Foo Fighters: Monkey Wrench Meaning

Song Released: 1997

Monkey Wrench Lyrics

What have we done with innocence
It disappeared with time, it never made much sense
Adolescent resident
Wasting another night on planning my revenge

One in ten

Don’t want to be your monkey wrench
One more indecent accident
I’d rather...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   May 23rd 2021 !⃝

   I actually believe a key lyric has been widely misheard. I believe it's "one intent" not "one in ten."
   
   And a monkey wrench means to screw things up.
   
   Thus, his one intent is to not screw things up. Full stop.
   
   
   
2. anonymous

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   Dec 2nd 2023 !⃝

   It’s about wanting a divorce from a toxic person. In marriage therapy you have a scale from 1-10 on whether you feel the marriage can be saved.
   
3. anonymous

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   Dec 4th 2020 !⃝

   Bit late, but I've needed a monkey wrench a few times. Seemed to be quite useful, especially with plumbing
4. anonymous

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   May 10th 2020 !⃝

   It is about the emotional wrench of leaving behind your primate friends when you escape from the zoo.
5. anonymous

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   Aug 19th 2019 !⃝

   Bruh its about a monkey using a wrench
6. anonymous

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   Dec 30th 2013 !⃝

   NOT EVERY SONG DAVE GROHL WRITES IS ABOUT KURT COBAIN, NIRVANA OR COURTNEY LOVE...in my opinion the song is more about a relationship where you feel like you're being used and you're just getting ready to give up "Wasting another night on planning my revenge" and "One last thing before I quit"
7. anonymous

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   Oct 1st 2012 !⃝

   Its funny, but when I heard the song the first times I heard it I thought he was saying "I was always gay but now I'm free" - being gay and trapped by the secret of it, and then coming out. The idea about being an indecent accident always felt to me to be about how gay people are treated. And 1 in 10 is the oft-quoted statistic for gay people in the population.
   
   The meaning of the song has been clarified by Dave Grohl himself, and it is about being in a bad relationship. I would have put up a fight about being right about this, but its hard to argue with Dave.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
8. anonymous

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   Jan 10th 2012 !⃝

   At the fooies concert Dave made the reference that this song was for anyone out there who hates their boss, so im guessing its about someone hating their job.
9. anonymous

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   Dec 26th 2011 !⃝

   Means that the girl treats him like a tool to do things but not love..
10. anonymous

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    Sep 18th 2011 !⃝

    Someone mentioned homophobia, I think it is the exact opposite. It think it's about the "1 in 10" -- a gay person who has faced hatred and rejection from enemies who are supposed to be friends. I think it's someone walking away from the family who does not accept who he is, when I read the lyrics, that is exactly what it says to me.
    
    I’d rather leave than suffer this
    I’ll never be your monkey wrench
    
    "All this time to make amends
    What do you do when all your enemies are friends
    Now and then I’ll try to bend
    Under pressure wind up snapping in the end
    
    One in ten
    
    Don’t want to be your monkey wrench
    One more indecent accident
    I’d rather leave than suffer this
    I’ll never be your monkey wrench
    
    One last thing before I quit
    I never wanted any more than I could fit
    Into my head I still remember every single word
    You said and all the shit that somehow came along with it
    Still there’s one thing that comforts me since I was
    Always caged and now I’m free"
11. anonymous

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    Jul 7th 2011 !⃝

    This song is about nirvana's relationship with their first label Sub Pop Records... "Monkeywrench" is the name of another band that was signed to Sub Pop who during that time who never made it... Only one in ten artists on Sub Pop actually became succesful and therefor dave would rather leave thab suffer staying on theabel and now is free...

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
12. anonymous

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    May 1st 2011 !⃝

    I think it is about partnership in which the narrator is beeing cheated and used as a sparetire. The one in ten means that he is one out of 10 persons.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
13. anonymous

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    Apr 19th 2011 !⃝

    Obviously about the break up of his first marriage.
14. anonymous

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    Mar 31st 2011 !⃝

    A monkey wrench conforms or adjusts to the bolt. I've used one. I think the song is about someone who people push around and they just snap eventually. It happens to everyone who takes a lot of crap. "Under pressure" "Wind up snapping in the end" I was one of those people and I just snapped... It's not good to watch or do...
15. anonymous

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    Feb 17th 2011 !⃝

    Someone's bound to see this as biased or homophobic but 1 in 10 is allegedly the ratio of homosexual to ..not, and a monkey wrench is adjustable and fits snugly round whatever goes into it........conclusions? I am serious, straight, (irrelevant but for the record) and non-judgmental...opinions?
16. anonymous

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    May 13th 2010 !⃝

    I'm pretty sure it's about a girl who has been taken advantage of a lot and he is trying to say that he won't do that, or 'be her monkey wrench'

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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