A blues in B♭ written in the studio and first recorded on September 22, 1954, for the album _Thelonious Monk Trio_, and is by far the tune Monk recorded the most. The melody is partly borrowed from Charlie Shavers' "Pastel Blue". Versions of the tune appear on _Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers with Thelonious Monk_. The tune appears on almost every single live album by Monk, including the albums from Carnegie Hall, Five Spot, Town Hall, Tokyo, Newport (1958, 1959, 1963), It Club, and at the Jazz Workshop. Abbey Lincoln wrote lyrics to the tune around 1961, and it was recorded by Jeanne Lee and Ran Blake on their album _The Newest Sound Around_, and by Carmen McRae as "Monkery's the Blues" on the album _Carmen Sings Monk_. The tune was the opening track on the 1959 album _[Thelonious Alone in San Francisco](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelonious_Alone_in_San_Francisco "Thelonious Alone in San Francisco")_, his third [solo album](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo_album "Solo album"), recorded in 1959. _Goin' alone, life is your own, But sometimes the cost is dear. Being complete, knowing defeat, Keeping on from year to year. It takes some doing. Monkery's the blues you hear, Keeping on from year to year. Life is a school, 'less you're a fool, But the learning brings you pain. Knowing at once you're just a dunce, Trial and error, loss and gain. It takes some doing - Monkery's a slow, slow train, Trial and error, loss and gain. Finding your one place in the sun Doesn't come the easy way Shallow and deep, nothing is cheap Measured by the dues you pay It takes some doin', Monkery's a blue highway Measured by the dues you pay_