Vocal: Davy Jones
Backing vocal: Micky Dolenz
Guitar: Michael Nesmith
Piano: Peter Tork
Bass: Chip Douglas
Drums: Eddie Hoh
Percussion: Bill Martin
Violins: Nathan Kaproff, George Kast, Alex Murray, & Erno Neufeld
Trombone: Richard Noel
Bass trombone: Richard Leith & Philip Teele
Arrangement: Shorty Rogers
Recorded 14 June & 9 August 1967 at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, CA.
Daydream Believer
The Monkees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What number is this, Chip?
7-A
Okay, know what I mean, like don't get excited man
It's 'cause I'm short, I know
Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings
Of the bluebird as she sings
But six rings and I rise
Wipe the sleep out of my eyes
My shaving razor's cold and it stings
Cheer up, sleepy Jean
Oh, what can it mean to a
Daydream believer and a
Homecoming queen?
You once thought of me
As a white knight on his steed
Now you know how happy I can be
Oh and our good time starts and ends
Without dollar one to spend
But how much, baby, do we really need?
Cheer up, sleepy Jean
Oh, what can it mean to a
Daydream believer and a
Homecoming queen?
Cheer up, sleepy Jean
Oh, what can it mean to a
Daydream believer and a
Homecoming queen?
Cheer up, sleepy Jean
Oh, what can it mean to a
Daydream believer and a
Homecoming queen?
Cheer up, sleepy Jean
Oh, what can it mean to a
Daydream believer and a
Homecoming queen?
Cheer up, sleepy Jean
The Monkees’ hit “Daydream Believer” expresses the desire to escape one's mundane reality and live in a world of fantasies. The song talks about the struggle to get up in the morning and face the day ahead, and how sometimes the desire to be in a daydream state is overwhelming. The opening lines of the song bring up the reference to the digits 7-A, which leaves the listener wondering what it means. This is meant to be vague, and it does not reveal its significance until the end of the verse where it appears to be a kind of joke or play on words between friends. The singer of the song finds himself wishing he could escape the monotony of a standard workday with its early morning alarms and his painful razor, wishing instead to sail away into a daydream.
The refrain of the song, “Cheer up, Sleepy Jean,” appears throughout the lyrics, serving as a message of encouragement. The term “Sleepy Jean” serves as a nickname the singer gives to his lover, and he is encouraging her to be more optimistic and to embrace her daydreams. The song's lyrics also allude to the fact that life doesn't have to be perfect and that it's possible to find happiness in simple things, like being together and enjoying each other's company without the need for financial abundance.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings
Of the bluebird as she sings
The six o'clock alarm would never ring
But six rings and I rise
Wipe the sleep out of my eyes
My shaving razor's cold and it stings
I daydream about escaping my mundane routine and waking up on my own terms, but in reality, I struggle to get up in the morning and face the harshness of my daily routine.
Cheer up, sleepy Jean
Oh, what can it mean to a
Daydream believer and a
Homecoming queen?
Hey, cheer up! You, like me, may be a hopeless daydreamer, but there's no problem with that. Life is tough, but we can find joy in the simple moments and our shared fantasies.
You once thought of me
As a white knight on his steed
Now you know how happy I can be
Oh and our good time starts and ends
Without dollar one to spend
But how much, baby, do we really need?
You used to see me as a perfect, unattainable savior, but now you see the real me - someone who's content with simple pleasures and doesn't need money to have a good time. Let's question the idea that material possessions bring happiness and focus on what truly matters.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Stewart
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
A great Monkees song.
@dr.bunsenhoneydew4362
Lyrics
Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings
Of the bluebird as she sings
The six o'clock alarm would never ring
But six rings and I rise
Wipe the sleep out of my eyes
My shavin' razor's cold and it stings
Cheer up, Sleepy Jean, oh, what can it mean
To a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?
You once thought of me
As a white knight on his steed
Now you know how happy I can be
Oh, and our good time starts and end
Without dollar one to spend
But how much, baby, do we really need?
Cheer up, Sleepy Jean, oh, what can it mean
To a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?
Cheer up, Sleepy Jean, oh, what can it mean
To a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?
Cheer up, Sleepy Jean, oh, what can it mean
To a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?
Cheer up, Sleepy Jean, oh, what can it mean
To a daydream believer and a homecoming queen?
Cheer up, Sleepy Jean, oh, what can it mean
To a day...
@gerrynightingale9045
WHAT!?!? 'Wool Cap Mike' is gone?
I didn't know
( Like Lennon said in '70 "Don't worry over us, we're alright and so are you and everything you liked of the 'Beatles' is still here, all the records and the films and all that will still be around...we gave you fans the best we had for years and years and now it's time for a long rest and none of you would like to hear and see us at forty or something..." )
________
How wrong he was and didn't know it!
________
* 'The Monkees' will live-on long after all the original fans are gone, and that wouldn't be true unless there was real talent and chemistry involved between them, because although a camera may not 'tell the truth of things'...it doesn't 'lie' either*
WE know the difference between 'fake' and 'real' and what we saw and heard from the 'American Fab Four' was real even if it was never intended to be
________
I saw an interview with Nesmith here on 'Tube and he talked about Peter Tork and how Mike seemed to just 'always not quite right' and "Not the friend I should've been" with Peter in being 'not enemies but not close the way we should have been' and that when an assistant told him where he working said "I just heard that Peter has died" it felt "Like I was kicked in the guts and my heart stopped because I never got the the chance to tell him I loved him and didn't know it and now it's too late to even say goodbye to him
( Mike looked like he going to burst into tears right on camera and trying hard not to )
________
I have a friend 'Leon' that I knew from Kindergarten all the way to 7th. grade and we were always 'pals' but what I didn't realize was how poor he was...I had no real concept of what it meant to not have any money in a pocket for a snack or matinee movies or a bag of candy
My family was not 'rich' at all but there was always money for me to have for lunch at school and for 'after' and I always got 'movie money' at least twice a month and Leon had none of that and the 'little house' he and his mom lived-in would be considered 'cheap' and 'poor' even in the late '50's thru the '60's in Dearborn, Mi.
How I wish I could see him now after more than fifty-years have passed, and tell him "I'm sorry for not being a better friend than I was but I just didn't know any better and now that I know it makes my heart hurt that I wasn't as good to you as you were to me and I'M SORRY
( We moved from Dearborn to Las Vegas in early '68 and I never even thought to say 'Goodbye' to him and get his address so I could write to him or maybe call sometimes )
WHAT AN A-HOLE I WAS TO HIM and I still don't understand 'Why?'
@localreviewking134
They were four boys with big dreams,
Who came together to make them come true.
They were The Monkees,
And they changed the world.
They brought joy to millions,
With their music, their humor, and their friendship.
They were more than just a band,
They were a family.
They are gone now,
But their music will live on forever.
They will be remembered for their talent,
Their heart, and their soul.
Rest in peace, Monkees.
You will be missed.
@No.26-rc9cw
Who‘s listening in 2024？👍
@Pumpkin525
2020 o_O
@george._sir._gemini.175
Dave Chapelle 😂
@laurachatham8563
Me ! Here from Northern lights!
@roberthanisko9749
Me!
@taniamonserrattorizguerra7094
Me ❤
@markaungst8975
My amazing wife Jeannie passed away this morning. This was her favorite song since she was a young girl. Off course I had to come here. Love you always Baby Bird.
@pazthakrar9270
I am so sorry for your loss, and I am pleased you found this song - treasure memories this was my number one song in Karaoke, and i could nail this and won prizes .. My prayers to you and your family and to Jeannie, rip...
@KittyGrizGriz
Bless you and may your sweet memories of Jeannie lift you up and sustain you Mark, music can be a powerful healer ❤