Here She Comes Now, Sayin' "Mony Mony"
What does this seemingly gibberish title mean?
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Today’s fact: “Mony Mony” is named after an insurance company.
You’ve certainly heard (and perhaps are sick of hearing) the song “Mony Mony.” Originally penned by Tommy James and the Shondells in 1968, the song has an instantly recognizable beat and a shockingly easy chorus to sing along to.
In 1981, British artist and star of The Wedding Singer Billy Idol covered the tune with a more uptempo version. Five years later, Amazulu gave it the ska/synth pop treatment.
But what does “Mony Mony” actually mean? Is it supposed to be “money” and there’s a typo? Is it a sound? Should it be “pony” and we’re all just a little hoarse after we sing it?
As it turns out, “Mony Mony” got its name from an insurance company.
Here’s the story from Tommy James himself:
True story: I had the track done before I had a title. I wanted something catchy like "Sloopy" or "Bony Maroney," but everything sounded so stupid. So Ritchie Cordell [one of the Shondells] and I were writing it in New York City, and we were about to throw in the towel when I went out onto the terrace, looked up and saw the Mutual of New York building (which has its initials illuminated in red at its top).
I said, "That's gotta be it. Ritchie, come here, you've gotta see this." It's almost as if God Himself had said, "Here's the title." I've always thought that if I had looked the other way, it might have been called "Hotel Taft."
Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York was the oldest continuous writer of insurance policies in the United States, incorporated in 1842. The building that inspired the song was built in 1950. In 2004, it became a wholly owned subsidiary of AXA Financial.
The building still stands today, located at 1740 Broadway between 55th and 56th Streets. Alas, instead of the catchy MONY lettering, the building sports the numerical address of the company.
“Here she comes now sayin’ 1740” just doesn’t have the same ring, does it?