Mony Mony - Help

Herb Tarlek · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 12:43 pm Mony Mony - Help

My wife and sister and I were driving around on holidays a couple weeks ago listening to an oldies station (nothing else worth listening to), and heard the original Tommy James & The Shondells version of "Mony Mony". And instinctually during the verses after Tommy sings "Here she comes now sing it Mony Mony" (I think that's what he says?), all 3 of us start yelling "Hey motherfucker, get laid get fucked!!". We yelled this thousands of times to the Billy Idol version at high school dances back in the day, but I always thought it was someone at my school who had started it. When I later found out that it wasn't exclusive to my school or area of the world, I wondered where this "tradition" came from and who had started it. I figured the knowledgeable folks here at GloNo might know and help me solve one of the more important mysteries of our time..........

DJMurphy · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 12:52 pm

I'm guessing it's been around for a LONG time, and in different variations. In grade school in '86 (Park Ridge, IL), we'd say "Hey hey what get laid get fucked". Same difference, I guess.

This might not be a scientific study, but here's a pointer in order to help with the methodology of our quest for knowledge: if you always said this at school dances, post what city and what year you first heard it. This will give us the geographical and chronological clues we might be able to piece an answer from.

Jake · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 1:13 pm

Vital Idol was huge in 1987 and Billy Idol's version of "Mony Mony" reached the top of the Billboard charts as a single. I'm guessing it started with Billy Idol.

I could've sworn I remembered hearing it in junior high (83,84?) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but I've got a lousy memory. And I can't remember what we said before the "Get laid, get fucked" part...

D. Phillips · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 1:42 pm

Jake, I don't think we heard it at school dances until high school.

Weird thing is around that time I saw my mom shouting along those dirty words at a cousin's wedding. My world has never been the same.

miss carol · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 1:55 pm

University circa '86 in a beer soaked pub.

Jake · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 3:14 pm

Ho ho. I just noticed on allmusic.com that Billy Idol originally released "Mony Mony" on his American solo debut ep in 1981! The live version was the big hit in 1987, but it's possible that the chant was created by Billy Idol fans as early as 1981. Because you know nobody was saying those dirty lyrics to the Tommy James version!

DJMurphy · Posted: Thu Aug 28, 2003 3:33 pm

I Googled the sonofabitch, and came up with a bunch of variations:
"Hey, motherfucker, get laid, get fucked",
"Get laid get fucked get laid get fucked",
and others. People in my office seem to think that it's been around since the early '80s, which would lend credence to the theory that it's only been around since Billy Idol's version.

Jodie · Guest

City High-Middle School, 7th grade, 1985. They played it at our first dance. The 8th graders taught us to shout, "Laid, get laid get fucked." And I think you pogo-ed to it as well. It felt scandalous, but was not nearly as earth shattering as the first time Eric Kuhn played, "YO. Bum Rush the Show."

Chris · Guest

Is there actually a Song out with those lyrics in i been looking for it but cant fidn it

dieblucasdie · Posted: Sun Mar 21, 2004 9:22 pm

Yeah, we did the same thing at good ol' St. Francis Middle School in Billings, Montana as late as '94, so it's gotta be pretty widespread to reach there.