Joanna Newsom - Monkey & Bear (11.16.06)

[qwertydeluxe]

What the hell is her voice doing at 3:59? It's actually really scary sounding.

I'm really trying to enjoy this....

[jeffreysmoniz]

@qwertydeluxe it's the squeak of a harp string

[IBBangin19]

An ex-girlfriend of mine showed this to me, and for a while after we broke up, I couldn't listen to it. It hurt too much. But now, tonight, I'm listening to it, and all I'm feeling is complete elation at Joanna's voice, the lyrics, the instruments...the whole thing. Extraordinary stuff.

[themadtrialsrider]

None of the songs on Ys get boring. This is a fact.

-- Chuck Norris

[husker666]

This is possinly the gretest live recording I have ever heard .:)

[Rosapsico]

There are no words. indescribable. thank god I get to see her live :) (not this one). the harp at the end I agree, is something like... extrasensory experience

[tendenziellverwirrt]

I admire the choice of words, great song.

[bactormo]

The entire performance is brilliant, but at 6:00 on, I have an ear-gasm. A big one. 

[deadcymbals]

indeed. fucking. incredible.

[WATCHSONICS]

fucking incredible

[uhwaykin]

HEY, YOU. CHRIS HARDWICK. FELLOW NERDISTS. CLICK THE TIMESTAMP.

5:00

[chefjaike]

newsum is absolutely without a doubt the most ANNOYING musician on the planet.

when i hear her sing i want to go kill some fairies and leprechauns

[Jonmad17]

@chefjaike If you're gonna insult someone, at least get their name right.

[lunabirrd]

she is brilliant and beautiful:)

[BloomAndGrow]

For some reason I like this version a whole lot more than the album version :P

Wish I could download this one instead, haha :P

[WeHaveBeenSinceJuly]

Phenomenal performance. I would LOVE to see her love.

[mashitup08ebony]

There's a place for us, can we go before I turn to dust?

[mashitup08ebony]

Oh, I love this. This reminds me of Alice in Wonderland. I don't know why.

[ryanawesome69]

That was fantastic. This song gives me goosebumps.

[chickengeorge234]

I'd like to see Justin Bieber do this..

[pacocrowley]

6:04 everything changes, that part is very obscure, I can see a storm, darkness, and tragedy.

[MobiusBandwidth]

good lord this girl's ridiculously awesome.

[NewJerusalum]

I'm jealous of all who can get into this music.

[koosmangat]

shes like a baby princess.. i want to marry her.. ARGH!!!

[fjordbisque]

@koosmangat Pedophile

[Miyaatan]

The story the song tells is saddening, the underlying message will be heartbreaking once decoded. This is amazing lyricism at its finest. Curious though, since Only Skin was about sex and affairs, superficially, this song can't be as carefree as it sounds. Joanna and her secrets, perplex us.

[aJugglingBonobo]

@Miyaatan, I have contemplated writing an expose on Joanna's lyrics, precisely because they contain so many levels. She touches on the spiritual base of all levels, and then works up/down/left/right until the surface shimmers and we are all touched because we know intuitively the spiritual depths, and yet without formal knowledge cannot explain that or interpret it in others. This song encompasses the relative death of self-contraction, and the opening of always already Love.

[guteklodz]

8:39 to the end - just perferct!

[coheedguitarist]

But Ursula we've got to eat sawmthin'.

So fucking good.

[Isengard2626]

I'm viewing this performance covered in goosebumps with my eyes welling up. How good is this performance?

[grwood93]

I love the addition of the drum. It's barely audible on the album.

[wilburtrex]

Somehow, the fact that Lady Gaga's video got 6 billion downloads and this got a scant 16,000+ makes me want to kill myself. :oP

[Kelise006]

@wilburtrex it only means that shes our beautiful little secret. Not everyone understands her and I like it that way. Imagine the horror if the mindless sheeple caught wind of her, they'd destroy any sanctity we have left in our lives.

[BascomLunsford]

@wilburtrex Be patient friend - This woman's evolving talent is far too large to be contained by by fashion or spin.

[ivyshoots]

@wilburtrex the fact that you can't appreciate BOTH artists for who they are makes me want you to.

[afsanehbarn]

My best friend has always called me "Bear" and I have always called her "Monkey" for random reasons. And one day she gave me this song, I had never heard it before. And now I love it to bits.

[eskimoKUKL]

can i just get a tonne of people to agree with me that this performance, especially the last minute and a half of it when she shredded the harp like a pro, was the most glorious piece of work to grace the .com's

[LoserBabyLuna]

@eskimoKUKL YES! YES YOU CAN!

[leeray666]

Wow. I came across the song some time ago and loved it, her voice is amazing. But seeing this video, she's stunning as well, and a fantastic harp player at that. I think I'm in love.

[CoyKiyote]

I could watch this once a day for the rest of my life and never grow tired of it!

[acrobaticaromatic]

Wow, this girl's music is mind blowing. I feel really lucky to have found her music.

[exileinbriville]

8:47 is some rock and roll Jo Jo style, ya'll.

[exileinbriville]

'til I jump up!

Love it.

[Kastlefeer]

I haven't dreamed so since I was but a child ... seduction *yikes!

[signeponge]

Amazing version. Thank you!

[TripMyWire3]

I love this. I prefer this to the album's studio version. There's more energy and that percussion creates a nice drive. Lovely.

[aeorta5]

i was reading her biography on wikipedia. she seems disappointed at the comments that her voice is childlike. i find this a bit surprising. not only is her childlike voice one of the prime highlights of her music. its also one of the main reasons i listen to it personally. and look at her fingers move. shes so energetic. its like she was pulled right out of some old bedtime story. she has the true essence of some dreamlike fantasy.

[djvbb12]

@aeorta5 It's kind of an insult if your a singer. What Joanna's doing and a child could do with their voice are totally different and comparing them is a slap in the face in a certain context. Joanna has a mature voice and total control unlike child, however, that's not to say that Joanna does not pick children's THEMES.

[aeorta5]

@djvbb12 agreeably so, i understand her frustration, but i wish she embraced the comment on her voice too. cant have everything =/

[kaishu256]

She's such an amazing artist. And for this to be a live performance just blows my mind...

[mrdooba]

good soundtrack for alice in wonderland or something

[ofarevolution441]

not only is the music amazing, but the story this song tells is just awesome.

[SurfBishop]

I certainly wish there was a DVD of this performance. Thank you so much for the postings peachplumpearriffic1. I can't wait to hear the new album and see her in concert.

[CyberAsomatous]

This video is supreme!

[husker666]

This is a sublime performance... you either get joanna or you dont,,,to those who dont....poor you!

[zuperduperboi]

@husker666 You either get Joanna, or you're a fucking idiot.

[bedfall]

amafuckingzing

[CoyKiyote]

When the blackbirds hear tea whistling, they rise and clap!

[MrMudfan]

Whoever filmed this has the best Camera.

These are like the best Videos of her on the whole net.

[zakkum67]

I want to jump up and scream to the mountain tops! Joanna has melted my brain out of my ears. I have no words, only love. Her live performance is awe inspiring.

[augenbaer]

no words for that!

[underlinedluke]

I find this to be her 'darkest' song -- and absolutely beautiful.

[thenerocomplex]

the hills are groaning with excess like a table ceaselessly being set.

[danstearns]

one of my all-time favorite songs, really just an amazing modern fairy tale

i do miss the amazingly vivid Van Dyke Parks orchestration, but this is very nice as well

thanks so much for sharing it!

[yushis1]

Is that the version of this song that had nearly 100,000 views?

[bmargarete]

this is music

[W0RTHLESSMAN]

uh......wow!

[jacobrayyy]

7:24

[biggabob]

The end of that makes the hair on my arms stand up!

[feliponsh]

like annalee sayd, this song make my heart explode.

[MiZiGe]

goosebumps from the start

[tendo256]

i once had this entire concert saved to my computer in a wonderous high quality divx movie file. she is so amazing live

[HNNNNNNGGGGG]

the accordion at the end is soooo good... Joanna Newsom rules :).

[Bestevus]

Yeah, I'd have to agree with those that say this is better than the studio version. It's far more eloquent this way. I'd choreograph it with gypsies and willowy inbred debutantes. The gypsies would kick in at the 6 minute mark, of course.

[KamadakeX]

I love the original, but the live version is absolutely superb. The Y's street band backing her up makes this song even more brilliant.

[annalee26]

I KNOW

I love this version personally

her ending harp after "left bear" makes my heart explode.

[ninawillams]

the surrounding of the whole thing is perfect

[gabifeliz]

This is one of my favorite songs... Love it, love it, love it!

[teaClocks]

Try and understand my plan, Ursula.

[zuperduperboi]

My heart is a furnace.

[Pyazman]

I like this version much, much better than the original. All it really took was a little bit of drum accompaniment to make this one of my favorite songs

[hellspawn3000]

love this woman!

[BlankStare87]

She blows my mind

[doublealufwaffe]

Are they playing with a track?

[BlankStare87]

No, the accompaniment is making all the rest of the framework... brilliantly if i might add.