# Mony Mony: What are the origins of the Audience Participation? (Warning: Cuss Words!)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 16, 2004, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072 "2004-08-16T11:43:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/1 "2004-08-16T11:43:08Z")
In Junior Highschool when we went to school dances (or “mixers”) there was a popular audience participation chant that went along with the song _Mony Mony_ (the version usually played at the mixers would have been the Billy Idol version, but this would work with the Tommy James version too).
The Highschool that I went to was 20 miles away from this Junior Highschool. It definitely was NOT the highschool that others from my Junior High just naturally moved onto- they all pretty much went to a highschool three blocks away from the jr high. Still, at school mixers all throughout highschool everyone knew the audience participation to _Mony Mony_.
The I went to college 1,000 miles away from my Highschool. At parties and bars whenever _Mony Mony_ played everyone knew the audience participation!
In none of these settings did anyone know _why_ they knew this or _from where_ it came. We all just _knew_ it. So I bring the question the the SDMB. Does anyone know how this originated? (Audience participation in Red)
_Here she come now singing Mony Mony_
GET LAID! GET FUCKED! GET FUCKED! GET LAID!
_Well, shoot 'em down, turn around, come on Mony_
GET LAID! GET FUCKED! GET FUCKED! GET LAID!
_Hey she give me love and I feel alright now_
GET LAID! GET FUCKED! GET FUCKED! GET LAID!
_You got me tossin’ turnin’ in the night, make me
feel alright I say yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, . . ._
---
### Author:  [@jbarro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jbarro)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/2 "2004-08-16T12:52:01Z")
I can’t offer any revelations here, but the practice is widespread enough that when I was planning my wedding, numerous books/magazines/websites advised telling the DJ not to play that song because of what the crowd would shout out (which might horrify elderly relatives).
Actually, my friends and I were discussing this the other day. They come from a relatively small town compared to my husband and I. They experienced this at all their school dances growing up in the 90s, but my husband and I (same age) don’t recall this ever having been played in high school. I’ve never experienced the joy of shouting along ☹
---
### Author:  [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/3 "2004-08-16T13:05:41Z")
> [@jbarro](#):
>
> my husband and I (same age) don’t recall this ever having been played in high school. I’ve never experienced the joy of shouting along ☹
Aww, the Highschool setting is hardly necessary! Try it at home! In the Car! _Mony Mony_ starts playing on the supermarket? Go for it!
---
### Author:  [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/4 "2004-08-16T13:06:23Z")
Here in Europe, the big audience participation song is “Living next door to Alice” from Smokie. The lines from this song went like this:
I don’t why why she’s leaving, or where she’s gonna go,
I guess she’s got her reasons but I just don’t wanna know,
‘Cause for 24 years I’ve been living next door to Alice.
ALICE, WHO THE FUCK IS ALICE?
24 years, just waitin’ for a chance,
To tell her how I’m feeling, maybe get a second glance,
Now I’ve gotta get used to not living next door to Alice.
ALICE, WHO THE FUCK IS ALICE?
I have always wondered if American TV edited out this song, because I know it was repeated often at Frankfurt Galaxy (NFL Europe) games that were broadcast in the US, and it is hard to edit out 40 thousand people screaming the F-word. Then again, I think they always played it when there was a commercial break in the broadcast.
Speaking of NFL Europe broadcasts, I actually got Brent Mussburger’s autograph at a Galaxy game, and he said “Hi” to my parents in D.C. during the game. Too bad that was the crowning moment of my life so far. 😃
---
### Author:  [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/5 "2004-08-16T13:07:11Z")
Never heard the _Mony Mony_ one, but I had to share this frat party favorite:
\*Bye bye Miss American Pie
Drove my Chevy to the levy but the levy was dry
Them good ole boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing ‘This’ll be the day that I die’
AT _[insert frat name here]_
‘This’ll be the day that I die’
DRINKING BEER WITH MY FUCKED-UP FRIENDS!
---
### Author:  [@coop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coop)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/6 "2004-08-16T13:27:04Z")
As with **AwSnappity** , never heard the _Mony Mony_ one, we have always had the great Aussie band “The Angels” greatest song - “Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again” with the chorus:
Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again
NO WAY, GET FUCKED, FUCK OFF
screamed as LOUD as possible… 😃
---
### Author:  [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/7 "2004-08-16T13:32:53Z")
I always thought the Mony Mony participation is,
Hey Motherfucker get laid get fucked now
or at least that is what it is here.
---
### Author:  [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/8 "2004-08-16T13:40:01Z")
With us, it was,
“Hey, what’s that… get laid, get fucked!”
but I have no idea why.
Maybe Cecil has the answer.
---
### Author:  [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/9 "2004-08-16T13:58:26Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Scrappy Hero Pup]
With us, it was,
“Hey, what’s that… get laid, get fucked!”
[QUOTE]
That was what we used at my junior high, as well. I recall one summer at camp, they actually shut the song off because they couldn’t make us stop with the profanity. 🙂
I still don’t know why we did it, though. I can’t even remember the first time I heard it.
---
### Author:  [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/10 "2004-08-16T14:23:03Z")
We had our own version at UMD Terrapin games.
Shes fat, I’m drunk
Ah to be young again.
---
### Author:  [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/11 "2004-08-16T14:26:30Z")
Here it’s:
“Here she comes now, singing mony mony”
_“Come on everybody, get laid, get fucked”_
and sometimes
“Here she comes now, singing mony mony”
_“Come on everybody, get naked, get fucked”_
---
### Author:  [@thwartme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thwartme)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/12 "2004-08-16T15:31:40Z")
'round these parts we used the “hey motherfucker” version that **drm** mentioned.
No idea on the origin, but I will say that I never heard this until the Billy Idol version came out. After that, it seemed to be applied to both Idol’s version and the original.
thwartme
---
### Author:  [@monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monster)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/13 "2004-08-16T15:35:24Z")
We always yelled, “Hey get drunk, get laid, get fucked!”
I remember when I was in junior high, the high school cheerleaders did a dance routine to this song at a pep rally. All the students yelled this in the beginning, and they stopped the music, told us we couldn’t yell that, and then restarted the routine.
---
### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/14 "2004-08-16T15:38:00Z")
The chorus in Mony, Mony always sounded like “Fucking bullshit” to me, even on the radio version.
By the way, what about the name of the song? I remember hearing a radio DJ claim that the title came from the band seeing a sign for the bank Mutual Of New York. Any truth to that?
---
### Author:  [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/15 "2004-08-16T17:12:28Z")
At our high school, the administration always made sure “Mony, Mony” was put on the DJ’s “DNP” (do not play) list at our dances, for this very reason.
Frankly, I never understood the appeal of the chant. It’s not particularly clever or anything.
---
### Author:  [@The\_Asbestos\_Mango](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Asbestos_Mango)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/16 "2004-08-16T20:44:20Z")
FTR, the official version, endorsed by Billy Idol, from the stage when he played the “beach” surrounding the artificial wave pool at Mandalay Bay a few years back, is “Hey, motherfucker, get laid, get fucked!”
I’ve never understood the appeal, either. It’s juvenile, and kind of unseemly coming from a then-47-year-old man.
---
### Author:  [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/17 "2004-08-16T22:13:20Z")
This must be a generational thing. I was at UCLA in the mid-1980s when the Billy Idol version was on the charts and played at every dorm party/bar hangout, and this thread is the first time I’ve ever heard of this phenomenon. Either we missed out, or it started after 1986.
I’m having trouble understanding the description. Is it sung to the melody of the verses? (Doesn’t really fit). In between the lines of the verses (how I read the OP - still doesn’t fit the music). In the chorus along with the “so good, so good, feels all right” yells.
Please, fight my ignorance. (Or envy me).
---
### Author:  [@Dan\_Norder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dan_Norder)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/18 "2004-08-16T23:08:59Z")
First time I ever heard this was at a dance at college in the early '90s. I was shocked at how all the people had heard of it, but I chalk it up to being similar high schools around a bigger city than I grew up in. And the version I heard I’m not exactly sure on, but definitely contained “get screwed” at some point instead of (or in addition to) get laid and/or fucked. Based upon my shock level I’d guess it had to have contained “fucked”.
---
### Author:  [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/19 "2004-08-16T23:24:06Z")
I can verify this phenomenon as being customary at DJ’ed gatherings in Ohio.
Anybody know how to get a hold of Billy Idol?
---
### Author:  [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072/20 "2004-08-16T23:24:27Z")
> [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](#):
>
> This must be a generational thing. I was at UCLA in the mid-1980s when the Billy Idol version was on the charts and played at every dorm party/bar hangout, and this thread is the first time I’ve ever heard of this phenomenon. Either we missed out, or it started after 1986.
> I’m having trouble understanding the description. Is it sung to the melody of the verses? (Doesn’t really fit). In between the lines of the verses (how I read the OP - still doesn’t fit the music). In the chorus along with the “so good, so good, feels all right” yells.
> Please, fight my ignorance. (Or envy me).
I first heard the sing-along chorus in 1986 while on spring break in Daytona Beach Florida. Like you I had never heard it before then…I was attending college in Buffalo NY. Many of the people in Daytona that year seemed very familiar with the idea. The version I remember went like this as best I can remember 18 years later:
_Here she comes now singing Mony Mony_
“Hey! Get laid get fucked!”
_Shoot em down turn around come on Mony_
Hey! Get laid get fucked!"
etc, etc.
The response is shouted in between the lines of the song. In the Billy Idol version I think there is some emphatic keyboard notes in there, and you shout the words to the same beat.
Like you I can’t quite picture how some of these other versions would fit, musically speaking.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mony-mony-what-are-the-origins-of-the-audience-participation-warning-cuss-words/260072.md?page=2)