Product Code Database
" Manic Monday" is a song recorded by the American pop rock band the Bangles, which was the first single released from their second studio album, Different Light (1986). The song was written by American musician Prince, under the pseudonym "Christopher". Originally it was intended for the group Apollonia 6 in 1984. Lyrically, it describes a woman who is waking up to go to work on Monday, wishing it was still Sunday so that she could continue relaxing.
The single, released by Columbia Records in late December 1985, received generally positive reviews from music critics, with comparisons being made to the Mamas & the Papas' "Monday, Monday". It became the Bangles' first hit, reaching No. 2 in the United States (coincidentally, the song was kept from the top spot by Prince's "Kiss"), the United Kingdom, Austria, Canada, Germany, and Ireland, and peaked within the Top 5 in Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland. It was later certified silver in the UK by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).
| "When I first heard that 'oh whoa' melody I thought of the Velvet Underground. Then when I heard the title I thought of Jimi Hendrix who. But then with the Monday part & the harmonies I thought of the Mamas & the Papas. It has a lot of the elements of emotion & style that the connect to. And young really pick-up on the nursery rhyme appeal: like 'Sally Go 'Round the Roses', there's a nice simplicity to it." Escondido Times-Advocate 6 March 1986 "Bangles Have Arrived - Via Bus: now pit stops are high on the charts" by Jonathan Taylor p.15 ( North County Magazine) |
In an interview with MTV UK in 1989 Debbi Peterson explained why Prince gave them the song: "Prince really liked our first album. He liked the song 'Hero Takes a Fall', which is a great compliment, because we liked his music. He contacted us, and said, 'I've got a couple of songs for you. I'd like to know if you're interested,' and of course we were. One of the songs Prince brought to the group was 'Manic Monday', written under the pseudonym of Christopher." Peterson talked about the evolution of what Prince brought them: "It was a Banglefication of a Prince arrangement. He had a demo, that was very specifically him. It was a good song, but we didn't record it like 'This is our first hit single! Oh my God! I can feel it in my veins!' We just did the song, and the album, and then sat back and thought about it."
A Pop music song written in D major, "Manic Monday" moves at a tempo of 116 beats per minute and is set in common time. The song has a sequence of D–A7–G–D–A7–G as its chord progression. Lyrically, the song is about someone waking up from a romantic dream at six o'clock on Monday morning, and facing a hectic journey to work when she would prefer to still be enjoying relaxing on Sunday—her "I-don't-have-to-run day". Actor Rudolph Valentino is referred to in the first verse.
Mark Moses from The Phoenix said "the lack of lyrical substance is so glaring that Prince's lame 'Manic Monday' seems like a thematic highlight". Greg Baker of The Miami News wrote in the album's review that "the song should put the Bangles on the 'pop 'n' roll' map". A writer in Toledo Blade noted that "Manic Monday" was "infectious" and, along with "If She Knew What She Wants", both were "refreshingly melodic". Chris Willman from the Los Angeles Times commented: "The first single 'Manic Monday' represents slumming songwriter Prince's attempt mostly successful save for the inevitable getting down interlude to concoct a modern day Mamas and the Papas hit."
In Switzerland, "Manic Monday" debuted at number 12 on March 30, 1986, becoming the highest debut of the week. It reached its peak two weeks later at number four, where it remained another week. In the Netherlands, the single debuted at number 43 on February 22, 1986; and managed to reach number 24. It stayed on the chart for seven weeks. In Norway, "Manic Monday" debuted at number nine in the 10th week of 1986, becoming the second-highest debut of the week. It also reached the number four two weeks later, where it stayed another two. The song also peaked within the top five in the Austrian, the Irish, and the New Zealand charts.
Prince version
Credits sourced from Duane Tudahl, Benoît Clerc and Guitarcloud
Relient K also covered the song on their 2004 album, Mmhmm.
!scope="row"
Reception
Critical response
Some critics compared the song with the single "Monday, Monday" by the band the Mamas & the Papas. In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Mark Deming said that the single "was a far cry from anything the Bangles had recorded before"; while Matthew Greenwald, also from the website, said
It's a clever and deceptively simple pop narrative, an infectious pop confection ... There is also an excellently written bridge that shows Prince/Christopher to be an excellent craftsman, and, to their credit, the Bangles carry it off with style and wit.
Robert Hilburn from Los Angeles Times called the song "a candidate for best single of the year". The Guardian music critic Dorian Lynskey commented about the painful rhyming of "Sunday" with "I-don't-have-to-run day."
Chart performance
"Manic Monday" debuted at number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100, on the week ending January 25, 1986, and reached a peak of number two, on the issue dated April 19, 1986, behind Prince and the Revolution's single "Kiss". In the United Kingdom, "Manic Monday" debuted at number 85 on February 8, 1986, and entered the top 40, at number 24, on February 22, 1986. The song eventually reached its peak position, at number two, the next month. In Germany, the single debuted at number 29 on March 17, 1986, reaching the top 10 in the next three weeks, and its peak, also at number two, on April 14, 1986, where it stayed two weeks. It remained in the top 10 for four more weeks, leaving the charts on July 20, 1986.
Track listing and formats
Credits and personnel
The Bangles version
Cover versions
In 2020, Billie Joe Armstrong, vocalist of Green Day, Cover version the song for his No Fun Mondays series. Susanna Hoffs plays the guitar and provides backing vocals that, according to Andrew Trendell of NME, "match Armstrong's silky sentimental side". Ryan Reed wrote for Rolling Stone that the version replaces the "twinkling synths and clean strums with palm-muted crunch".
Charts
Weekly charts
+Weekly chart performance for "Manic Monday"
!scope="col" Chart (1986–1987)
!scope="col" Peak
position
Year-end charts
+Year-end chart performance for "Manic Monday"
!scope="col" Chart (1986)
!scope="col" Position West Germany (Media Control) 22
Certifications
|
|
