The Monkees assembled to be the stars of an American television series of t… Read Full Bio ↴The Monkees assembled to be the stars of an American television series of the same name, which ran on NBC from 1966 to 1968. The original lineup was: Micky Dolenz (drums, vocals), Michael Nesmith (guitar, vocals), Davy Jones (percussion, vocals) and Peter Tork (bass, keyboards, vocals) . The Monkees were formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California and initially disbanded in 1970 at the conclusion of their recording contract. At their peak they were competing with The Beatles for the top spot on album charts.

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 Won't Be the Same Without Her
The Monkees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Life is hard for me to touch now.
I just don't enjoy it as much now.
When she left, something inside of me died.
And I won't be the same without her,
No I won't be the same without her
By my side.

There's no end end to my sorrow.

I'm afraid to face tomorrow.
When she left, she took much more than my pride.
And I won't be the same without her,
No I won't be the same without her
By my side.

It isn't easy to forget her,
And the way it used to be.
She changed my life the day I met her.
And I won't be the same without her,
No I won't be the same without her
Close to me.

Repeat first verse.

Overall Meaning

The Monkees's "I Won't Be the Same Without Her" is a poignant track about heartbreak and loss. The opening verse conveys a sense of numbness and detachment as the singer shares that life is difficult to hold on to now and that he's lost his joy. The sense of loss deepens in the chorus as he reflects on how a significant part of him was lost when his lover left, and he admits that life won't be the same without her. The second verse expands on his sorrow, revealing that he lacks the courage to face the uncertainties of the future. The song is a powerful portrait of grief and longing, evoking the pain of heartbreak and the struggle to move on.

Line by Line Meaning

Life is hard for me to touch now.
I find it difficult to feel joy or pleasure in life without her presence.

I just don't enjoy it as much now.
Life is less enjoyable for me now, as she was an important source of my happiness.

When she left, something inside of me died.
Her absence has caused a deep sense of loss and grief within me.

And I won't be the same without her,
Her absence has fundamentally changed me as a person, and I cannot go back to who I was before.

No I won't be the same without her
I know that my life will never be the same without her by my side.

By my side.
I miss her constant presence and support in my life.

There's no end end to my sorrow.
The pain and sadness I feel without her seems never-ending.

I'm afraid to face tomorrow.
The future without her is daunting and scary.

When she left, she took much more than my pride.
Her departure has left me feeling not only emotionally depleted, but also stripped of my sense of self-worth and dignity.

It isn't easy to forget her,
Despite my best efforts, I cannot simply erase her from my memory and move on.

And the way it used to be.
I long for the days when things were different and she was still a part of my life.

She changed my life the day I met her.
Her impact on my life was profound and transformative, from the moment we first met.

And I won't be the same without her,
Her absence has left a lasting mark on me and my life.

No I won't be the same without her
I know that her absence will continue to affect me deeply, no matter how much time passes.

Close to me.
I miss her physical and emotional closeness, and the comfort it brought me.

Repeat first verse.
The feelings of loss and despair expressed in the first verse remain just as strong and raw as ever.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAROLE KING, GERRY GOFFIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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