  That led to a suggestion for another, which I played the following week, and other suggestions rolled in as well … okay only a few, but still, enough for my feeble mind to try to remember.  One of the suggestions was this song, Manic Monday, by the Bangles.  The title didn’t ring any bells, but when I listened to the song, I well remembered it.

I may have recalled the song, but I was very surprised to find that it was written by Prince!  According to SongFacts …

Prince wrote this alliterative song under the name “Christopher” (the name of his character in his movie Under the Cherry Moon), and it became the Bangles’ first hit. The purple one discovered the group after coming across the video for one of their early singles, “Hero Takes a Fall,” on MTV. He showed up at a Bangles gig in Los Angeles, then he put together a very special mixtape for the group – one with two original songs he had written and wanted them to record. In a Songfacts interview with Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, she explained: “I went and picked up a cassette. It had two songs on it and one of them was ‘Manic Monday.’”

Susanna Hoffs sang lead on this track, but she wasn’t their lead singer: all four members of the group shared vocal duties. They took pains to make sure each member was represented equally, which is clear on the album and single art where their individual photos are displayed in an even grid. Despite their efforts at equality, Hoffs got most of the press attention, with many assuming she was the group leader. This caused considerable discord, especially after “Eternal Flame,” another Hoffs lead vocal that was a huge hit. It played out with the band breaking up in 1989 and Hoffs going solo. On her own, she never came close to the success she attained with the Bangles; in 1998, at her behest, they got back together.

The SongFacts article is lengthy, but interesting, so if you’re so inclined, read the rest on their site.  This song reached the #2 spot in both the UK, the U.S., and Canada, and charted well throughout the EU.

Manic Monday

Bangles

Six o’clock already
I was just in the middle of a dream
I was kissin’ Valentino
By a crystal-blue, Italian stream

But I can’t be late
‘Cause then I guess I just won’t get paid
These are the days
When you wish your bed was already made

It’s just another manic Monday (Woah, woah)
I wish it was Sunday (Woah, woah)
‘Cause that’s my fun day (Woah, woah, woah, woah)
My I don’t have to run day (Woah, woah)
It’s just another manic Monday

Have to catch an early train
Got to be to work by nine
And if I had an aeroplane
I still couldn’t make it on time

‘Cause it takes me so long (Oh, oh)
Just to figure out what I’m gonna wear
Blame it on the train
But the boss is already there

It’s just another manic Monday (Woah, woah)
I wish it was Sunday (Woah, woah)
‘Cause that’s my fun day (Woah, woah, woah, woah)
My I don’t have to run day (Woah, woah)
It’s just another manic Monday

Of all my nights
Why did my lover have to pick last night
To get down?
(Last night, last night)
Doesn’t it matter
That I have to feed the both of us?
Employment’s down

He tells me in his bedroom voice
C’mon honey, let’s go make some noise
Time it goes so fast
(When you’re having fun)

It’s just another manic Monday (Woah, woah)
I wish it was Sunday (Woah, woah)
‘Cause that’s my fun day (Woah, woah, woah, woah)
My I don’t have to run day (Woah, woah)

It’s just another manic Monday (Woah, woah)
I wish it was Sunday (Woah, woah, woah, woah)
‘Cause that’s my fun day (Woah, woah)
It’s just another manic Monday

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Prince Rogers Nelson

Manic Monday lyrics © Npg Publishing

31 thoughts on “♫ Manic Monday ♫”

  1. Pingback: ♫ Manic Monday ♫ – MobsterTiger

  4. For me the Bangles started and ended with the debut album. They were a real rock band back then. I saw their first concert in Germany, they played a small pub in Hamburg, not famous enough to fill real halls. And it was great. The stage was small and cramped and the lead guitarist accidentally hit the Susanna in the eye with her guitar headstock. She kep on playing and singing with blood running all over her pretty face. Unforgettable night. Must’ ve been ’84 ’85.
    After that they devoluted into a boring gimmicky and ultimately forgettable pop band. Walk Like an Egyptian ? Manic Monday? Puhleeze. 😦

    Liked by 2 people

    • Wow … what a great memory!!! I’ve never been to a concert, small or large, but I think I would enjoy one like you mention in a small pub more than I would enjoy one in a huge concert hall. I’m not a huge fan of their music per se, but some of it is fun!

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  5. When you dig beneath the covers, it’s astonishing how many times Prince was involved in writing or producing a song. While he wrote the song, the Bangles did a pretty job of singing up to the words. I enjoyed Clive’s offering of the folk singer video. Slightly different flavor, sweet video. Hugs and cheers, M

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    • I was stunned to learn that Prince had written this one … seemed so … different from his usual! But, when I mentioned it to my musician daughter, she said the same as you, that he was involved in many projects that would surprise me. Hugs and cheers, dear Michael!

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  6. Pingback: MANIC MONDAY. |jilldennison.com | Ramblings of an Occupy Liberal

  8. I’ve always loved this one. During the first lockdown Kate Rusby, an English folk singer of whom I’m a big fan, made an album of covers. This was one of them, and her homemade video got a lovely message of thanks from Susanna. See what you think:

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      • I’m really pleased that you do. It had the same response from Susanna Hoffs. I told the story of it in a post back in summer 2020 when the album came out, and included a screenshot of her message to Kate. As I said, I’m a big fan of Kate, and have had the delight of seeing her in concert. She is lovely, friendly and chatty, and blessed with the voice of an angel. The album and that track as a single got a lot of radio airplay here and made (I think) #12 in the UK album chart. For a couple of weeks that track was #1 on the UK iTunes singer-songwriter chart – totally unheard of for a folk singer!

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        • I hadn’t heard of Kate until now, but she is very talented! Folk music was quite popular here back in the 60s, but I think it fizzled sometime soon after. I mainly think of Joan Baez when I think of folk music, but I’m gonna check out more of Kate’s music!

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          • I know I’m biased, but she’s worth checking out. You’ll be seeing her in my Advent Calendar as she comes from an area with a long tradition of singing Christmas carols. She has just made the five albums of them so far! Probably my favourite song of hers, though it’s a hard choice to make, is Underneath The Stars.

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            • There you go with talk about that holiday again! Heck, I’m still recovering from the last one! And 5 albums of nothing but Christmas music???

              That said, I just listened to “Underneath the Stars” and I liked it … but as I listened, I was thinking that I’m surprised you like it, for usually it seems like you’re not into soft, slow music. She does have an almost mesmerizing voice.

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                • Have you been talking to my daughter??? Tonight, she was whistling. Naturally, I couldn’t hear what she was whistling, but could tell by watching her that she was whistling, so I asked her what she was whistling. “Christmas music” was her answer! After I threw a water bottle at her, I asked her if she’d been chatting with you! It’s a conspiracy, I tell ya!!!

                  I enjoyed that sneak preview! I couldn’t discern the lyrics, but very much enjoyed the video and her voice. I did look up the lyrics after listening … I think I prefer just watching the video and listening to the music without understanding the lyrics! Still … I did enjoy it!

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    • I’m glad you liked the song, my friend! Ha ha … did you Google it? I’m not sure quite how they decided on that name! You too, my friend, though it’s about bedtime over on your side of the pond and supper time here on my side. xx

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