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)

Me Without You
The Monkees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I wonder just how long it would be
Me without you, you without me
We had a fight last night about something or other
But it can't be too important if we love one another
True love always seems to take a little bit longer
But every time we break up, we make up a little bit stronger
I wonder just how long it would be
Me without you, you without me

Let me tell you know
I wonder just how long it would be
Me without you, you without me qo
Me without you, you without me

Me without you, you without me
Me without you, you without me'

Overall Meaning

The Monkees’ Me Without You explores the idea of how it would be for both parties if they were without each other. The song starts with the singer contemplating the consequences of a breakup, wondering how long it would take for them to truly move on from each other. The second line of the opening verse suggests a deeper connection between the two parties: they are aware that they are interdependent on each other. It's almost as if they have become a part of one another's DNA.

The second verse describes a fight that seems trivial and unimportant, yet still present. This shows that all relationships have their ups and downs, but the important thing is to love and support one another, irrespective of the hurdles that come your way. The following line emphasizes the theme of the song, stating that true love takes time to heal and recover, but it also makes the relationship stronger. The song concludes with the singer reiterating the importance of their love and questioning how long they would be able to survive without each other.

In its essence, the song celebrates the fragility and beauty of love. It emphasizes how, no matter how strong or independent a person may be, it is difficult to navigate through life without someone to hold onto — someone to love and care for. The lyrics, when combined with the melody, give a message of hope and display the importance of companionship.

Line by Line Meaning

I wonder just how long it would be
The artist is contemplating the length of time they can survive without their partner.

Me without you, you without me
The artist imagines what their lives would be like if they were no longer together.

We had a fight last night about something or other
The artist and their partner had an argument for which they can't remember the specific cause.

But it can't be too important if we love one another
The artist rationalizes that the argument probably wasn't significant because they still love each other.

True love always seems to take a little bit longer
The artist believes that true love can be challenging to develop but is ultimately worth the effort.

But every time we break up, we make up a little bit stronger
The artist believes that conflicts can ultimately strengthen relationships when resolved.

Let me tell you know
The artist is about to give their perspective on the situation.

Me without you, you without me
The artist reiterates the theme of the song, wondering about their hypothetical futures without their partner.

Me without you, you without me
The artist repeats the line, emphasizing the importance of their partnership.

Me without you, you without me
The artist repeats the line one final time, underscoring the central message of their song.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOBBY HART, TOMMY BOYCE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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