In the years since their original disbanding, the group has reunited in various incarnations, mostly involving Dolenz, Tork and Jones, but not Nesmith. The first reunion began in 1986 and at first featured only Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. Davy Jones joined the others and a new album was released before they split again in 1989.
The next regrouping took place between 1993 and 1997 and featured a new album that included the particpation of all four members. A further reunion between 2001 and 2002, was followed by another reunion in 2011 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the television show. This reunion was cut short before 2011 had ended due to scheduling problems with the anniversary tour.
The unexpected death of Davy Jones at the beginning of 2012 prompted the most recent reunion tour, this time featuring Dolenz, Tork and Nesmith.
Created by producers of a TV series to be an American Beatles, the antics of the Monkees band members on the television series were very reminscent of Beatles' antics in films like 'Help' and 'Hard Day's Night'. Indeed, in songs like 'Forget that Girl...', the band and even the lead singer could sound just like the Beatles. With songs provided by Don Kirshner from such writers as Neil Diamond and Carole King, among others, the Monkees were assured of pop success. However, in the beginning, the four group members were hired only as actors to front the band and to provide the vocals whilst studio musicians recorded the backing music. These recordings were provided by Kirshner. Things changed though after the success of the single Last Train to Clarksville, the first hit, leading to demands that the band play live gigs. Having learned to play the music, the band became angry when the second LP was recorded (by Kirshner) by studio musicians, without their knowledge or musical input. They therefore demanded and obtained control of the music.
Nesmith who revealed that the band did not perform on their records was also instrumental in getting Don Kirshner sacked. the next album Headquarters was recorded by The Monkees alone, using hand picked producer Chip Douglas. While not as successful as their first two albums it made it to number one, only to be replaced a week later by The Beatles' Sgt Pepper album. The Monkees eventually settled on a formula of using their own talents as well as those of studio musicians. After two seasons the network and the group could not reach agreement on the format of a third season and the show was canceled even though the ratings were still high. A feature film named Head co-written by The Monkees, Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson) followed.
Peter Tork was the first to leave the band, in 1968, during 1969 The TV show went into Saturday morning reruns and the three remaining Monkees recorded two more albums. in 1969 Nesmith departed and began a serious foray into merging country and rock music. He also eventually developed a format that became MTV. By the way his mother invented a product called Liquid Paper, sold it to the Gillette Company for $47 million dollars then died a year later leaving the money to her only son. The remaining two Monkees Dolenz and Jones recorded one last album named Changes in late 1969.
There has, however, been a resurgent interest in The Monkees' music Rhino Records has been instrumental in restoring all their albums, adding bonus tracks, and equipping them with complementary liner notes and stories.
Davy Jones died on February 29, 2012 in Indiantown, Florida.
Peter Tork died on February 21, 2019, at his home in Mansfield, Connecticut.
Michael Nesmith died on December 10, 2021, in Carmel Valley, California.
DISCOGRAPHY (from www.themonkees.net):
The Monkees (1966)
More of The Monkees (1967)
Headquarters (1967)
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (1967)
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (1968)
Head (1968)
Instant Replay (1969)
The Monkees Present (1969)
Changes (1970)
Then & Now...The Best of the Monkees (1986)
Pool It! (1987)
Live 1967 (1987)
Justus (1996)
Good Times! (2016)
She
The Monkees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And like a fool I believed her from the start
(She) she said she'd never hurt me,
But then she turned around and broke my heart
Why am I standing here
Missing her and wishing she were here?
(Hey) she only did me wrong
(Hey) I'm better off alone
(She) she devoured all my sweet love,
Took all I had and then she fed me dirt
(She) she laughed while I was crying
It was such a joke to see the way it hurt
Why am I standing here
Missing her and wishing she were here?
(Hey) she only did me wrong
(Hey) I'm better off alone
And now I know just why she,
Keeps me hanging 'round,
(Hanging 'round)
She needs someone to walk on
So her feet don't touch the ground
(Don't touch the ground)
But I love her (love her)
I need her (need her)
I want her (want her)
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Yeah yeah yeah yeah she
Why am I standing here
Missing her and wishing she were here?
(Hey) she only did me wrong, now
(Hey) I'm better off alone
(She) why am I missing her?
(She) I should be kissing her
(She) why am I missing her?
(She) I should be kissing her
The Monkees' song "She" tells the story of a man who was in a relationship with a woman who said she loved him and would never hurt him, only to turn around and break his heart. The lyrics express the singer's confusion and pain as he struggles to understand why he is still missing his ex-girlfriend despite the way she treated him. He realizes that she only kept him around to use him as a doormat and give herself a sense of superiority.
The song's lyrics are simple, yet relatable. Many people have experienced the pain of being in a complicated or unhealthy relationship where one person holds power over the other. The singer's repeated questioning of why he is still missing his ex-girlfriend despite her mistreatment is something most people can identify with. The song also has echoes of the classic "nice guy" trope, with the singer lamenting the fact that he was hurt by a woman he believed loved him.
Overall, "She" is a powerful song about heartbreak and the complexities of relationships. The Monkees' performance of it is emotional and raw, capturing the confusion and pain of the singer perfectly.
Line by Line Meaning
(She) she told me that she loved me,
She expressed love to me, which I accepted as true.
And like a fool I believed her from the start
I naively trusted her without evidence or suspicion.
(She) she said she'd never hurt me,
She committed to not causing me pain or harm.
But then she turned around and broke my heart
However, she ultimately contradicted her promise and caused me emotional distress.
Why am I standing here
I'm confused and questioning my stance on this situation.
Missing her and wishing she were here?
Despite being hurt, I still long for her to be by my side.
(Hey) she only did me wrong
She wronged me and caused me pain.
(Hey) I'm better off alone
I would be better off without her in my life.
(She) she devoured all my sweet love,
She consumed all the affection and care I had to offer.
Took all I had and then she fed me dirt
However, she then mistreated and disrespected me.
(She) she laughed while I was crying
She found humor in my sadness and tears.
It was such a joke to see the way it hurt
She found pleasure in causing me pain and suffering.
And now I know just why she,
I have come to understand the true reason behind her behavior.
Keeps me hanging 'round,
She keeps me close and in her life for her own benefit.
(Don't touch the ground)
She avoids touching the ground and facing reality by using me as support.
But I love her (love her)
Despite all of this, I still have feelings of love for her.
I need her (need her)
I have become dependent on her and cannot imagine life without her.
I want her (want her)
I have a strong desire for her despite the pain she has caused me.
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Expressing enthusiasm and excitement about her.
Why am I standing here
I am again questioning my decisions and thoughts on this situation.
Missing her and wishing she were here?
Despite everything, I still long for her and want her presence in my life.
(She) why am I missing her?
I cannot understand why I still have feelings for her despite her actions.
(She) I should be kissing her
Despite knowing that she is not good for me, I still have urges to be physically close to her.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOBBY HART, TOMMY BOYCE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
on Words
A good and catchy song by The Monkees.
Philip Kassabian
on D.W. Washburn
A good song by The Monkees.
Philip Kassabian
on Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere
A good song by The Monkees.
Philip Kassabian
on That Was Then, This Is Now
This is a great Monkees song.
Philip Kassabian
on Last Train to Clarksville
A good Monkees song.
Philip Kassabian
on A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You
An excellent Monkees song.
Philip Kassabian
on Daydream Believer
A great Monkees song.
Philip Kassabian
on I'm a Believer - 2006 Remaster
This song is amazing.
Philip Kassabian
on Listen to the Band
Yet another classic song by The Monkees.
Philip Kassabian
on Pleasant Valley Sunday
I've always loved this song ever since I heard it when I was a kid.