Warren Zevon “Porcelain Monkey” Live at Moore Theater on 04/22/2000

Warren Zevon’s second song about Elvis Presley, the first being “Jesus Mentioned”.

He was an accident waiting to happen
Most accidents happen at home
Maybe he should've gone out more often
Maybe he should've answered the phone

Hip-shakin', shoutin' in gold lamé
That's how he earned his regal sobriquet
Then he threw it all away
For a porcelain monkey
He threw it away for a porcelain monkey
Gave it all up for a figurine
He traded it in for a night in Las Vegas
And his face on velveteen

Rocka tonight

From a shotgun shack singing Pentecostal hymns
Through the wrought iron gates to the TV room
He had a little world and it was smaller than your hand
It's a rockabilly ride from the glitter to the gloom

Left behind by the latest trends
Eatin' fried chicken with his regicidal friends
That's how the story ends
With a porcelain monkey
He threw it away for a porcelain monkey
Gave it all up for a figurine
He traded it in for a night in Las Vegas
And his face on velveteen

Porcelain monkey
Ha-ha-ha-ha
Rocka tonight

Hip-shakin', shoutin' in gold lamé
That's how he earned his regal sobriquet
Then he threw it all away
For a porcelain monkey
He threw it away for a porcelain monkey
Gave it all up for a figurine
He traded it in for a night in Las Vegas
And his face on velveteen

Hey-hey-hey-hey
Porcelain monkey