Willie Dixon and the Big Three Trio


            Signifying Monkey
            recorded on 3/11/47

            The Big Three Trio:

            Leonard Caston, piano
            Willie Dixon, bass
            Charles Sanders, drums

            (Click here to hear the song)


            You call yourself the jungle king
            You call yourself the jungle king
            You call yourself the jungle king
            I found out you ain't a doggone thing

            Said the Monkey to the Lion on the bright summer day,
            "There's a big, bad cat livin' down the way
            He talked about your folks in a heck of a way
            A lot of other things I'm afraid to say"

            The Lion jumps up all full of rage
            Like a Harlem cat that's blown his gauge
            He meets the Elephant in the front of the tree
            He says, "Now big boy it's you or me"

            The Elephant looks him from the corner of his eyes
            "You better find someone to fight your size"
            The Lion jumps up and makes a fancy pass
            But the Elephant knocks him over in the grass

            They fought all night and they fought all day
            I don't know how the Lion, well he got away
            He come back through the jungle more dead than alive
            And that's when the Monkey really started his jive

            You call yourself the jungle king
            You call yourself the jungle king
            You call yourself the jungle king
            I found out you ain't a doggone thing

            Well he waked up his temper when he jumpin' up and down
            And his foot missed the limb and his head hit the ground
            Like a bolt of light'ning and a streak of heat
            The Lion was on him with all four feet

            But the Monkey looks up from the corner of his eye
            Says, "Now Mr. Lion, I apologize"
            The Monkey on his back studies up a scheme
            He's tryin' to trick that jungle king

            "Be bad with me, I wish you would
            I'd tear you up all over the wood"
            The Lion jumps up, squares off for a fight
            But the Monkey jumped completely out of sight
            "So if you bother me again
            I'll turn you over to my Elephant friend"

            You call yourself the jungle king
            You call yourself the jungle king
            You call yourself the jungle king
            I found out you ain't a doggone thing