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)
Lady's Baby
The Monkees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Takes away my lonely blues.
(Lady's/Baby's?) mother cooks my meals,
Warm and cool is really real...
Runnin' never was much fun -
All it did was bring me down.
Chasin' round isn't where it's at.
Lady's Baby pulls my hair,
Lets me know he's really there.
(Lady's/Baby's?) mother touches me,
And at last I really see...
Runnin' never was much fun -
All it did was bring me down.
Chasin' round isn't where it's at.
Tension puts you in the ground.
Lady's Baby lets me know
Life was meant for movin' slow.
(Lady's/Baby's?) mother knows this too.
Lady, I love you.
The Monkees's song Lady's Baby seems to be a joyful tune, yet it reveals deeper meanings when looked at closely. The lyrics describe how Lady's Baby, through his smiles and coos, takes away the singer's lonely blues. We also hear about how Lady's Baby's mother cooks the singer's meals, indicating that he is a guest in their home. The singer admires the warm and cool atmosphere, expressed by the alliteration of the phrase, "warm and cool is really real." This suggests that he has found a in a place where he feels comfortable and cared for, and he seems to be escaping from his past.
The singer then contrasts his current situation to his past life, where he was always running and chasing around. He acknowledges that it did not bring him much fun, but only brought him down. He has now found an understanding of what truly matters in life, and he is aware that tension only puts one in the ground. Lady's Baby, by pulling his hair, shows the singer a physical proof of his presence, and Lady's/Baby's mother's touch makes him feel seen and understood. The song fades out with the singer declaring his love for Lady, suggesting that he has found a new purpose and sense of belonging through them.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady's Baby smiles and coos,
The baby of Lady is joyful and playful bringing happiness to me, the singer.
Takes away my lonely blues.
The baby's actions help me forget about feeling lonely and sad.
(Lady's/Baby's?) mother cooks my meals,
The mother of the baby, who may also be Lady, prepares food for the singer.
Warm and cool is really real...
The food is delicious and satisfying, giving off a warm and cool sensation.
Runnin' never was much fun -
The act of constantly running was never enjoyable to me.
All it did was bring me down.
In fact, it caused me to feel more negative emotions and become sad.
Chasin' round isn't where it's at.
Searching frantically for something is not the way to find true happiness.
Tension puts you in the ground.
Being tense and stressed out can have negative effects on your health and wellbeing.
Lady's Baby pulls my hair,
The baby pulls the artist's hair, which is a playful and affectionate gesture.
Lets me know he's really there.
This action indicates the baby's presence and reassures the artist of their bond.
(Lady's/Baby's?) mother touches me,
The mother of the baby, who may also be Lady, physically interacts with the singer.
And at last I really see...
This touch helps the artist to gain a new perspective and understanding of the situation.
Lady's Baby lets me know
The baby of Lady informs me, the singer,
Life was meant for movin' slow.
that life is meant to be lived at a gentle, leisurely pace.
(Lady's/Baby's?) mother knows this too.
The mother of the baby, who may also be Lady, is also aware of this sentiment.
Lady, I love you.
The artist expresses their love and affection towards Lady, who may be the mother of the baby or someone else entirely.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PETER TORK
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.