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)
I'm a Believer
The Monkees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Meant for someone else but not for me
Love was out to get me
That's the way it seemed
Disappointment haunted all of my dreams
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I'm in love
I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried
I thought love was more or less a giving thing
Seems the more I gave the less I got
What's the use in tryin'
All you get is pain?
When I needed sunshine, I got rain
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I'm in love
I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried
Oh
Oh, love was out to get me
Now, that's the way it seemed
Disappointment haunted all of my dreams
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
I'm in love
I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried
Yes, I saw her face, now I'm a believer
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
Said, I'm a believer, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (I'm a believer)
Said, I'm a believer, yeah (I'm a believer)
I said, I'm a believer, yeah (I'm a believer)
The Monkees' song "I'm a Believer" is a classic love song that tells the story of a skeptical man who has lost faith in love until he meets someone who changes his mind. The opening lines convey a sense of disillusionment and disappointment with love, as the singer says he thought love was only true in fairy tales and never meant for him. He states that "love was out to get me," and he had little hope of finding it.
However, all of that changes when he sees the woman's face, and suddenly he becomes a believer in love. The chorus repeats this sentiment, emphasizing the singer's newfound conviction that he is in love and couldn't leave her if he tried.
The second verse builds on this idea, with the singer expressing his frustration with the idea that love is something to be earned through giving. Despite his efforts, he only seems to receive pain in return, leading him to a sense of hopelessness until he meets the woman who changes everything.
Overall, "I'm a Believer" is a straightforward but effective portrayal of the transformative power of love. The lyrics capture the often-complicated emotions that come with falling in love while also offering a sense of hope and optimism that things can get better if you keep an open mind and heart.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought love was only true in fairy tales
I used to believe that love was something only found in stories and not something that would happen to me.
Meant for someone else but not for me
I believed that love was something found by others only and that I was not destined to ever experience it.
Love was out to get me
I felt as though love was working against me and that I was at its mercy to determine if I would find it or not.
That's the way it seemed
This was my perception of love and how it operated, though it may not have been the reality.
Disappointment haunted all of my dreams
My fear of not finding love or it being unattainable was a constant source of disappointment and anxiety for me.
Then I saw her face, now I'm a believer
My perception of love changed when I fell for this person and saw everything in a new light.
Not a trace of doubt in my mind
My previous doubts and fears about love disappeared, as I was confident in my love for this person.
I'm in love
I have fallen deeply in love with this person, beyond my previous expectations.
I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried
My love for this person runs so deep that I cannot imagine leaving them, even if I wanted to.
I thought love was more or less a giving thing
My previous understanding was that love was something you gave and hoped to receive in return.
Seems the more I gave the less I got
However, my past experiences with love had shown me that this was not always the case, and that my efforts were not always reciprocated.
What's the use in tryin'
I questioned the point of trying to give love since I did not see it as being successful or returned.
All you get is pain?
My perception of love was that it only led to hurt and disappointment, rather than joy and fulfillment.
When I needed sunshine, I got rain
Whenever I hoped for happiness and fulfillment through love, I instead encountered disappointment and sorrow.
Oh, love was out to get me
My previous experiences with love had led me to believe that it was working against me and that I was unlucky in love.
Yes, I saw her face, now I'm a believer
My changed perception of love came from the influence of this specific person and how they made me feel.
Said, I'm a believer, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (I'm a believer)
I am fully convinced and confident in my love for this person and my ability to experience love.
Said, I'm a believer, yeah (I'm a believer)
I am expressing my newfound belief in love and ability to experience it.
I said, I'm a believer, yeah (I'm a believer)
I am continuing to express and affirm my belief in love and the powerful influence it has on me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Neil Diamond
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
A great song by The Monkees been listening to it for years now.