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)

Mr. Webster
The Monkees Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ev'ryone in town knew Mr. Webster;
He worked at the bank for forty years.
And each week Mr. Frizby made his check out
For sixty-eight dollars clear.

And through the years he thwarted twenty-seven robberies
And each time Frizby promised him a raise.

They gave a retirement party for Mr. Webster
Everyone from the bank was there.
They had a cake and flowers ordered special
And Frizby had a speech prepared.

And a little white box that held a watch with this inscription
"To Mr. Webster, with regards."

Then came the telegram from Mr. Webster
Said, "Sorry...stop...Cannot attend..
I've flown away and taken all your money
Wish you were here to help me spend."

And one by one all the people left the party
And Mr. Frizby locked the door.

Overall Meaning

The Monkees's song Mr. Webster is a darkly humorous commentary on the corruption and greed of American society. The lyrics describe the life of Mr. Webster, a long-time employee of a bank, who is celebrated for his loyalty and bravery in thwarting multiple bank robberies. Despite his heroic deeds, Mr. Webster is paid meagerly and promised only small raises by his boss, Mr. Frizby. Eventually, the bank throws a retirement party for Mr. Webster, which includes a watch as a gift. However, Mr. Webster never shows up to the party, and instead sends a telegram announcing that he has stolen all the bank's money and fled.

The song's lyrics are a biting critique of the greed of American capitalism, which values profit over the welfare of employees. Mr. Webster is a tragic figure who, despite his loyalty and bravery, is underpaid and undervalued by his employer. The fact that he steals the bank's money in the end is a reflection of the desperation and inequality that many Americans face in their daily lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Ev'ryone in town knew Mr. Webster;
Mr. Webster was a prominent figure in town and well-known by all.

He worked at the bank for forty years.
Mr. Webster spent his entire career working at the bank.

And each week Mr. Frizby made his check out For sixty-eight dollars clear.
Mr. Frizby paid Mr. Webster a weekly salary of $68, without any deductions.

And through the years he thwarted twenty-seven robberies And each time Frizby promised him a raise.
Mr. Webster prevented 27 robberies from taking place at the bank, and Mr. Frizby promised to give him a raise each time.

They gave a retirement party for Mr. Webster Everyone from the bank was there.
The bank organized a retirement party for Mr. Webster, which was attended by everyone who worked there.

They had a cake and flowers ordered special And Frizby had a speech prepared.
There were special arrangements made for the occasion, such as a cake and floral decorations, and Mr. Frizby had a speech ready to deliver.

And a little white box that held a watch with this inscription "To Mr. Webster, with regards."
As a retirement gift, Mr. Webster was given a watch in a small white box, which had an inscription that read, "To Mr. Webster, with regards."

Then came the telegram from Mr. Webster Said, "Sorry...stop...Cannot attend.. I've flown away and taken all your money Wish you were here to help me spend."
Soon after the party, a telegram was received from Mr. Webster stating that he had left and taken all the bank's money with him, expressing his regret that the others weren't there to enjoy it with him.

And one by one all the people left the party And Mr. Frizby locked the door.
After hearing the shocking news, the people left the party one by one, leaving Mr. Frizby to lock up the bank.

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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