The Monks were five American G.I.s stationed in Germany during the mid 60s, playing proto-punk music that included electric banjo, organ, and tribal rhythms. They released one album, the completely original, and cult classic, Black Monk Time, in 1966. Their look included uniform black attire and real tonsures.
He Went Down to the Sea was the B-side of a single released in 1967 and is quite unlike any of the album tracks. It more closely resembles Sloop John B than a freakbeat manifesto. In addition to the usual guitar bass and drums, the song features glockenspiel and a trumpet solo. What makes it pure Monks is Gary Burger's idiosyncratic vocals of soft coos, odd inflections, and high-pitched yowls. Lyrically, the song presents a series of actions taken by the main character, after which he then heads down to the sea:
He winked an eye and the sun went out
He winked another and the stars came out
He drew his breath and the wind blew soft
And then he went down to the sea
Even at the end, after he turned and walked into the night, he (still) went down to the sea. Can't say I blame him, I'm sure that would be my choice as well.
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