Monkey Wrench (song)

"Monkey Wrench"
Single by Foo Fighters
from the album The Colour and the Shape
Released	April 28, 1997
Format	CD
Recorded	1997 at Grandmaster Recorders in Hollywood, CA
Genre	Post-grunge, hard rock, pop punk
Length	3:51
Label	Roswell/Capitol
Producer	Gil Norton
Foo Fighters singles chronology
"Alone + Easy Target" (1996) "Monkey Wrench" (1997) "Everlong" (1997)

"Monkey Wrench" is the first single released from the second Foo Fighters album, The Colour and the Shape. Blistering lyrics chronicled the 1997 disintegration of singer/song writer Dave Grohl's four year marriage to Jennifer Youngblood. The song spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart (now the Alternative Songs chart), topping out at number 9.

Music video

The music video was directed by the band's lead singer/songwriter Dave Grohl. In the video, Grohl arrives at his apartment with groceries in hand. He walks into an elevator, playing Big Me, from the Foo Fighter' previous album. As he tries to walk into the door he is stopped by the chain latch and peers in through the peephole. There a doppelganger set of the whole band is shown playing. The rest of the bandmates (save guitarist Pat Smear) walk out of their apartments and join Grohl as he views the band in his room. Smear then peers out of his apartment and is beckoned to join in the view. As the doppelganger band continues with the song Dave and his bandmates try to force their way into Grohl's apartment. As the lyrics go on, the doppel-Dave taunts the band, spitting onto the peephole lens and holding the door shut as he screams "free". When the door is finally opened, the musicians have left, and the first iteration of the band picks up their instruments to finish playing the song. Out in the hall, a third set of bandmates is listening, creating a recursive situation.

When Grohl is in the elevator heading up to his apartment, a muzak version of the Foo Fighters song "Big Me" can be heard.

The music video for the song was the first to feature Taylor Hawkins on drums, although the actual drum track is performed by Grohl.

In other media

• Cover version is playable track in 2006 music video game Guitar Hero II.
• Master recording is playable track in 2009 music video game Guitar Hero: Smash Hits.
• It is playable track in Nintendo DS version of music video game Band Hero.
• Along with the rest of the album,it is downloadable content for Rock Band series of music video games since November 13, 2008, with the exception of "Everlong", which is featured in Rock Band 2.
• It is presented as a mashup with the Beastie Boys song "Sabotage" in video game DJ Hero.
• It is heard during end credits of an episode of Daria.

Track listing

CD1:

1. "Monkey Wrench"
2. "Up in Arms" (Slow version)
3. "The Colour and the Shape"

CD2:

1. "Monkey Wrench"
2. "Down in the Park" (Gary Numan cover)
3. "See You" (Acoustic version)

Vinyl:

1. "Monkey Wrench"
2. "The Colour and the Shape"

Chart positions

Chart (1997)	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	17
Canadian RPM Singles Chart	37
Canadian RPM Alternative 30	3
Eurochart Hot 100 Singles	51
UK Singles Chart	12
U.S. Hot Modern Rock Tracks	9
U.S. Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks	9

Accolades

• Ranked #48 in Kerrang! magazine's "100 Greatest Rock Tracks Ever" (1999)
• Ranked #26 in Kerrang! magazine's "100 Greatest Singles of All Time" (2002)
• Ranked #65 in Q magazine's "100 Greatest Songs Ever!!" (2006)

Personnel

• Dave Grohl - vocals, lead guitar, drums
• Pat Smear - rhythm guitar
• Nate Mendel - bass guitar

External links

• "Monkey Wrench" Official music video on YouTube