The back story to dance monkey BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA — A chaotic night on the streets of Byron Bay has served as the unexpected catalyst for Tones and I’s global hit, "Dance Monkey." Artist Toni Watson penned the track in just 30 minutes after an exhausting six-hour busking set, during which a rowdy crowd stole from her tip jar, broke her equipment, and booed her when she attempted to take a break. Watson later revealed that the lyrics are a completely literal critique of modern audience entitlement, using the word "dance" as a metaphor for the relentless pressure she faced to perform on demand like a machine
